A hoard of third-century gold jewellery and 84 silver coins came to light on 17 November 1741 in Lunnern (Gemeinde Obfelden, Switzerland). The discovery was remarkably well documented at the time, and most of the jewellery still survives today, safely preserved and displayed in the Landesmuseum in Zürich. As the sub-title states, this is a study of the hoard and its history, in the broadest possible sense, and it is a volume packed with fascinating information and admirable scholarship. New light is cast on a single noteworthy Roman find, but there is much more: the history, archaeology and society of the northern provinces of the Roman Empire in the third century, and the evolution of scientific scholarship in Switzerland and other European countries during the Enlightenment are also addressed in this comprehensive study, one that meets in every way the high standards that we have come to expect of our Swiss colleagues.

The main part of the work is divided into three broad sections, the first covering the discovery of the 1741 hoard and the detailed catalogue of its contents, the second going on to address the styles and significance of Roman jewellery in the third century, including typology, regional variation and the role of personal ornament as a signifier of social and cultural identity. The third section examines the site of Lunnern, a small Roman town in the valley of the River Reuss, in its archaeological and geographical context. Succinct summaries of these chapters follow, in German, French, Italian and English. Seven appendices are added. They include a fully illustrated catalogue of the many archive documents that the authors have consulted, ranging from eighteenth-century letters and reports to photographs of nineteenth- and early twentieth-century museum displays. Brief biographies are provided of the principal scholars who have played a part in the post-excavation history of the treasure over the generations, and there are systematic lists of Roman coins from the site of Lunnern, a chapter on the results of modern technical and metallurgical examination of the jewellery, and a series of reference photographs and drawings of other important hoards cited as comparanda in the discussions. An excellent bibliography and a list of illustration sources complete the volume, but surprisingly, there is no index.

The emerging interest in archaeological finds in the eighteenth century, and the cultured intellectual tastes of the men chiefly involved at the time of the treasure’s discovery led to the jewellery and coins being carefully preserved, described, drawn and published, rather than being melted down, a fate that had often befallen finds of ancient gold and silver in earlier centuries. Nevertheless, over the succeeding decades and centuries, the coins went astray, dispersed and perhaps partially incorporated into typological coin-collections, and the jewellery suffered some additional damage and losses. The minutely detailed and superbly illustrated catalogue of the jewellery by Stefanie Martin-Kilcher recreates the lost pieces carefully from the archive documentation, so that all 17 items originally excavated are fully discussed.

On the evidence of the original coin-list and the comparanda, the hoard was probably concealed between a.d. 249 and 260. In her highly perceptive analysis of the objects, M.-K. reaches the conclusion that the earrings, necklaces and the solitary snake-bracelet (a survivor of a pair), may be divided into three clear stylistic groups; a metropolitan reichsrömisch style, the provincial Gallo-Roman taste, and a specifically regional tradition dating back to the first century and typical of parts of Germany and Switzerland as an element of local costume. The last, exemplified by large, very elaborately decorated disc-pendants, is normally found in silver rather than gold. She goes on to suggest that the objects in the hoard might have belonged to three generations of women in the same family. The stylistic classification is based not merely on appearance, but also on manufacturing techniques, and is supported by the metal analyses, which reflect the same pattern.

There is too little space here to comment fully on all the aspects of this exhaustive and enlightening re-examination of a find that was made more than 250 years ago. The publication underlines the crucial importance of careful preservation and curation of archaeological finds. We never know all the answers, but each generation has more to add, new insights to impart, and sometimes, new answers to old questions: it is vital that all the data should continue to be available for continuing research.

The volume is produced to the highest possible standard, excellently printed and magnificently illustrated in black-and-white and in colour throughout, the text and illustrations being seamlessly integrated. It will become an indispensable work of reference for students of Roman jewellery and precious-metal hoards, for those concerned with the history of Roman Switzerland and adjacent regions, and for scholars interested in the historiography of Roman archaeology and its place in the scientific and intellectual advances of the eighteenth century. The authors, and all those involved in its publication, deserve our praise and gratitude.