A RECENTLY ARCHAEOLOGICALLY EXCAVATED 3RD CENTURY DENARII COIN HOARD FROM PAVLIKENI, NORTH BULGARIA (ANCIENT LOWER MOESIA)

Abstract

Pavlikeni is known for archaeology mainly with the Varbovski livadi site – a Roman-era ceramic production centre and a villa, but the analysis of other data on settlement structures and finds reveals a more complex habitation during the period 2^nd – 4^th century AD. A small coin hoard of nine denarii puts some additional information on the archaeology of another not less important site – the ancient settlement in the northwestern part of Pavlikeni. The coins are probably a purse hoard with daily money, deposited or stored in a wall of a large building, situated on the western limits of the settlement site. Its deposition is not a result of a barbarian attack, as there are no traces of destruction by fire, but of some other unknown reasons. The coin hoard contributes to the dating of the building, the chronology of the site and to the coin circulation during the 1st decades of the 3rd century in the province of Lower Moesia.