‘Atiqot 72, 2012 Roman and Byzantine Coins fmRo the ex Cavation on the easteRn fR inges of tel shiqmona RoBeRt Kool A total of 194 coins were uncovered in Areas BCE, all the coins belong to one continuous A–G on the eastern fringes of Tel Shiqmona period beginning in the early fourth century (Torge and ‘Ad, this volume); 71 of them were and ending with the reign of the Byzantine identified (see Catalogue, below). Except emperor Maurice (582–602 CE). Table 1 for one Seleucid-period coin (Cat. No. 1) presents the coins according to their stratigraphic minted in Tyre during the second century position. Table 1. Distribution of Coins within Archaeological Context Archaeological Context Coin Type Date Catalogue No. Area A (N = 8) Surface (L100) Small bronzes Late 4th–early 5th c. 4, 11, 18 Foundation fill above pentanummium Justin I (518–527) 26 bedrock (L132, L147) nummus 5th–6th c. 53 Lower part of foundation pentanummium 518–538 34 trench (L110) Lower part of foundation Vandalic nummus Mid-6th c. 68 W3 (L106) Fill of foundation trench Selucid bronze 1 (L153) Area B (N = 2) Fill north of W251 nummus 5th–6th c. 58 (L203/207) Occupation level pentanummium Justin I (518–527) 29 (L203/207) Area C (N = 32) Between floor stones First half of 6th c. 30, 44, 46, 49 (L3007, L3040, L3048) Between floor stones Small bronze 4th–5th c. 22 (L3035) Between floor stones nummus Justinian I (534–565) (L3037) Fill below floor (L3043, Small bronzes 4th–5th c. 6, 17 L3048, L3051) pentanummi 518–538 28, 37 Removal of wall Small bronze 4th–5th c. 15 foundations (L3052) pentanummium Justin I (518–527) 27 nummi (2 Vandalic) Mid-6th c. 55, 66, 69 42* RoBeRt Kool Table 1 (cont.) Archaeological Context Coin Type Date Catalogue No. Surface north of complex Vandalic nummus Mid-6th c. 64 (L3028) Concentration of stones Small bronze 425–450 10 removed by robbers (L3004, L3013) L3010 pentanummium 518–538 39 Small bronze 4th–5th c. 12 Carthaginian nummus Mid-6th c. 71 L3012 Small bronzes 4th–5th c. 16, 23 pentanummi 518–538 33, 41 Half follis Maurice (586/7) 61 Vandalic nummus Mid-6th c. 65 L3022 Carthaginian nummi Justinian I (534–565) 47, 50 Courtyard (L3025) pentanummi 518–538 38, 43 Above bedrock (L3034) nummi 6th c. 45, 51 Area D/E (N = 18) Surface (L1923) Small bronze 335–341 2 Robbers’ trench W452 Vandalic nummus Mid-6th c. 70 (L417) Above floors (L420, L421) pentanummi 518–527 31 nummus 6th c. 57 Above floor (L446) Small bronze 4th–5th c. 20 Fill beneath floor (L430, Small bronzes 4th–5th c. 7, 8, 14, 19, 21 L448, L449, L504, L522) pentanummium Justin I (518–527) 25 follis Justin II (574/5) 60 Cross-section (L510) nummus 5th–6th c. 56 L444 pentanummi 518–538 35, 36 Fill above bedrock and nummi 5th–6th c. 52, 59, 67 between foundations (L401, l410, L451) Area F (N = 7) Fill above floor (L714) Small bronzes 4th–5th c. 5, 13 Occupation level above Half follis Maurice (591/2) 62 floor (L729) Fill reacing bedrock Small bronzes 4th–5th c. 3, 9 foundation (L732, L736, L739) pentanummium Justin I (518–527) 32 Fill under wall (L744) Small bronze 4th–5th c. 24 Area G (N = 4) Upper section of well nummus 5th–6th c. 54 (L801) Half follis Maurice (593/4) 63 Lower section of well pentanummi 518–538 40, 42 (L802, L803) Roman and Byzantine Coins fmRo the easteRn fR inges of tel shiqmona 43* Dating shows close similarities both in dating and coin The well-stratified coins described above allow types. us to suggest a terminus post quem for the All three excavations show a virtual absence construction of three buildings in Areas A, C of coins dated earlier than the fourth century and D. Interestingly, in all three cases, the latest and later than the reign of Maurice (582–602), datable coins are Vandalic nummi dated to the c.1% and 5% respectively. In fact, all the coins mid-sixth century. belong to one continuous period beginning in These coin finds suggest that the structures the early fourth century and ending toward the were erected in the first half of the sixth close of Maurice’s reign (late 590s). century, thus further narrowing the range of dating (early sixth to early seventh centuries) Circulation suggested from the study of the ceramics The coin finds at Shiqmona, a large Byzantine (see Torge and ‘Ad, this volume) and mosaics village or harbor town with a mixed population (see Barash, this volume). Furthermore, the of Jews and Christians (Torge and ‘Ad, this coin finds from