Coin Finds in the Southern Area of Histria

Abstract

During the systematic archaeological investigations taking place in the southern side of Histria in 2011– 2012, several dozens of ancient coins were discovered in the main trenches located between the “Southern Sector” and the “Basilica extra muros Sector”. Among the 37 identified ones, six were Greek coins issued before the Roman rule at Histria, 27 were Greek and Roman coins from the age of the Principate, three coins were dated to the Late Roman Empire and a single one to the Early Byzantine period. Most coins were found among the remains of a large building, constructed perhaps at the beginning of the 3rd century AD, and which was affected by the events of the “ Scythian war”, being definitively destroyed by fire during the first two decades of the 4th century AD, as indicated by the monetary pieces captured under its ruins, the latest one from the end of the Tetrarchy. Several provincial and imperial coins bear traces of burning, melted metal depositions, sometimes portions of their surface being heavily melted. From another context comes the most recent coin, dating to Justinian I, found in the zone of the cobblestone platforms from the southern extremity of the site, presumably related to the harbor development during the 6th century AD.