Sicilians In Ancient Salcombe

The find was made public in 1999 when the British Museum acquired the entire assemblage. It consists of the largest collection of Moroccan gold recovered in Europe (over 400 gold Moroccan Dinars, broken pieces of gold jewellery and ingots), Portuguese, Dutch and German pottery sherds, three pewter spoons, a Friesland copper coin of 1627, a sounding weight and a merchant's seal. The pottery dates the wreck to around 1580–1650, and the coins were struck by the Sharifs of the Sa'dian dynasty, who ruled Morocco during the 16th and 17th centuries. The earliest coin has been dated to 1217, and the latest found was struck by Sharif al-Walid (reigned 1631–6). The jewellery, earrings and pendants, similar in style to some still worn in Morocco today, were cut up, perhaps being carried as scrap bullion along with the small number of finger ingots found. This is the first discovery of Moroccan jewellery which can be given a specific date, and it has added greatly to its study.

Work continued on the site. In summer 2004 SWMAG recovered some bronze age objects east of the Cannon site (now called Salcombe A), but within the designated area. This new site has been named Salcombe B.To date 28 items of certain or potential bronze age date have been recovered, and a further three items identified amongst the original 17th century assemblage.

The group includes two complete rapiers, nine sword and rapier portions, four palstaves, an unusual palstave/adze, three spearheads, a hammer, a fragment of twisted gold torc, a gold armlet, a probable cauldron ringhandle, two unidentified bronze blocks and a strumento con immanicatura a cannone, an item distinctive of the island of Sicily in the central Mediterranean (literally, an implement with a cannon-shaped handle – Italians do not know what it is either!).