2017-03-15 Wed

The Catillon II hoard, comprising of 70,000 Celtic Iron Age coins, buried by a French tribe of Celts as late as 20 B.C., were discovered in 2012 at Grouville, Channel Islands. The coins were analysed over a period of 3 years and finally, the process ended on 20th January 2017.

When the hoard was discovered by metal detectorists Reg Mead and Richard Miles, a team of archaeologists from Jersey Heritage organisation was alerted. The excavation was then managed by Jersey Heritage, the Societe Jersiaise and Guernsey Museum.

In those times, Julius Caesar led the Romans into the land with Celtic natives. By 56 B.C., there was a massive power-shift in the Channel Islands. The islands became a part of the Roman Empire contributing to trade routes.

The hoard was the largest group of Celtic coins ever found. A virtual model of the hoard was made by the team of researchers. The three-year process of analysing the coins was a great accomplishment. Individual coins are yet to be analysed.