Jersey government will help with hoard study

The hoard will be on display in the Jersey Museum for three days

The government will do all it can to help experts uncover the secrets of a hoard of Iron Age coins.

Treasury Minister Senator Philip Ozouf praised the work the Jersey Heritage Trust was doing to conserve the hoard.

He said: "Relationships with Jersey Heritage trust are good and strong between the Government and we will give all the assistance that is necessary."

It is thought the hoard of Celtic coins, discovered in June 2012, was the largest of its kind in the world.

The hoard is currently a large block of coins, jewellery and other material. It is being put on display for three days by Lloyds TSB and the heritage trust at the Jersey Museum.

'Important find'

Senator Ozouf said: "This is without doubt the most important archaeological find of our generation; it understands the rich history of the island.

"We talk about immigration but 2,050 years ago the Gaelic tribes that were coming across the seek refuge from Caesar were important. They had a significant impact on the island around 50 BC."

Olga Finch, Curator of Archaeology for Jersey Heritage, said nobody expected the hoard to be as big as it turned out to be.

She said they were left by the Coriosolite tribe from Gaul who were running from Julius Caesar's invading army.

"It is obviously a tribal wealth, it could be interpreted as a war hoard. The tribes were being driven to the coast as Caesar's armies were advancing.

"We imagine with this sheer size it was taken for safe keeping and brought here to Jersey to escape the unrest," she said.

Ms Finch said the field the coins were found in still had a lot of secrets to give up, including evidence of buildings and Roman coinage.

Jersey Heritage Trust hopes to put the separated coins on display in 2014.