18 Jul 2013 Treasury of Celtic coins

A treasure containing 293 silver Celtic coins was found by a prospector eight years ago in the Swiss town of Füllinsdorf in the canton of Basel. At first, he discovered only a few coins buried in the soil.

The coins measure one centimeter in diameter and weigh two grams. They were scattered over an area of 50 square metres. "It is the most important archaeological find in Switzerland of all time. It is the discovery of the century," said Swiss Culture Minister Urs Wütrich.

These were nickels inspired by Roman money, but they were much smaller. They originated in France but were also used in what is now Switzerland. According to experts, the coins were hidden around 80 BC, when a Celtic oppidum stood in what is now Basel.

The coins were probably hidden by someone looking for a safe place not to lose the depot. The Celts sometimes buried the coins near the shrine to protect them from the deity. The purchasing power of the gold, silver and bronze coins from the area is unknown. However, the known evidence suggests that the purchasing power was greater in the centres of larger settlements than, for example, in semi-urban settlements.

Celtic tribes settled in Switzerland in the fifth to fourth centuries BC. The Helvetii to the west and the Rhaetians to the east. The most important discoveries from this period come from the site of La Téne on the shores of Lake Neuchâtel.

The year 1853 was an important one, when iron objects began to emerge from the water due to a drop in the lake level. Long-term archaeological research was carried out there in 1907 and 1917. Researchers found 2,500 different objects. These were mainly weapons such as swords, spears and shields. There were also jewellery, tools, instruments and parts of carts and horse harnesses.

Another important archaeological site in Switzerland is the town of Augst. Nowhere north of the Alps are the remains of a Roman settlement more thoroughly mapped and preserved. The Romans founded the settlement there in 44 BC, supposedly at the direct command of Caesar.

It once had a population of around 20,000 inhabitants, who 2,000 years ago already had such amenities as a water supply, three baths and two theatres.

Sources: https://sk.wolfgangpetersen.net/, www.idnes.cz