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Image Credit: 3D Stoa - Archaeology and Heritage
New Evidence of Hadrian Wall Artifacts Found in Spain
A newly studied Roman artifact discovered in central Spain is shedding fresh light on the famous Hadrian’s Wall in Britain, offering important new insights into Roman military life and long-distance cultural connections.
Known as the Berlanga Cup, the object is a bronze vessel decorated with colored enamel and inscribed with the names of Roman forts. It belongs to a rare group of artifacts referred to as the “Hadrian’s Wall pans,” previously found mainly in Britain and nearby regions.
What makes this discovery particularly significant is that the Berlanga Cup is the only known example that lists forts from the eastern section of Hadrian’s Wall, including Cilurnum, Onno, Vindobala, and Condercom. Earlier examples focused mainly on the western sector, leaving a major geographical gap now partially filled by this find.
The cup was found in fragments in farmland near Berlanga de Duero (Soria, Spain), where archaeological surveys later revealed evidence of a Roman rural settlement dating between the 1st and 4th centuries AD.
Physically, the vessel is a hemispherical bronze cup about 11 cm in diameter and 8 cm high, decorated with colorful enamel patterns and architectural motifs interpreted as stylized representations of Hadrian’s Wall, including towers and defensive structures.
Scientific analysis shows the cup was made from a leaded bronze alloy typical of Roman metalwork in the 2nd century AD. Isotopic evidence suggests the lead likely originated from mines in northern Britain, reinforcing the connection between the artifact and the Wall region.
Researchers propose that such vessels were not produced as standard sets, but rather custom-made items, possibly souvenirs or commemorative gifts linked to military service. One strong hypothesis connects the Berlanga Cup to the Cohors I Celtiberorum, a Roman auxiliary unit recruited from the Iberian Peninsula and stationed near Hadrian’s Wall.
If correct, the cup may have been carried back to Hispania by a soldier after completing service in Britain—illustrating how personal objects could travel vast distances across the Roman Empire.
Overall, the Berlanga Cup provides rare and valuable evidence of cultural exchange, military mobility, and artistic production within the Roman world, while also advancing the study of Hadrian’s Wall and its associated material culture.
Published on: 25-04-2026
Edited by: Abdulmnam Samakie
Source: Cambridge University
