Recovering Londinium

Archaeologists in Britain have made a stunning find of objects from the last days of the Roman Empire. The pots, pails and other implements were found in an old well, almost perfectly preserved.

The 19 metal vessels, made from copper alloy or lead alloy, date from between 330 and 380AD and were uncovered in central London, once the Roman city of Londinium.

They would have belonged to a wealthy family, as poorer inhabitants would have made do with wooden or ceramic kitchenwear.

Among the collection are a matching set of three bowls that nest together, buckets that were probably used to water down wine, a cauldron, jugs and a ladle.

Despite being 1,700 years old, the swinging handles on some of the artefacts are still in working condition.

The collection was yesterday hailed as "unprecedented".

It was found in August by astonished archaeologist Chris Jarrett, during the last week of a nine month dig at Drapers’ Gardens in London.

It is thought that the set may have been hidden by a wealthy family preparing to leave the city, which was under constant attack at the time, with a view to reclaiming it on their return.

Alternatively it could have been laid as an offering to water spirits when the well was closed up, as was Roman custom at the time.

An AP story on the same find notes that the objects were probably from the middle class, not from the wealthy. The rich would have used gold and silver, the poor, earthenware. Coins found in the well directly under the objects prove that they were placed in there after 375 AD. Londinium was essentially abandoned after 380 AD, so they come from the very tail end of the Roman period in Britain.