Well before the undulating terrain of Oxfordshire came to be a peaceful haven for those on foot, the region around Watlington was a battleground in a fight for the heart of England. It was during 2015 when an amateur treasure hunter was scouring a field nearby, with the hope of discovering an interesting piece of history to put in his personal collection. He was in no way trying to debunk the pages of history books or unveil a secret buried over a thousand years ago. Yet, when his metal detector beeped to signal something substantial underground, what he unearthed was far greater than any loose change.However, what has appeared from the ground is an extensive collection of silver coins, jewellery, and ingots which have become known as the Watlington Hoard. Though valuable on its own, the true value of the artefacts found consisted of names that were marked on the coins. Among the findings, there were unique coins depicting images of two kings, information that instantly shook the entire archaeological world. Instead of the treasure, we have something that can be called a historical and political document proving that our knowledge of English history was rather incorrect and incomplete.How the silver “partnership” turned the forgotten king into a historical figureThe most revolutionary finding related to the relationship that existed between two strong men of the period. For ages, historical works spoke about Alfred the Great, the king of Wessex, who had protected his territory from the attacks of the Vikings. His contemporary and fellow ruler–king, Ceolwulf II of Mercia, was treated as an insignificant person and puppet under the influence of Vikings. However, the findings tell us something else. According to the research paper The Watlington Hoard: Coinage, Kings and the Viking Great Army in Oxfordshire, the findings contain “Two Emperors” coins.This implies that there was an elaborate alliance between the two kings where they shared power and propaganda along their respective boundaries. The discovery of the coins in one burial site means that Ceolwulf must have been an important figure whom later historians in Wessex wanted to ignore. The coins, therefore, helped “rehabilitate” a forgotten king while establishing that the battle against the Vikings had been a joint venture between different kings instead of being solely led by the great king. It shows how the winners write history, but the soil ultimately reveals it.
The extensive collection of silver coins, jewellery, and ingots revealed a “partnership” between King Alfred the Great and King Ceolwulf II of Mercia, challenging the traditional narrative of Alfred as the sole defender against Vikings. Image Credits: Portable Antiquities Scheme from London, England, via Wikimedia Commons
Emergency history – Why the Vikings gave rise to a treasureWatlington Hoard provides a clear case of emergency history. Normally, no person buries all his wealth in any field, especially randomly. As mentioned in the Ashmolean Museum press release titled Ashmolean Museum raises £1.35 million to acquire the hoard of King Alfred the Great, the deposition happened in the latter part of the 870s when the region was going through great turmoil owing to the presence of the Viking Great Army, which had defeated other neighbouring kingdoms and driven away their leaders.The owner of this silver buried his wealth during a period of panic, maybe when he thought that raiders had entered his property. That such a hoard lay in the soil for more than a thousand years means that the person did not return to collect his wealth. This gap between burial and discovery adds another dimension of mystery to this discovery. The hoard of silver becomes the symbol of human fear and survival.Currently, the Watlington Hoard is one of the most prominent displays at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford. This hoard is important because it shows how archaeology is not all about excavations that involve large crews of workers. Sometimes, the discovery can occur through the use of a detector and a little curiosity.It’s astounding to realise that throughout the years, the land had been ploughed by farmers and pastured by sheep while the two kings had unknowingly buried their pact a mere few inches beneath the surface. This realisation leaves one wondering about other political secrets that may still be hidden in the nooks and crannies of the country.
