Corbridge Lanx: Roman Treasure
Tonight, I am re-posting my Corbridge page with emphasis on a magnificent example of Roman silverware (above). The item was actually found by a child on bank of nearby River Tyne in 1735. There are records of other Roman silver pieces found in the same area during 1731-1760 but these were probably melted down. River Tyne at Corbridge The Corbridge hoard is one of many such hoards (e.g. Mildenhall) which date to the late 4th century/early 5th century AD when the Romans withdrew from Britain leaving the former colony without defence. After some 350 years of integration within the Roman Empire the sudden withdrawal must have resulted in a traumatic effect on Britain's trade, security and social structures. At this time many hoards of silver and other valuables were hidden by the wealthy elite in the hope of later recovery which never happened. On the plus side the Roman withdrawal resulted in unlimited immigration of peoples from northern Europe and concomitant de...