‘Coins and the Archaeologist’, with Dr. Robert Weir

Dr. Robert Weir, University of Windsor, Ontario

They say that money talks, and coins do indeed have their stories to tell. This is certainly true in the case of coins recovered from archaeological excavations, especially excavations of sites otherwise little known to history. In decades past, excavation coins were merely dating markers, but I have learned that there is more to them than that. Over the past twenty years or so, I have had the opportunity to work on the coin assemblages from four sites in Greece (Stymphalos, Mytilene, Helike, and Kenchreai) and one in Cyprus (Polis Chrysochous). In each case, the numismatic finds have added a new dimension to our understanding of its site. In this evening's presentation I will sketch the profile of each site from the coins' point of view. Although everyone admires a beautiful and well-preserved coin of precious metal, I have learned that the most useful information often comes from much humbler pieces.

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