Berlanga Cup. (Above) Photograph (Roberto De Pablo); (below) Drawing (Francisco Tapias). Credit: Britannia (2026). DOI: 10.1017/s0068113x26100701
Archaeologists recently analyzed a broken, decorative cup found unexpectedly on a Spanish farm. The cup appears to represent Hadrian’s Wall—a place 2,000 miles away—and a time period almost 2,000 years ago. The new study, published in Britannia, links the cup to several other vessels with similar attributes and suggests it was brought to Spain by a soldier serving at Hadrian’s Wall.
The commemorative vessels of Hadrian’s Wall
Over two centuries ago, a small bronze cup was found in Rudge Coppice, near Froxfield, a village in western England. This cup, and a handful of similar vessels found later, have been linked to Hadrian’s Wall in England, a former defensive fortification of the previously Roman province of Britannia. The defining feature of these vessels is their schematic representation of the wall in the form of towers and the inscribed mentions of particular forts. Before the recent find, however, these vessels only had mentions of western and central forts along the wall.
Researchers have put forth various proposals about why these cups were made, who they were meant for and whether they composed a set of some kind. The objects are generally considered to be an early form of souvenirs or commemorative items from the Roman Empire, often linked to military service at Hadrian’s Wall. The newest discovery, referred to as the “Berlanga Cup” (named after the region it was found, Berlanga de Duero), is helping archaeologists better understand the distribution, purpose and cultural connections of these artifacts.
Details of the Berlanga cup. (A) Details of the end part of CONDERCOM plus 3 or 4 Ds; (B) ending part of the word [cilu]RNUM; (C) enamel decoration; (D) connection between ONNO and V[iN]DOBALA. (Susana De Luis). Credit: Britannia (2026). DOI: 10.1017/s0068113x26100701
The Berlanga Cup and Hadrian’s eastern forts
The decoration of the Berlanga Cup is similar to the other cups, with the same colors, including red, turquoise, blue and green, and similar decorative motifs. The outer part of the cup is decorated with colored enamel divided into two different parts: a Latin inscription around the rim of the cup and a large decorative space with three horizontal friezes. The researchers note, though, that the Berlanga Cup is larger than the others. Although it is fragmented, the team says that 91% of the surface area of the cup was found.
“In terms of its decoration, the Berlanga Cup is enameled in the same colors as the other known cups and the decorative motifs are similar. The most revealing example is the thick line that runs along the frieze of the towers and the metopes with plant motifs or crescents, which are always decorated in carmine red. The Berlanga Cup bears the greatest morphological and decorative similarities to the Hildburgh fragment, both in terms of its decoration and its dimensions. Furthermore, both pieces appear to have been found on the Iberian Peninsula,” the study authors write.
One of the more notable differences between the Berlanga Cup and the other vessels is the inscriptions of only eastern forts, in particular, Cilurnum, Onno, Vindobala and Condercom. The team notes that these forts are named in the same order in which they were located, from west to east.
“The reading of four forts on the eastern side of Hadrian’s Wall is a remarkable addition to the archaeology of the wall. This is the first known find of a cup that refers to the eastern side of the wall. None of the Hadrian’s Wall pans bears the names of the forts found on the Berlanga Cup, so it will allow us to advance in the study of these pans,” the study team writes.
The Berlanga Cup’s origin and final location
Analyses, including lead isotope analysis, 3D scanning and digital reconstruction, were used to determine the cup’s composition and origin and to better visualize the decoration. The lead isotopic and material analysis confirmed the cup was made in northern Britain using lead from mines in England and Wales.
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Given the context, the team posits that the cup likely belonged to a Roman soldier from Hispania, who served on Hadrian’s Wall and subsequently brought it home as a commemorative object. To investigate the archaeological context of the site where the cup was found, the researchers conducted ground-penetrating radar and surface surveys. The area contained evidence of a Roman settlement, supporting the idea of veterans returning home with such items.
“The survey carried out on this land belonging to La Cerrada de Arroyo indicates that there are structures compatible with a permanent settlement, which may have preserved paving and are reminiscent of other Roman-era habitats. This, together with the materials recovered, raises the possibility that it was a rural villa-type settlement which may have been in use during the first to fourth centuries A.D.,” the study authors write.
Although there are still questions about the prevalence, meaning and origins of the Hadrian’s Wall cups, this new finding has helped archaeologists better understand the lives of the people serving at Hadrian’s Wall under the Roman Empire.
Written for you by our author Krystal Kasal, edited by Gaby Clark, and fact-checked and reviewed by Robert Egan—this article is the result of careful human work. We rely on readers like you to keep independent science journalism alive.
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More information
Roberto De Pablo Martínez et al, The Berlanga Cup. New Evidence of Hadrian’s Wall Pans Found in Hispania Citerior (Spain), Britannia (2026). DOI: 10.1017/s0068113x26100701
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Roman cup unearthed in Spain may have been a keepsake representing a soldier’s time at the Hadrian Wall (2026, April 29)
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