Staffordshire Moorlands Pan

The Staffordshire Moorlands Pan is from the 2nd century AD with an inscription relating to the forts of Hadrian's Wall. It was discovered in 2003 by metal detectorists in north Staffordshire.

This pan (trulla) is made of copper alloy, with Celtic-style ornament inlaid with turquoise, blue, red and yellow-coloured enamel. The handle and base are missing. Below the rim is an enamel-inlaid inscription which encircles the pan: MAIS (Bowness-on-Solway) COGGABATA (Drumburgh) VEXLODVNVM (Stanwix) CAMMOGLANNA (Castlesteads) RIGORE VALI AELI DRACONIS. The four names are forts in the western sector of Hadrian's Wall.

The part of the inscription which reads RIGORE VALI AELI DRACONIS is very significant but more difficult to interpret. 'Rigore vali' seems to be a direct reference to Hadrian's Wall, for in Roman times it was known as 'the vallum'. 'Aeli' may also belong with that phrase, specifying 'the wall of Hadrian', for Aelius was Hadrian's family name. Alternatively, 'Aeli' could belong with the word 'Draco', forming the personal name Aelius Draco (or Dracon). He may have been a soldier who had the pan made as a souvenir of his military service on the Wall.

Seen in Tullie House Museum, Carlisle.
February 2012.