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🇮🇱 Israel /Culture & Society

2,000-Year-Old 'Souvenir Cup' Found in Spain Names Hadrian's Wall's Eastern Forts

From Jerusalem Post · (9h ago) English Positive tone

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • A nearly 2,000-year-old bronze cup, named the 'Berlanga Cup,' has been discovered near Berlanga de Duero, Spain.
  • The cup is unique for bearing inscriptions of eastern forts and military camps along Hadrian's Wall.
  • Researchers believe it was a prestige item, possibly a souvenir or award, for a Roman soldier who served on the wall, likely from Spain's Celtiberian region.

A remarkable archaeological find in Spain is shedding new light on the Roman Empire's vast reach and the lives of its soldiers. The 'Berlanga Cup,' a bronze vessel dating back to the second century CE, was unearthed near Berlanga de Duero and has been hailed as exceptional by experts.

The 'Berlanga Cup' is exceptional not only because it is one of the best-preserved 'Wall cups,' but because it is the only one bearing inscriptions referring to military camps in the eastern section of the Wall: Cilurnum [Chesters], Onno [Halton Chesters], Vindobala [Rudchester], and Condercum [Benwell].

— Susana de Luis MariñoSusana de Luis Mariño of the National Archaeological Museum describes the unique inscriptions found on the Berlanga Cup.

What makes this cup particularly significant is its detailed inscriptions, which name specific military camps along the eastern section of Hadrian's Wall in Roman Britain. This includes locations like Cilurnum (Chesters), Onno (Halton Chesters), Vindobala (Rudchester), and Condercum (Benwell). The cup's vibrant enamel decoration, featuring geometric patterns and motifs believed to represent the wall itself, further enhances its historical value.

The craftsmanship and materials used in these cups tell us they were prestige objects, most likely made to order as gifts or awards for the military elite who had served on Hadrian's Wall, the most distant frontier of the empire.

— Jesús García SánchezJesús García Sánchez, researcher at the Institute of Archaeology of Mérida, explains the likely purpose and status of the 'Wall cups'.

Analysis of the cup's materials suggests it was crafted using a bronze alloy likely sourced from mines in northern England or Wales. Archaeologists interpret these cups as high-status objects, possibly commissioned as gifts or awards for Roman military elites serving on Hadrian's Wall, the empire's distant frontier. The 'Berlanga Cup' is thought to have belonged to a soldier from the Celtiberian region of Spain, highlighting the diverse origins of those who served Rome's interests across its vast territories. This discovery offers a tangible connection to the past, allowing us to visualize the journey of a soldier and the mementos they carried from the edge of the empire back to their homeland.

In fact, Most researchers, ourselves included, agree in interpreting them as a souvenir or memento of the Wall.

— Jesús García SánchezJesús García Sánchez further elaborates on the interpretation of the cups as souvenirs.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Jerusalem Post in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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