Ancients' Gifts to the Gods

Truffles_EOD

Full Member
Aug 4, 2013
143
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Sarajevo
Detector(s) used
Started with Garrett AT/Gold, 2 x Scuba Tectors for shallow water while swimming along the beaches, now have Equinox 800 and starting to find decent items!
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
In the past year I've been searching fields adjacent to an Ancient Roman road, which leads to a Roman Bridge that is still intact and used by local farmers etc; I read something at the weekend and did a bit of research online. For those of you lucky enough to be in an area that was populated by Ancient Tribes and/or the Romans, it might be worth adding this to your toolbox of search techniques, there has been a lot of evidence pointing to "Gifts to the Gods" in Ancient times, people would gift coins, artifacts and weapons to the Gods in the hope of a good harvest, a mild Winter, prior to battles etc; we've all known this, but I didn't know that throwing or dropping (off bridges etc;) these Gifts into rivers, streams and lakes was for some reason a preferred method than burying the items.

With this in mind, has anyone been successful with searching close to and under existing Roman Bridges? I'm going to go back to that area and start to search the river banks and further into the river if it recedes enough during the Summer months, it will be interesting to know if much has been found in bodies of water. The mudlarkers along the Thames River have found plenty of swords, spear heads etc; through the years...
 

I dont know about Roman bridges and such, but in the US, I have found an unusual quantity of coinage off of bridges over country streams.

Who hasnt stopped over a country creek and thrown a wish coin?

The actual tradition was to provide a sacrifice to the deities that reside in the waters for a safe river crossing.
 

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Thanks for the response and that definitely makes sense with regards to the safe water crossing, I'm also thinking of where Roman Soldiers may have hidden their cache's prior to returning from battle or back to a certain area, they may well have sighted through under the centre arch then found somewhere on the nearest rise in line with it or with a prominent feature in such as an Oak Tree, edge of woodland or stone walls etc; worth checking...
 

I can only dream of hunting your spot good luck hope you find a tomb
 

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