On the Italian island of Pantelleria, located between southwestern Sicily and the coast of Tunisia, a team of archaeologists led by Thomas Schäfer from the University of Tübingen has discovered a “tesoretto” of 27 Roman silver coins during a campaign of cleaning, restoration, and excavation coverage in the Acropolis of Santa Teresa and San Marco.

The find occurred in the same place where 107 silver denarii were discovered in 2010, near the site where, years earlier, the three famous imperial heads of Caesar, Agrippina, and Titus were unearthed.

These sculptures have already been exhibited at the Salinas Museum and prestigious institutions such as the Italian Cultural Institute in London and the British Museum.

The denarii were found in the acropolis of San Marco in Pantelleria.
The denarii were found in the acropolis of San Marco in Pantelleria. Credit: Parco Archeologico di Selinunte, Cave di Cusa e Pantelleria

The recent discovery features coins that, according to experts, date from the same period as those found in 2010, that is, between 94 and 74 BC, during the Roman Republican era. Schäfer explained that some coins appeared among the soil displaced by recent rains.

Upon digging deeper, the archaeologists found the rest of the treasure under a rock. All the coins have been cleaned and inventoried, and they are silver denarii minted in Rome.

The discovery has been valued not only for its archaeological importance but also for its historical and cultural significance. Francesco Paolo Scarpinato, an advisor for Cultural Heritage and Sicilian Identity, stated that in addition to the intrinsic value related to the finds, this treasure offers valuable information for reconstructing events, trade contacts, and political relations that shaped the Mediterranean during the Republican era.

Condition in which the Roman denarii were found on the island of Pantelleria
Condition in which the Roman denarii were found on the island of Pantelleria. Credit: Parco Archeologico di Selinunte, Cave di Cusa e Pantelleria

Felice Crescente, director of the Archaeological Park of Selinunte, Caves of Cusa, and Pantelleria, added: These are not just finds but connections between historical events and figures. This tesoretto hidden in a wall crevice has a much higher value than its economic worth because it tells a story.

Schäfer himself suggests that this small treasure may have been hidden during one of the frequent pirate attacks of the time. In those years, the Mediterranean was the scene of Pompey the Great’s campaign, who, under the mandate of the Roman Senate, fought and destroyed the great pirate fleets that plagued the region.

It was common for raids to be carried out against coastal towns, and it is easy to imagine someone hiding their fortune upon seeing the ships arrive, only to be unable to recover it later.

Obverse of one of the denarii discovered in Pantelleria
Obverse of one of the denarii discovered in Pantelleria. Credit: Parco Archeologico di Selinunte, Cave di Cusa e Pantelleria

San Marco, the site of the excavations, is a place of great archaeological value that has remained untouched for centuries. We have been excavating here for twenty-five years, Schäfer explained. It is a wonderful site, fortunately intact, and it has returned to us the ‘Comitium’ where the decurions met. There are only five in all of Italy, and this is the one in the best condition.



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