Cheste hoard facts for kids
The Cheste hoard (called Tesoro de Cheste in Spanish) is a special collection of ancient treasures. It was found near the town of Cheste in Valencia, Spain, way back in 1864. This amazing find dates back to about 200 BCE, which is over 2,200 years ago!
The hoard was buried inside two pots. It contained beautiful gold jewellery, many silver coins, and pieces of silver metal called ingots. Today, you can see these ancient treasures at the Valencia History Museum.
Contents
What Was Found in the Hoard?
The Cheste hoard is like a time capsule from the past. It shows us what valuable items people had long ago.
Golden Jewellery
The gold jewellery in the hoard is truly special. It includes a necklace, three pendants, and a fibula. A fibula is like an ancient safety pin or brooch used to fasten clothes.
The Special Fibula
The fibula is very interesting because it has a small human head decoration. This style is similar to art from the La Tène culture, which was linked to the Celts. This suggests that the people who made or owned this fibula might have been influenced by Celtic or Celtiberian styles. These groups lived in other parts of Spain and Europe. It shows how different cultures could connect even thousands of years ago!
Silver Coins
The hoard also contained 48 silver coins. These coins came from many different places, showing how much people traveled and traded.
Coins from Different Lands
- 22 coins were from Hispano-Punic areas. These were some of the last coins made by the Barcids of Carthage. One even shows Hannibal, a famous general!
- 5 coins were local Iberian coins.
- 3 coins came from Emporion.
- 2 coins were from Massilia (modern-day Marseille in France).
- 1 coin was an early denarius from Rome.
Why So Many Different Coins?
The mix of coins suggests the hoard was buried around the time of, or soon after, the Second Punic War. This was a huge conflict between Rome and Carthage. Both sides needed lots of money to pay their mercenaries (soldiers who fought for pay). These mercenaries often switched sides during the war, so they needed coins that were accepted everywhere.
Silver Ingots (Hacksilber)
The hoard also had pieces of silver metal called ingots. These were not shaped like coins. They are known as hacksilber.
What is Hacksilber?
Hacksilber means "cut silver." These were pieces of silver that were cut or melted down. They were used as bullion, which is like raw metal used for its value. Hacksilber was commonly found in Iberian hoards from this time. Unlike coins, hacksilber was not controlled by the government. It could be used for smaller payments than large coins. Silversmiths also used hacksilber to make new items.
