塞茲韋爾 C 考古學夥伴發現了具有歷史意義的銀幣寶藏

在薩福克海岸正在建造的塞茲韋爾 C 遺址的挖掘過程中，考古學家發現了一個鉛和布包，裡面裝有 321 枚銀幣

Archaeologists have uncovered a hoard of over 300 mint-condition silver coins near the site of the future Sizewell C nuclear power station.

考古學家在未來的塞茲韋爾 C 核電廠所在地附近發現了超過 300 枚完好無損的銀幣。

The coins, dating to the 11th century, were discovered during excavations for Sizewell C, which is under construction on the Suffolk coast.

這些硬幣的歷史可以追溯到 11 世紀，是在薩福克海岸正在建造的 Sizewell C 的挖掘過程中發現的。

The small lead bundle, barely bigger than a Cornish pasty (and therefore referred to as ‘the pasty’ by archaeologists), will be featured on the new season of Digging for Britain on BBC2 and iPlayer on Tuesday 7 January.

這個小鉛包只比康沃爾餡餅大一點（因此被考古學家稱為“餡餅”），將於1 月7 日星期二在BBC2 和iPlayer 播出的新一季《為英國挖掘》中進行專題報導。

The discovery provides valuable insight into the social and political upheaval of the 11th century – and provides further evidence that regime change, following the coronation of Edward the Confessor in 1042, caused great uncertainty amongst the population.

這項發現為了解 11 世紀的社會和政治動亂提供了寶貴的見解，並提供了進一步的證據，證明 1042 年懺悔者愛德華加冕後的政權更迭給民眾帶來了巨大的不確定性。

The bundle may have been the savings pot of a local figure, who might have feared the impacts of regime change and decided to bury their wealth as a precaution.

該包裹可能是當地某個人物的儲蓄罐，他們可能擔心政權更迭的影響，並決定埋掉自己的財富以防萬一。

Alexander Bliss, Coin Specialist at OCA, said: “This new coin hoard provides us with valuable insight into the rich historical backdrop of this period, adding to the evidence that Edward the Confessor’s accession to the English throne was marked by a degree of uncertainty and concern within wider society.

OCA 的錢幣專家亞歷山大·布利斯(Alexander Bliss) 表示：「這批新的錢幣寶藏為我們提供了對這一時期豐富歷史背景的寶貴見解，並進一步證明了懺悔者愛德華(Edward the Confessor) 登上英國王位時存在一定程度的不確定性和不確定性。

“Analysing this new coin hoard has been a wholly collaborative effort, involving valuable input from multiple specialists and project partners in the fields of numismatics, finds and conservation. To play a small part in bringing its story to life has been an honour and a privilege.”

「分析這個新的錢幣寶藏是一項完全協作的工作，涉及錢幣學、發現和保護領域的多名專家和專案合作夥伴的寶貴意見。能夠在將其故事變為現實的過程中發揮一小部分作用是一種榮幸和榮幸。

A Snapshot of wealth

財富的縮影

The hoard, carefully wrapped in cloth and lead, features coins minted between 1036 and 1044 during the reigns of Harold I, Harthacnut, and Edward the Confessor.

這些寶藏被精心包裹在布和鉛中，裡面有 1036 年至 1044 年哈羅德一世、哈撒克努特和懺悔者愛德華統治期間鑄造的硬幣。

Though a large proportion of the coins were minted in London, many coins were struck at other locations, including Thetford, Norwich, Ipswich, Lincoln and Stamford. Some coins came from smaller mints, such as Langport and Axbridge in southwestern England, which makes them quite rare.

雖然大部分硬幣是在倫敦鑄造的，但許多硬幣是在其他地方鑄造的，包括塞特福德、諾維奇、伊普斯維奇、林肯和斯坦福。一些硬幣來自較小的鑄幣廠，例如英格蘭西南部的蘭波特和阿克斯布里奇，這使得它們非常罕見。

While the hoard represents a substantial amount of money to most people at the time, it likely belonged to an individual of middling status, rather than somebody of very high status or national importance.

雖然這些寶藏對當時的大多數人來說是一筆巨款，但它很可能屬於中等地位的個人，而不是具有很高地位或國家重要性的人。

The collection was probably a savings pot by a person of local influence and at the time it would have been approximate to the value of a small herd of cows, according to OCA experts.

