THE THE TUNIS 1945 HOARD 1954 HOARD

This hoard was found at the site of Carthage Gold of Gold solidus of Herakleios This hoard was found near the city of Tunis (on (near modern Tunis) in 1945. Piecing together (457-474), (610-641), Carthage, B3574 , LR591 the outskirts of mediaeval Carthage) in 1954, its history has been a difficult process because Gold solidus of Theodosius II (408-450), Gold solidus of II Constantinople, LR504 (578-582), Carthage, B1738 although its exact context and original size is two decades passed between its discovery and Gold solidus of Gold solidus of Herakleios undocumented. It contained gold solidi from the study of it (by Philip Whitting). The hoard Leo I (457-474), (610-641), Carthage, B3578 Constantinople, LR600 the reign of the Emperor (582-602) to contained between 32 and 72 gold coins. The Gold purity: the first reign of Justinian II (685-695), so must original Byzantine Carthaginian owner probably Gold solidus of Maurice Gold solidus of Constantine have been buried sometime during or after 685. buried it sometime after 641, the same time (582-602), Carthage, IV (668-685), Carthage, B2303 all that glitters? B4325 This was shortly before the final fall of Carthage that the Byzantine Syrian owner of Hoard A (the capital of Byzantine North Africa) to the was burying that in northern (see the case The Carthage 1945 Hoard (see left) is a more typical gold hoard for its Gold solidus of Maurice Gold solidus of Justinian in 698. opposite). (582-602), Carthage, period than Hoard A of about the same date (see the case opposite) II (685-695 and 705-711), B2305 because it contains coins from a wide chronological range. This is Carthage, B4399 That the known contents of this hoard cover Like Byzantine Syria, Byzantine North Africa probably because gold coins retained their value, even after the a period of about a century is fairly typical in the 7th century saw protracted war with Gold solidus of Herakleios depicted emperor’s death or deposition, because of the high purity of of Byzantine gold hoards for this period. It the newly-emergent Islamic Caliphate. By 642 (610-641), Carthage, B3576 gold within them. The coins displayed above, also part of the Carthage suggests that gold coins were circulating around what is now and Libya had changed 1945 Hoard, have been tested on the University of Birmingham the Mediterranean world based on their gold hands, bringing the Caliphate to the borders of Gold solidus of Herakleios Chemistry Department’s X-ray fluorescence (XRF) machine. This showed content, in contrast to our modern coins, which Byzacena and Zeugitana (roughly the area of (610-641), Carthage, B3588 that the gold content was consistently above 90%. have only a token value. modern Tunisia). Then various pressures led the Byzantine governor of North Africa, , to Gold solidus of II declare himself Emperor in 646, before being (641-668), Carthage, killed in a battle with the Caliphate at Sufetula B4092 the following year. As Whitting himself put it, ‘It is not difficult to find sound reasons for a Gold solidus of Gold solidus of Gold solidus of Herakleios Constans II (641-668), (602-610), Carthage, B2663 (610-641), Carthage, B3573 concealment of treasure around 646’. Carthage, B4095

420 582 634 641-646 647 685-695 First coins from Carthage 1945 First coins from Tunis Arab-Byzantine war begins in earnest Probable deposition date for Gregory killed in battle of Sufetula Probable deposition of Hoard struck 1954 Hoard struck Carthage 1945 Hoard Tunis 1954 Hoard

533 608 641 646 670 (about) 698 Carthage, along with all of Vandal North Africa, Herakleios begins a revolt against the Year of 4 Emperors: Herakleios, Constantine III, Kairouan established, becomes capital of Carthage captured, end of captured by the Byzantines Emperor Phocas from Carthage Herakleonas and Constans II Gregory, the of North Africa, Muslim North Africa Byzantine North Africa declares himself emperor