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The history of the Hoxne Hoard, the largest collection of Roman treasure found in Britain

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The history of the Hoxne Hoard, the largest collection of Roman treasure found in Britain

The Hoxne Hoard is one of Britain’s unique archaeological finds, not just by its value, but also by how it was found.

Various sources note the Hoxne Hoard as the largest hoard of Roman treasure ever found in Britain. The collection of treasures is heavily made up of gold and silver coins, though there are other objects, such as tableware and jewelry that were also found.  

How this collection of ancient treasures was found adds to its uniqueness. 

The Hoxne Hoard is primarily made up of coins. (CM Dixon/Print Collector/Getty Images)

SANXINGDUI RUINS WERE DISCOVERED ACCIDENTALLY BY A FARMER; HAS SINCE BEEN THE SITE OF OVER 60K RELICS

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On Nov. 16, 1992, Eric Lawes was scouring a field in Hoxne village in Suffolk, not on the hunt for hidden treasure, but simply looking for a hammer that had been lost on the land. 

Lawes was scanning the area with his metal detector, when he came across a small portion of the treasures within what would become the Hoxne Hoard. 

After shoveling up some of the silver spoons and gold coins he found, he quickly reported his find to be properly excavated. 

Lawes was awarded £1.75 million for his find, which he shared with the farmer who owned the land the treasures were discovered on, according to the Smithsonian Magazine. 

While looking for a lost hammer with a metal detector, a man came across a find far bigger. This discovery later became known as the Hoxne Hoard. (iStock)

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THE 4,000 ITEMS IN THE STAFFORDSHIRE HOARD MAKE IT THE LARGEST COLLECTION IN HISTORY OF ITS KIND

The very next day, the Suffolk County Council Archaeology Service (SCCAS) was on the scene, according to the World History Encyclopedia. 

The gold and silver artifacts part of the Hoxne Hoard weigh around 60 pounds in total, according to Ancient Origins. There are around 15,000 Roman coins as part of the collection, per The British Museum, where many of the items are displayed today. The items were buried in the 5th century A.D. 

Other unique finds include pieces of jewelry, like a body chain, six necklaces, three finger rings and gold bracelets, according to the source. 

There were many pieces of jewelry found as part of the Hoxne Hoard, including gold bracelets. (CM Dixon/Print Collector/Getty Images)

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MOM, SON DIG UP ANCIENT OBJECT OFTEN FOUND NEAR BURIAL GROUNDS WHILE GARDENING

Even though the Hoxne Hoard is heavily made up of coins, one of the best-known treasures that was found was the “Empress” pepper pot. This pot was one of four that were excavated from the site, according to The British Museum. The pepper pot is intricately formed to represent a woman. 

Additionally, there were many tableware items that were part of the hoard, including a set of 19 spoons, in good condition, that were decorated with marine themes, according to The British Museum. 

Archaeologists believe that the Hoxne Hoard was buried no later than 450 A.D., according to Ancient Origins. 

At the end of the 4th century A.D., the western Roman Empire was in a place of uncertainty, with Roman soldiers exiting Britain, leaving citizens to fend for themselves. 

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One of the significant finds of the Hoxne Hoard is the pepper pot pictured above. (CM Dixon/Print Collector/Getty Images)

 

While experts have posed varying hypotheses as to why the hoard was buried, one common suggestion is that it was done for protection, with the intent of the owners collecting their precious items once again. In the case of the Hoxne Hoard, the items were never retrieved by their owners. 

Today, the Hoxne Hoard is on display at the British Museum in London. The display contains many of the coins, jewelry and tableware, as well as Lawes’ hammer, which he was originally looking for when he stumbled upon the far more significant discovery. 

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FAA grounds all JetBlue flights after request from airline

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FAA grounds all JetBlue flights after request from airline

NEW YORK (AP) — The Federal Aviation Administration has grounded all JetBlue flights due to a request from the airline, the agency said Tuesday.

The ground stop impacts flights to all destinations, according to the advisory.

It was not immediately clear why JetBlue requested the ground stop or how long it would last.

The airline and the FAA didn’t immediately respond to emails from The Associated Press requesting more information.

The airline, which was founded more than 25 years ago, has its headquarters in New York City and its flagship terminal at the city’s John F. Kennedy International Airport.