據 OCA 專家稱，這些收藏品可能是一位當地有影響力的人的儲蓄罐，當時的價值大約相當於一小群牛的價值。

Andrew Pegg, Archaeologist at OCA, who discovered the coins, said: “The Pasty, as it was immediately and affectionately named for obvious reasons, was a true privilege to find.

發現這些硬幣的 OCA 考古學家安德魯·佩格 (Andrew Pegg) 表示：“由於明顯的原因，它立即被親切地命名為“Patty”，發現它真是一種榮幸。

“I was shaking when I first unearthed it, seeing a single coin edge peeking at me! A perfect archaeological time capsule. The information we are learning from it is stunning and I’m so proud to have added to the history of my own little part of Suffolk.”

「當我第一次把它挖出來時，我看到一個硬幣邊緣在偷看我，我渾身發抖！完美的考古時間膠囊。我們從中學到的信息令人震驚，我很自豪能夠為我自己的薩福克小地區的歷史增添色彩。

Politics and a mystery

政治與神秘

The mid-11th century in England was a turbulent period of uncertainty and shifting allegiances. Following over 25 years of rule by first the Danish king Cnut and then his sons Harold and Harthacnut, Edward the Confessor was crowned in 1042. This event restored the House of Wessex to the throne of England.

十一世紀中葉的英國是一個充滿不確定性和效忠變化的動盪時期。經過丹麥國王克努特及其兒子哈羅德和哈撒克努特超過 25 年的統治，懺悔者愛德華於 1042 年加冕。

Regime change may well have created a degree of uncertainty and concern amongst the wider population. In particular, some of the wealthier individuals associated with the previous regime were exiled or had property confiscated in the aftermath of Edward’s coronation.

政權更迭很可能在更廣泛的人群中造成了一定程度的不確定性和擔憂。特別是，愛德華加冕後，一些與前政權有關的較富有的人被流放或財產被沒收。

The owner of the coin hoard might have feared the repercussions of the regime change and decided to bury their wealth as safeguard, aiming to retrieve it at a later date.

錢幣囤積者可能擔心政權更迭的影響，決定埋藏自己的財富作為保障，以便日後取回。

We might never know with certainty why this little treasure was never retrieved. The owner may have been prevented from returning to the location for various reasons, died before they could retrieve their savings, or, alternatively, they were unable to relocate the exact spot they were buried at.

我們可能永遠無法確切地知道為什麼這個小寶藏從未被找回。主人可能因各種原因而無法返回該地點，或者在取回積蓄之前就去世了，或者，他們無法重新安置他們被埋葬的確切地點。

Sizewell C project offering rare glimpse into the past

Sizewell C 計畫提供難得一見的過去

Archaeology is a significant part of the construction process of Sizewell C, which is developing at pace on the Suffolk coast and which will deliver clean energy to around six million homes.

考古是 Sizewell C 建設過程的重要組成部分，該項目正在薩福克海岸快速發展，將為大約 600 萬戶家庭提供清潔能源。

Numerous finds have been made at the development site, including discoveries of World War Two artefacts which highlight the importance of Suffolk during the war effort.

開發現場發現了許多發現，包括第二次世界大戰文物的發現，這些文物凸顯了薩福克在戰爭期間的重要性。

Damian Leydon, Site Delivery Director at Sizewell C, said: “The discovery of the 11th-century coin hoard is an extraordinary find. Archaeology is an important step in the Sizewell C project, helping us understand what lies beneath the ground before construction begins.

Sizewell C 的現場交付總監 Damian Leydon 表示：「11 世紀錢幣寶藏的發現是一項非凡的發現。考古學是塞茲韋爾 C 計畫的重要一步，幫助我們在施工開始前了解地下有什麼。

“This project provides a rare and fascinating glimpse into Suffolk’s rich history, deepening our understanding of this part of Britain. In partnership with Oxford Cotswold Archaeology, we plan to make these discoveries as accessible to the public as possible.”

「這個計畫讓我們得以一窺薩福克豐富歷史的難得而迷人的一面，加深我們對英國這一地區的了解。我們計劃與牛津科茨沃爾德考古學合作，盡可能讓公眾了解這些發現。