The Mildenhall Treasure Project

Principle investigator

Department of Britain, Europe and Prehistory 

Supported by

  • The British Academy

Share this project

The Mildenhall Treasure, a large hoard of Roman silver vessels of the fourth century AD, is one of the most iconic finds from Roman Britain.

Discovered by a farmer in the village of West Row near Mildenhall, Suffolk, in 1942, it became an overnight sensation when it was first displayed at the British Museum in 1946 and has since remained hugely popular.

Despite its importance, the hoard is inadequately researched and published. This project will examine the significance of the treasure to our understanding of late Roman Britain and the wider world of late Antiquity, by looking at a number of key aspects: manufacture, iconography, inscriptions and the origins and ownership of the treasure.

The project will also look at what the treasure tells us about East Anglia at the beginning of the fifth century AD (the 'end' of Roman Britain) and the wider context of discoveries of Roman silver from many parts of the Empire.


R. Hobbs, 'The secret history of the Mildenhall treasure', The Antiquaries Journal 88 (2008), pp. 376-420

R. Hobbs, 'Platters in the Mildenhall treasure', Britannia 41 (2010), pp. 324-33

K.S. Painter, The Mildenhall treasure. Roman silver from East Anglia (London: British Museum Press, 1977)

The Great Dish from the Mildenhall treasure

The Great Dish from the Mildenhall treasure