Seaton Down
| Seaton Down | |
| Devon | |
|---|---|
 Seaton Down and the Holyford valley | |
| Summit: | 413 feet SY234918 50°43’18"N, 3°5’9"W |
Seaton Down is a low hill in the easternmost confines of Devon, which is the site of an Iron Age hill fort and of a major find of Roman coins. The down stand immediately north-west of Seaton, Devon's easternmost coastal place, and reaches 413 feet at its summit. The fummit is crowned with the earthworks of a hill fort.
The fort
The hill fort takes the form of an earthwork with a large linear rampart cutting a promontory of land at the north-east end of the down off as a defensive fortification. It is slightly unusual in this layout when compared with other forts in the area.[1]
The Seaton Down Hoard
The Seaton Down Hoard was found on the hill in November 2013 by a metal detectorist. It is a hoard of 22,888 Roman coins, making it one of the largest ever found in Britain.[2][3][4]
The coins were found near the site of a Roman fort and possible villa in Honeyditches which was built in the second to third century.[5][6] The coins date from AD 260 to 348.[7] The coins are made from copper-alloy. The hoard is one of the largest ever found of 4th-century coins in what had been the Roman empire and consist of coins from the reign of Roman emperor Constantine I and his family in AD 306 and the joint reign of Constantius II and his younger brother Constans, from AD 337 to 340.
The Royal Albert Memorial Museum in Exeter acquired the coins in July 2016.[8][9]
Coins from the hoard were displayed at the British Museum on 25 September 2014.[10]
References
- ↑ Sellman, R.R.: 'Aspects of Devon History' (Devon Books, 1985) ISBN 0-86114-756-1. Chapter: "The Iron Age in Devon" (Map of Iron Age hill forts in Devon)
- ↑ 'Roman coin hoard, one of the largest found in UK, unearthed by builder': The Guardian 26 September 2014
- ↑ 'The Seaton Down Hoard: Amateur metal detector uncovers 22,000 Roman coins': The Independent 26 September 2014
- ↑ Seaton Down Hoard – The Royal Albert Memorial Museum
- ↑ National Heritage List 1017819: Roman and earlier settlement at Honeyditches
- ↑ National Monuments Record: No. 449679 – Honeyditches
- ↑ "Roman 20,000 coins hoard 'among largest'". BBC. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-29368075. Retrieved 26 September 2014.
- ↑ "Seaton Down Hoard: A first Glimpse". Royal Albert Memorial Museum. 17 July 2016. https://rammuseum.org.uk/seaton-down-hoard-a-first-glimpse/. Retrieved 10 October 2016.
- ↑ "Huge 'Seaton hoard' of Roman coins discovered in east Devon". Western Daily Press. http://www.westerndailypress.co.uk/Huge-Seaton-hoard-Roman-coins-discovered-east/story-23003991-detail/story.html. Retrieved 26 September 2014.
- ↑ Singh, Anita (26 September 2014). "Treasure hunter guards biggest find of Roman coins by sleeping in his car". Telegraph. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/environment/archaeology/11123379/Treasure-hunter-guards-biggest-find-of-Roman-coins-by-sleeping-in-his-car.html. Retrieved 26 September 2014.