Britain's Last Roman Hoards with Professor Ellen Swift & Dr Kelly Clarke-Neish

Some they hid in the earth…and some they carried away’.

This entry in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle tells the story of what happened to precious metal treasure hoards in Britain following the withdrawal of Roman authority in the fifth century. Many were never recovered by their owners, and some are now found in museum collections across the UK. Here in Worthing we have a particularly important example in the form of the Patching Hoard! Collectively, these hoards contain thousands of coins, and hundreds of other artefacts and provide vital evidence to examine the transition from late Roman to early medieval Britain.

Join Prof Ellen Swift (Professor of Roman Archaeology, University of Kent) and Dr Kelly Clarke‑Neish (Project Curator: Late Roman Hoards, British Museum) to discover the hidden stories of Britain’s Last Roman hoards in this interactive workshop.

Through a mix of presentation and interactive activities, including an exciting hands-on Patching Hoard component, you’ll uncover what these hoards reveal about everyday life, shifting economies, and identities in post-Roman Britain.

This event is supported by the UKRI Arts and Humanities Research Council as part of the Britain’s last Roman Hoards: wealth, power and culture in the fifth century project.

This event is free