Jan Bartek – AncientPages.com – Imagine the excitement of uncovering a unique treasure trove. In 2012, metal detectorists Reg Mead and Richard Miles made an extraordinary discovery on Jersey, an island in the English Channel. They found 70,000 silver coins, 11 gold torques, and exquisite jewelry.
Credit: FoxyOrange, CC BY-SA 3.0, Jersey Heritage. Image compilation AncientPages.com
This remarkable find, celebrated as the ‘Le Catillon II Coin Hoard,’ is recognized as the world’s largest Celtic Iron Age hoard and Europe’s most extensive collection of torque neck rings. The significance of this discovery cannot be overstated; it offers invaluable insights into our past. Scientists have explored this fascinating subject to unravel the mystery of why such an immense hoard was secretly transported to an isolated location with seemingly no trade connections. Understanding these historical treasures could reshape our knowledge of ancient trade routes and cultural exchanges.
The excavation of the Le Câtillon II hoard. Credit: Scott Miles.
It’s intriguing to consider how the trove found its way to Jersey, an island historically perceived as sparsely populated due to its perilous coastline and limited evidence of human habitation from that era. Unlike Guernsey, Jersey was long thought to be remote, with the southeast field chosen for its secrecy.
However, new research by La Société Jersaise in collaboration with the French archaeological organization INRAP is compelling us to rethink these assumptions. This groundbreaking study, along with a comprehensive review of the hoard’s discovery and analysis, has been published in Wreckwatch magazine, a leading authority on marine archaeology. This fresh perspective invites us to reconsider what we know about Jersey’s past and opens exciting possibilities for further exploration.
“If it was just one hoard in one field, you’d think maybe they did take it over across the ocean from Northern France to hide it away in ‘sleepy ‘ Jersey – makes great sense. But since the 1950s, four hoards have turned up in this one field! That’s incredibly rich, and you can’t say that’s a coincidence – why was it done, is there a pattern there?
The Le Câtillon II is the world’s largest ever Celtic coin hoard. Credit: Jersey Heritage
We know that in ancient times, people liked fields that had spiritual importance; they liked to get power and sanctity and protection from the ancestors.
If you step back from that field and look out, there’s this huge, great Neolithic monumental tomb on La Hougue Bie, that’s not a coincidence; there’s also Celtic coins dug into the soil there.
It looks like whoever went there was doing it deliberately to tap into that power of the past,” Sean Kingsley, Marine Archeaologist and editor of Wreckwatch magazine said.
“This location was not chosen randomly or in the middle of nowhere.
Hoards of this type were often deposited in Celtic temples, and this possibility here cannot be ruled out.
This sacred ground could also explain why the hoard was never looted or retrieved. The fear of angering the gods, of being cursed for eternity, may have been a strong reason, preventing any attempt to recover such a significant hoard of precious metal,” Dr. Hervé Duval-Gatignol of the Société Jersiaise told the Wreckwatch magazine.
It is also significant to consider the site’s topography. Just 12 miles from the French coast, this hoard was strategically buried on elevated ground with a commanding view of the sea, naturally shielded on three sides.
As Mead pointed out, “High tides brought the sea to the bottom of the fields, making it impossible to cross the coast and soggy foreshore.” This vantage point allowed for clear visibility and early warnings of any approaching threats.
For the Celtic peoples who concealed this treasure in the mid-1st century B.C.E., such precautions were vital as danger loomed ever closer.
The story of Julius Caesar’s army and its conflict with the Celtic tribes in the 50s B.C.E. is a compelling backdrop to the mystery of the Jersey hoard. A leading theory suggests that this treasure was transported to Jersey during the Gallic wars to avoid capture by Roman forces. The coins themselves lend credibility to this theory, as they predominantly originate from Armorica, home to various Celtic tribes between the Seine and Loire rivers, including the Channel Islands.
During the conservation of the Le Câtillon II hoard, a fascinating discovery was made: gold torques and jewelry were found alongside coins. This finding provides valuable insights into the craftsmanship and cultural significance of these artifacts from the past. Credit: Jersey Heritage
Most notably, these coins belonged to the Coriosolitae tribe, which allied with other Armorican tribes in their resistance against Roman invasion. Many of these coins were minted specifically for paying troops engaged in this struggle. Their distinctive design—a human head on one side and a horse with a human or bird-shaped head on the other—reflects typical Coriosolitae artistry.
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It was local tales about such unique horse-headed coins found in southeast Jersey that sparked Mead’s curiosity back in the 1980s. Over three decades, Mead and Miles meticulously searched fields (between potato harvests), finally uncovering a single Celtic coin in early 2012—proof that those rumors held truth. With advanced metal detection technology originally designed for locating World War II aircraft parts, they unveiled an entire hoard.
Written by Jan Bartek – AncientPages.com Staff Writer
