French archaeologists stumble on a mysterious Asterix-and-Obelix-style treasure: 40,000 coins in three vessels meant to withstand Rome

A team of archaeologists has uncovered an extraordinary treasure beneath the town of Senon in northeastern France. During a routine excavation conducted ahead of a home expansion project, researchers discovered three large ceramic pots filled with approximately 40,000 bronze and copper coins dating to the third century A.D.

A town steeped in history

The excavation covered approximately 16,150 square feet, allowing researchers to closely examine how the site evolved over time. Before the Roman conquest, the region was home to the Mediomatrici, a Celtic tribe whose capital was Divodurum Mediomatricorum, now the modern city of Metz.

Over time, the settlement developed into a thriving Roman town featuring paved streets, stone houses, heating systems, and underground cellars.

Early “household banks”

Researchers with the French National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research (INRAP) explain that the coins were not buried out of fear of war or theft. Instead, the ceramic pots functioned as small “household banks.”

The containers were buried just below ground level, making them easy for their owners to access over the years to deposit or withdraw coins whenever needed.

The coins bear the portraits of several rulers of the Gallic Empire, a breakaway state that temporarily split from the Roman Empire during the Crisis of the Third Century.

In the early fourth century A.D., a massive fire destroyed the entire settlement. Although residents attempted to rebuild their homes using whatever materials they could salvage, another fire struck several years later, forcing the community to abandon the site permanently. As the buildings collapsed, the coins were buried beneath the rubble, where they remained hidden for centuries.

Following the discovery, ownership of the treasure was transferred to the French government to ensure the coins are properly cleaned, preserved, and studied. According to INRAP, the excavation site has been digitally scanned in three dimensions to create a permanent record of the area. The property has since been returned to its owner so construction on the home expansion can continue.A town with a long history

The works covered an area of 1,500 square meters, allowing researchers to observe in detail the territory’s development. Before the Roman conquest, the region belonged to the mediomátricos, a Celtic people whose capital was Divodurum Mediomatricorum (present-day Metz). Over time it became a prosperous city with paved streets and stone houses fully outfitted with heating systems and cellars.

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