Collection Of 270 Antique Silver Pieces At Augusta Raurica Museum

The silver collection of Augusta Raurica is the famous late Roman silver hoard found at Kaiseraugst, the part of the ancient town that lies on the Aargau side of the Rhine near Basel. One of Switzerland’s great archaeological finds, it is usually called the Kaiseraugst Silver Treasure, or the Augusta Raurica Silver Treasure, and it consists of around 270 pieces, with a weight of several dozen kilograms, which makes it one of the largest finds of late antique silver ever made, and the best-known Roman silver find north of the Alps in Switzerland. The hoard was uncovered by chance in the early 1960s during building work, and it was recognised quickly as a discovery of international importance. It dates to the middle of the 4th century AD, when it was apparently buried in a hurry, most likely during the unrest of the civil wars that shook the western Roman provinces around the year 350.

The treasure includes dishes, plates, bowls, cups, spoons and other tableware, along with some personal objects and a few items connected to a military or official career, such as a set of silver ingots and a plaque honouring an emperor. The best-known piece is a large silver platter decorated with scenes from the life of Achilles, which is regarded as a masterpiece of late Roman metalwork. The shapes and decoration show how a wealthy owner would have set a table, and why silver was a visible sign of rank at the end of the Roman Empire. The pieces carry engraved and embossed details, inscriptions and workshop marks, and they give a close view of the skill of the craftsmen who made them.

Augusta Raurica itself was founded in the late first century BC, traditionally around 15 BC, as a Roman colony, and it grew into one of the main Roman towns on the upper Rhine. By the time the silver was buried, the settlement was shrinking and its population was moving to the fortified area near the river at what is now Kaiseraugst. The hoard fits into that late phase and gives the archaeological park a story that goes beyond the grand public buildings of its prime. If you have walked the Roman Theatre, the Forum and the Baths, the silver gives a counterpoint: a view of private wealth and the troubles of the late empire.

The treasure is displayed in the Augusta Raurica Museum, close to the archaeological site, and the exhibition places the objects in context with maps, finds and explanations of how the hoard was recovered and conserved. Because exhibitions can change and the museum has its own schedule, check the current opening arrangements before visiting.

It suits visitors interested in Roman history, art, archaeology and metalwork. It pairs well with a visit to the open-air Roman sites at Augusta Raurica, and it adds a different, more intimate scale to a day among the ruins.