Sunday Detecting at a Roman Hill

Hey Diggers,
There was so much Roman activity around here for about 700 years that relics and coins can be found just about anywhere you detect. The Romans loved hilltops (probably for their strategic location). I was detecting a hilltop and found a few Roman coins, a Roman sandal nail, and a bronze goddess figurine (maybe Aphrodite?). This particular area has been hunted to death for about 30 years! I found all the targets in iron patches and most were about 9 inches deep. The figurine was over a foot deep!

For the figurine I used Andre's pencils to very slowly chip away the crud to reveal the patina below. It took me almost 2 hours! The coins are not well preserved and are so fragile that I could only use ammonia to clean them. Any kind of mechanical cleaning would have destroyed the fragile patina.

The guy I was detecting with, Mike, found a beautiful silver Denarius from about A.D. 190 and an iron arrowhead for a crossbow bolt!

Here's some pics and thanks for looking. HH, Dave.

Dave, that bronze goddess figure is one of the coolest things I've ever seen on this forum! Wow, I can't believe how well it cleaned up. It is gorgeous! I love the crude hand carving. So old! INCREDIBLE! Just to be able to hold it in your hand and wonder who the previous person was to also held it. It boggles the mind!

:omg:

I agree withTony. That goddess figure is amazing, and the cleanup results really is exceptional work. That really is probably the coolest find I've seen as well. Probably something not even likely to be seen in any museum and definitely relic find of the month!

Mind boggled!

"Aphrodite" ? you digging ancient Greek relics now ?? is there any ancient civilization that's not inside Germany now that you can't find ? Or did you mean Venus , the Roman goddess of love and beauty ? :lol: sorry Dave I had to bust ya …. after all you are the man responsible for constantly making my keyboard wet from drool since you moved to Europe :lolsign:. Seriously I'm with Tony the bronze bust is absolutely amazing in both its age and shape . :smitten:Congrats on finding Roman sir !

Dan

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Originally Posted by Tony Two-Cent

Dave, that bronze goddess figure is one of the coolest things I've ever seen on this forum! Wow, I can't believe how well it cleaned up. It is gorgeous! I love the crude hand carving. So old! INCREDIBLE! Just to be able to hold it in your hand and wonder who the previous person was to also held it. It boggles the mind!

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Thanks Tony, she was staring straight at me when she popped up onto the dirt pile!

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Originally Posted by Digger_O'Dell

I agree withTony. That goddess figure is amazing, and the cleanup results really is exceptional work. That really is probably the coolest find I've seen as well. Probably something not even likely to be seen in any museum and definitely relic find of the month!

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Thanks, I was very happy with the way it cleaned up using the Andre's crayons. I was just glad to get it out of the ground without damaging it! You should have seen the roots and rocks I had to go through to get to it.

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Originally Posted by Bucknut

Mind boggled!

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Thanks!

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Originally Posted by del

"Aphrodite" ? you digging ancient Greek relics now ?? Or did you mean Venus , the Roman goddess of love and beauty ?

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You totally busted me Del! I'm hoping to get it identified as to which Roman goddess it depicts. I have an acquaintance who is a professor of Roman archaeology up in Frankfurt so maybe he will know. It's already been identified as 4th century and that fits perfectly with all the coins I found there from the 300's.

Wonderful, Dave! Such pretty art on the coins...seems some of our colonial coins took a step backwards. :clapping:

I don't know how you manage to keep out doing yourself Dave, but you do !!!!! Just more great stuff !

And how do you not skip work every day to go out detecting? I would have been fired already.

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Originally Posted by Lodge Scent

And how do you not skip work every day to go out detecting? I would have been fired already.

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It ain't easy staying focused at work that's for sure! One of my detecting buddies is a house-husband. Wife goes to work, he gets the kids off to school, cleans house and then goes detecting until the kids come home. All day he is texting me pictures of his finds! Killing me!!

Once again.........huge congrats.

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Originally Posted by DaddyDigger

All day he is texting me pictures of his finds! Killing me!!

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He needs a good whupping.

Wonderful relics Dave, the the little goddess bust is simply amazing! It must be thrilling to potentially dig antiquity every day you go out!

John

Great coin finds there and the bust is very unique! :beerbuddy:

And yet another great hunt from DaddyDigger ( In Germany )
Great bunch of coins , but that goddess is butt ugly!! Sorry, Lol

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Originally Posted by Digger Don

Great bunch of coins , but that goddess is butt ugly!! Sorry, Lol

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Don, just take a look at that god-awful silver ring you found recently and then look at my beautiful little goddess! LOL

Check the help wanted ads at your work and see if any fit me. I’ve got a degree I’m not using. I want to detect with Dave!! :happydance01:

how cool is that! cleaned up beautifully too! good job!