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Trump says it’s an ‘honor’ to keep Strait of Hormuz open for China and other countries

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Trump says it’s an ‘honor’ to keep Strait of Hormuz open for China and other countries

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President Donald Trump said he wants to keep the Strait of Hormuz open, saying it would be an “honor” to do so in an effort to help other nations that rely on the vital Middle East waterway.

Trump was speaking with reporters in Florida on Monday, when he was asked about the global energy choke point, which has been disrupted amid back-and-forth attacks between Iran and Israel and the United States. 

IRAN SEIZES OIL TANKERS, THREATENS ‘MASSACRE’ IN STRAIT OF HORMUZ HOURS BEFORE US TALKS

People mourn slain Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Thursday, in Isfahan, Iran.  (Payman Shahsanaei/ISNA via AP)

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At about 21 miles wide at its narrowest point, the Strait of Hormuz is between Iran and Oman and carries roughly 20 million barrels a day and about one-fifth of global liquefied natural gas, making it a top-value target when conflict in the region erupts.

“We’re really helping China here and other countries because they get a lot of their energy from the Straits,” Trump said. “We have a good relationship with China. It’s my honor to do it.”

US POSITIONS AIRCRAFT CARRIERS, STRIKE PLATFORMS ACROSS MIDDLE EAST AS IRAN TALKS SHIFT TO OMAN

A screenshot of a marine traffic terminal showing vessels in the Strait of Hormuz on March 4. (Kpler/Marine Traffic)

Trump is slated to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping later this month. While touting the United States’ new energy partnership with Venezuela, Trump noted that China gets its oil through the strait. 

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“I mean, we’re doing this for the other parts of the world, including countries like China,” he said. “They get a lot of their oil through the straits.”

“We have a very good relationship with President XI (Jinping) and China,” he added. “I’m going there in a short period of time, and we’re protecting the world from what these lunatics are trying to do, and very successfully I might add.”

President Donald Trump greets Chinese President Xi Jinping ahead of a bilateral meeting at Gimhae Air Base on Oct. 30, 2025, in Busan, South Korea. Trump said he wants to keep the Strait of Hormuz open in the Middle East for countries, including China.  ( Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

The U.S. will also waive all oil-related sanctions on some countries in an effort to reduce energy prices amid the conflict in the Middle East, Trump said.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps took to Iranian State TV vowing it would “not allow [the] export of a single liter of oil.”

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Later, Trump reaffirmed his position on the strait in a fiery Truth Social post.

“If Iran does anything that stops the flow of Oil within the Strait of Hormuz, they will be hit by the United States of America TWENTY TIMES HARDER than they have been hit thus far. Additionally, we will take out easily destroyable targets that will make it virtually impossible for Iran to ever be built back, as a Nation, again — Death, Fire, and Fury will reign upon them — But I hope, and pray, that it does not happen!,” he wrote.

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“This is a gift from the United States of America to China, and all of those Nations that heavily use the Hormuz Strait. Hopefully, it is a gesture that will be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

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NATO intercepts another Iranian missile in Turkish airspace

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NATO intercepts another Iranian missile in Turkish airspace

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NATO forces have intercepted an Iranian missile heading to Türkiye for the second time in less than a week, as US-Israeli strikes on Iran throw the wider Middle East into conflict.

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Last Wednesday, Türkiye’s Ministry of Defence said it intercepted an Iranian ballistic missile headed toward Turkish airspace close to the Syria border.

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Confirming the incident, NATO spokesperson Allison Hart said “NATO stands firm in its readiness to defend all Allies against any threat”.

According to NATO sources, there is as yet no indication Türkiye is triggering formal proceedings within the alliance to initiate action against Iran.

However, the Turkish government summoned Iran’s ambassador to Ankara for a formal rebuke over the incident.

The US has a military presence at the Incirlik airbase in the south of the country.

“NATO has been clear it has strong interception capabilities”, Colonel ​Martin O’Donnell, spokesperson ​for the ⁠Supreme ‌Headquarters ‌Allied Powers ⁠Europe, told Euronews, saying that while Iran is “targeting the US footprint in various countries” it is also attacking public spaces “indiscriminately”.

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While NATO has increased its security posture to a heightened level until the threat subsides, O’Donnell reiterated NATO’s position that it is not a party to the conflict, despite the fact the conflict is being prosecuted by the US, the alliance’s most powerful member by far.

“The Secretary General has been clear that NATO is not part of this war, but NATO will defend itself”, he said, speaking to Euronews from NATO HQ in Brussels on Monday.

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