Archaeologists have discovered a rare, 2,000-year-old Roman artifact known as the “Berlanga Cup” in the soil of the La Cerrada de Arroyo site in Soria, Spain. Made of bronze, this cup is a very rare example of the “Hadrian’s Wall Series” of vessels, which were often decorated with decorative enamel work and inscriptions identifying the Roman legions and the military fortifications built by these legions.Most known examples of ‘Hadrian’s Wall Series’ vessels were made in the area west of Hadrian’s Wall, and this example is thought to be the only example of a ‘Hadrian’s Wall Series’ boot documenting the eastern part of Hadrian’s Wall, specifically the forts located to the west such as Benwell and Holdenchesters. Scholars believe the cup may have been given to a soldier as a personal gift or to commemorate his service to the First Legion when he returned home to Roman Spain.
Berlanga Cup: Spain discovers new evidence of Hadrian’s Wall
The discovery of the Berlanga Cup (now confirmed in the journal Britannia) provides a unique opportunity to understand how military memorabilia was distributed throughout the Roman Empire. According to a magazine published by Cambridge, the cup is the largest known Hadrian’s Wall disk, measuring about 114 millimeters in diameter and 81 millimeters high. The exterior of the cup contains an elaborate decorative design, including a horizontal frieze with colored (i.e. red, green, turquoise, navy) enamel, and an inscription along the upper rim naming four different fortresses on the east side of Hadrian’s Wall: Cilurnum (Chesters), Onno (Halton-Chesters), Vindobala (Radchester) and Condercum (Benwell).
How the cup came to Spain
As a magazine published in Cambridge points out, the cup was discovered in the Roman ruins of “La Cerrada de Arroyo” in Berlanga de Duero and is currently housed in the Neumentin Museum in Soria. The researchers used ground-penetrating radar (GPR) along with detailed archaeological surveys of the object to link the cup to its geographical location. The discovery of cups in areas of Spain far from the Roman borders supports the previously proposed hypothesis that these types of artifacts were souvenirs from Roman soldiers. Scholars have concluded that the cup may have been made or purchased by a war veteran who wanted to commemorate his service while stationed in England before returning to Roman Celtebilia.
Cup secrets revealed through modern science
In addition to its historical narrative, the Berlanga Cup has undergone rigorous scientific research to confirm its authenticity and origin. Researchers used portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) spectrometers to perform archaeological characterization of metal alloys. Analysis showed that the composition of leaded gunmetal, a material common in second-century Roman metalwork, contained trace elements of silver and antimony, consistent with metal groups common in Roman Britain. In addition, experts used advanced 3D virtualization technology to create a “digital twin” of the ship. This reconstruction allows scholars to virtually assemble the broken fragments, helping to accurately measure their dimensions and clearly read inscriptions blurred by deformation.
