Tip o’ the pileus to James Romm who passes along this link to a nice review article by Tom Holland of a number of recent books relating to Alexander the Great:
Day: January 15, 2011
Some Greco-Roman Graffiti in Egypt
A couple of interesting items from Mary Beard:
Crayfish Signet Ring From Farindola
A very interesting find from Farindola which was mentioned on the Classics list back in November and curiously never made it to the English press. Here’s the version from Abruzzo24ore (tip o’ the pileus to Laval Hunsucker who brought this to everyone’s attention and posted the links I reference below):
Un pregevole anello-sigillo in oro con iscrizione è stato rinvenuto a Farindola, in località Cupoli Superiore-S. Giusta, proveniente dai resti di una villa romana, emersa durante i lavori abusivi per la costruzione di un fabbricato. L’importante reperto archeologico è stato recuperto grazie alla collaborazione del Comandante Massimiliano Di Pietro e dei Marescialli Columbaro e Lattanzio della Stazione Carabinieri di Penne, che a settembre scorso hanno coadiuvato Andrea Staffa, Funzionario della Soprintedenza per i Beni Archeologici dell’Abruzzo, nell’intervento di tutela a salvaguardia dei resti della villa romana.
Questa era stata in parte danneggiata perché i lavori di realizzazione del fabbricato non avevano ottenuto il parere preventivo della Soprintendenza, che aveva sequestrato il cantiere.IL REPERTO
Il castone di anello-sigillo in oro, del diametro di 9/7 millimetri e spessore di 3, raffigura un gambero di fiume rinvenuto proprio nell’area della villa, in particolare sul margine della grande cisterna.
L’oggetto reca sul fronte e sul retro i nomi della coppia di proprietari Iunius Auriclianus e Rectina, schiava di un Petronius, forse moglie e marito, oltre che la suggestiva immagine di un gambero di fiume. La grafia delle lettere data l’oggetto ad epoca tardo-antica (secoli IV-V d.C.), ed è suggestivo ipotizzare che i due personaggi dell’anello fossero i conduttori o proprietari della villa, e che forse nella grande vasca della cisterna si allevassero proprio i gamberi.
L’eccezionale reperto documenta le fasi tardoantiche di una grande villa del territorio dei Vestini, rimasta abitata sin quasi verso la fine dell’Impero Romano, ad evidente testimonianza dell’importanza anche economica di questa zona ancora in quest’epoca così tarda.
- via: Farindola, rinvenuto importante reperto archeologico romano – Cronaca Pescara – Abruzzo24ore.tv.
The skinny is that they found a gold signet ring with a crayfish depicted on it belonging to a pair of folks involved in crayfish farming or the like. The ring itself was found on the edge of a cistern which was apparently the target of some illegal excavations. The personalities in question seem to be a husband-wife pair, one Junius Auriclianus and Rectina, who is described as a ‘slave’ (freedwoman, surely) of a certain Petronius.
Abruzzo24 includes a nice photo of one side of the ring (whence comes the ‘slave’ identification of Rectina):
The other side can be seen in a photo from Futurocommune:
There’s a similar, but smaller version at Leggimini Quoditiano:
Not sure what we can read into the ‘fish farming’ side of this … it would appear that such ventures were more for ‘extravagance’ purposes than commercial. The index of James Higginbottham’s Piscinae: Artificial Fishponds in Roman Italy (via Amazon) doesn’t have an entry for crawfish or shrimp, interestingly enough. I note the book is available at Questia in toto … might be worth the free trial.
UPDATE/QUERY: does anyone know whether these images have been ‘reversed’? Wouldn’t a signet ring have everything in the ‘opposite direction’? Wouldn’t the ‘impression’ part be in high relief?
Videocast: The Quality of Life in Classical Antiquity
A good one to watch on a snowy day like today (for me, anyway) … Interesting talk by Walter Scheidel (in two parts … 58 minutes):
Coin Hoard from Cumbria
If the find was made back in April, I’m not sure why they don’t give us the identity of some of the emperors on the coins … from the News and Star:
John Murray, 66, was amazed to find 308 Roman coins, some thought to be nearly 2,000 years old. The hoard was concealed in a smashed pot a few feet below the ground at Beckfoot, near Silloth.
It is the second major Roman find in Cumbria, following the Crosby Garrett helmet which was unearthed by a metal detectorist last May.
Bearing the heads of various emperors, the coins have been taken to the British Museum for restoration and analysis.
And they have been officially classed as treasure.
Mr Murray, of Beckfoot, said he made the find by accident as he walked home after an ‘unsuccessful’ hunt.
He said: “The farmer had been ploughing and he’d hit some big stones. We knew there was Roman activity in the area, so I went to have a look – but there was nothing.
“So I decided to go home for some lunch. I was walking diagonally across the field when I heard the metal detector make a nice noise.”
Just a foot below the surface the first coin appeared and the machine revealed more was to come. As the treasure kept emerging, Mr Murray called Maryport’s Senhouse Roman Museum to alert them to his discovery.
He added: “There was a big uprising in Europe at one stage and all the Roman soldiers were called over to fight. I think someone probably buried these coins thinking they’d be able to come back and get them.”
Discovered on April 10, 2010, the coins have been classed as Crown property under the Treasure Act of 1996.
They were officially granted that status following a treasure trove inquest heard by north and west Cumbria David Roberts at Whitehaven Magistrates’ Court on Friday.
When they have been valued, Mr Murray and the owner of the field will find out if they are due any reward.
“Archaeology takes up a lot of my time these days,” said Mr Murray. “I got into it by taking part in digs at Vindolanda fort. I like the history side of it – somebody owned those coins and I’m asking what happened to him.”
rogueclassicism 