AN AFFLUENT dormitory town 10 kilometres west of Sevilla has hit the headlines worldwide after workmen made a startling archaeological discovery. They were laying new pipes in a park in Tomares on Wednesday last week when they stumbled upon one of the largest hoards of Roman coins ever found, buried just one metre below the surface.
The Romans conquered the Iberian peninsula in 218 B.C. and the find is thought to date from the late third and early fourth centuries A.D. The 600 kilos of coins found in 19 jars show little wear and are not believed to have been in general circulation.
Researchers think the coins, which are stamped with the inscriptions of emperors Maximilian and Constantine, were probably imported to pay soldiers and municipal workers stationed in the area.
