Station: [17] The Passau Hoard

In 1983, a hoard was found in the settlement to the west of the fort. Hoards are caches of valuables such as coins, jewellery, silver or statuettes that were intentionally buried to protect them from theft. They can also contain other metal objects, such as tools or raw materials. Hoards were generally buried during times of war or other uncertainty. The Passau hoard dates to around 240. It was almost certainly hidden in fear of raiding Germanic tribes, but it is not clear if the hoard belonged to a soldier or a civilian. The hoard was found on what would have been the main road leading from Boiodurum towards the west. Aside from a small gold ring, it contained mainly everyday items of little value and even some scrap metal. But for the person who buried the belongings, the items were apparently valuable enough to hide. This can be seen as an indication that life at the edge of the Roman Empire at the time was one of poverty and uncertainty. Burying his “treasure”, though, did not help its owner. For reasons about which we can only speculate, he was unable to return to retrieve his possessions.