robbers’ trenches in Areas volume; Hirschfeld 1996; 2006), comprise a C and D/E do not extend beyond the sixth typical repertoire of small bronzes of the fourth century. to fifth centuries and post-reform Byzantine The coin finds support the excavators’ bronze currencies. The latter group, which conclusion (see Torge and ‘Ad, this volume) contains the largest number of coins, consists that Shiqmona was a single-phase Byzantine of coins from the reign of Justin I (517–528 settlement that probably existed for less than CE) onward, with a dominant presence of small one hundred years before its abandonment denominations (pentanummi and nummi). as a result of an earthquake in 631/2 CE (see Particularly noteworthy is the presence in Barzilay, this volume). relatively large numbers (14) of (Vandalic) Comparison with numismatic material from nummi minted in Carthage, which circulated two other excavations (Table 2; Hirschfeld in large quantities throughout the Eastern 2006; Kletter 2010), conducted in close Mediterranean area and were used as small proximity to the excavation of Torge and ‘Ad, change (Bijovsky 1998:84–85). Table 2. Comparison of Numismatic Material from Three Excavations at Shiqmona Period Hirschfeld Excavation Kletter Excavation Torge and ‘Ad (Hirschfeld 2006) (Kool 2010) Excavation Pre-4th–5th c. 1.03% — 1.40% 4th–5th c. 46.39% 3.5% 32.29% 518–602 48.40% 73.0% 66.19% 7th c. and later 4.10% 3.5% — Total number of 97 15 71 identifiable coins 44* RoBeRt Kool 1 6 25 26 27 28 29 31 32 36 37 38 44 46 47 48 49 55 60 61 64 65 66 69 0 1 Fig.1. Catalogue Cat. Locus Basket Weight Diam. Axis Obverse Reverse Date Mint Reference Notes IAA R No. (g) (mm) (CE) No. oman Seleucid, 2nd c. BCE 1* 153 1193 1.77 14 0 Diademed head r. Palm tree; date P across Tyre Cf. Houghton 76260 and field and Spaer 1998:186, B Pl. 88:1342 yzantine 335–341 2 1923 12970/12 1.05 12 0 [- - -] Laureate head r., [GL]OR–[IA EXERC– Cf. LRBC 1: 76297 with rosettes ITVS] Two soldiers stg. 31, No. 1363 facing, between them one C standard oins Valentian II (375–392) fm 3 739 70150 2.65 18 6 DN [VALEN]TIA–NVS PF CONCOR–DIA AVGGG Antioch LRBC 2:101, 76323 R AVG Bust draped r. Constantinopolis seated No. 2706 o facing, head helmeted r., the holding in r. hand sceptre, in l. hand globe, prow by e foot aste In ex.: [SMA]NTΓ 383–395 R n 4 Surface 70193 1.73 13 6 [- - -] Bust diademed r. [SALVS REI–P]VBLI Cf. LRBC 2: 76325 f [CAE] Victory to l., trophy 102, No. 2761 R nges on shoulder, dragging i captive. In l. field: + 5 714 70031 1.19 12 6 [- - -]PF Bust diademed r. [SALVS REI–PVBLICAE] Cf. LRBC 2: 76316 of Same 102, No. 2768 t Arcadius I (383–408) el 6* 3048 30340 2.02 15 6 [ARC]ADIVS PF AVG [GLORI–A ROMA– 400–402 Cf. LRBC 2: 76289 s Bust pearl—diademed r., NORVM] Emperors, three, 102, No. 2801 hiqmona with rosettes; l. behind facing; center figure is head: star smaller and holds spear in r. hand; emperor on l. holds spear and rests l. hand on shield; emperor 45* on r. rests r. hand on shield and holds spear in l. 46* Catalogue (cont.) Cat. Locus Basket Weight Diam. Axis Obverse Reverse Date Mint Reference Notes IAA No. (g) (mm) (CE) No. 7 448 40419 0.88 12 0 DN AR[…] Bust draped r., Illegible 76309 cuirrassed 400–450 8 522 50122 0.82 11 - [- - -] Bust r. Cross LRBC 2:102, 76314 No. 2806 408–421 9 736 70130 1.52 14 0 [- - -] Bust r., diademed [GLORI]–A ROMA– LRBC 2:105, 76322 NORVM Emperors, two, No. 2929 facing, heads turned r., and l., each holding shield and spear in r. and l. hand respectively R o 425–450 B e 10 3013 30043 1.01 11 0 [- - -] Bust r. Cross within wreath. 76274 R t 11 100 1000 0.69 12 0 [- - -] Bust r. Same 76254 K ool 4th–5th c. 12 3010 30120 1.27 10 0 [- - -] Bust r. [- - -] Figure stg. 76265 13 714 70062 0.79 11 - [- - -] Bust r. [- - -] Figure stg. l. 76317 14 430 40312 0.51 12 Illegible Figure stg.(?) Broken 76304 15 3052 30261 1.22 12 [- - -] Bust r. diademed Illegible 76296 16 3012 30076 0.90 14 [- - -] Bust r. Illegible 76271 17 3051 30329 0.36 11 [- - -] Bust r. Illegible 76290 18 100 1023 1.87 11 [- - -] Bust r. Illegible 76255 19 430 40311 0.83 10 [- - -] Bust r. Illegible 76303 20 446 40374 0.56 10 [- - -] Bust r. Illegible 76307 21 449 40421 0.58 11 [- - -] Bust r. Illegible 76310 22 3035 30220 0.97 20 Bust r.(?) Illegible Half coin 76281 23 3012 30073 0.77 10 Illegible Illegible 76268 24 744 70192 2.22 12 Illegible Illegible 76324 Catalogue (cont.) Cat.