Unearthed, a golden Roman hoard hidden from Boadicea’s army

Lost jewels of Roman fleeing Boadicea found underneath high street 

Historians have uncovered one of the finest collections of Roman jewellery found in Britain, which was hastily buried as Queen Boadicea and her army advanced on Colchester.

The hoard, which was discovered as a tangled ball of metal, includes gold armlets, earrings and rings as well as silver chains and coins.

Archaeologists believe it was abandoned by a rich Roman who was trying to escape as Boadicea’s Iceni army marched on the town in AD61.

Dr Philip Crummy, the director of Colchester Archaeological Trust, described the find hidden under the Essex town’s high street as “of national importance and one of the finest ever uncovered in Britain”.

He said: “It is a particularly poignant find because of its historical context: Boadicea and her army destroyed London and St Albans but many of the inhabitants had time to escape. However, the people of Colchester were not so fortunate.

 “They knew a large Roman army was coming to their aid but they were practically defenceless, with only a small force of soldiers and no town defences.
“Imagine their panic and desperation when they learnt of the massacre of a large part of the Ninth Legion on its way to relieve them, and after a two-day siege they were overrun. They would have tried desperately to bury and hide valuables like jewellery for safe-keeping.
“We know that the noblest of Colchester’s Roman women were...