Roman souvenir from Hadrian's Wall found in Spain

[guy]

 

Here is the scholarly article on the Berlanga Cup. (See below for an earlier post.)

The Berlanga Cup is a newly discovered Roman enameled bronze vessel found in Berlanga de Duero (Soria, Spain). It is only the second known example in Hispania of the famous Hadrian’s Wall pans—decorated souvenir‑type vessels that depict forts along the Wall. This cup is uniquely important because it is the first known example to list forts from the eastern sector of Hadrian’s Wall:

• Cilurnum (Chesters)

• Onno (Halton Chesters)

• Vindobala (Rudchester)

• Condercum (Benwell)

 

The inscription and translation on the bowl are below:

 

Quote

 

[…]RNVM = [cilv]RNVM (Chesters, Northumberland)

ONNO = ONNO (Halton Chesters, Northumberland)

V[…]NDOBALA = VNDOBALA (Rudchester, Northumberland)

CONDERCOM = CONDERCOM (Benwell, Northumberland)

The full names of two forts, Onno and Condercom, survive which leaves no doubt that they can be attributed to those archaeologically documented at Halton Chesters and Benwell respectively, which the Ravenna Cosmography names as Onno and Condercor and which the Notitia Dignitatum mentions as Hvnno and Conderco. In the case of V[..]DOBALA, despite the loss of two letters, it refers to the fort of Vindobala, as the ending –DOBALA leaves no room for doubt.

Only the name of the first fort could pose a problem, as only the last four letters of it are preserved …RNVM. However, the interpretation as CILVRNUM is the most likely. The other three recognized forts are located on the eastern side of the Wall and are named in the same order in which they were situated on it: Onno–Vindobala–Condercom, read from west to east. Therefore, if we follow the same logic, the fort named before Onno should be Cilurnum (Cilurno), and the ending makes this likely.

 

 

 

The cup survives in four fragments, about 80–90% complete, and is larger than most other Wall pans. It features:

A hemispherical form with thin walls

Multicolored enamel decoration (red, green, turquoise, blue)

Three decorative friezes, including crenelated towers, interpreted as stylized representations of the Wall

Archaeometric testing (pXRF and lead‑isotope analysis) shows the cup was made of leaded gunmetal typical of 2nd‑century Roman Britain, and the lead most likely came from northern English or Welsh mines—regions close to Hadrian’s Wall.

This strongly supports manufacturing in northern Britain rather than in Hispania.

The article argues the cup was likely a personal memento of military service on Hadrian’s Wall—either purchased or awarded. The most plausible owner: A soldier of the Cohors I Celtiberorum, an auxiliary unit recruited from Celtiberia (the region where the cup was found) and attested epigraphically at Wall forts including Cilurnum.

This fits a broader pattern: other Wall pans have been found far from Britain, likely carried home by veterans.

Because all four named forts were built by AD 124–130, and no later forts appear, the cup likely dates to AD 124–late 2nd century, with a probable window of 130–150.

The Berlanga Cup:

Provides the first epigraphic evidence of eastern Wall forts on a Wall pan

Confirms British manufacture and Hispanic veteran return‑migration

Expands understanding of Roman military memory objects

Anchors a new Roman site in Berlanga through associated archaeology

 

The Berlanga Cup. New Evidence of Hadrian’s Wall Pans Found in Hispania Citerior (Spain) | Britannia | Cambridge Core

 

 

 

 

Previous post on this find:

 

Edited June 19 by guy