A rare variant of Roman wax-spatulae
It is not always easy to identify fragmented objects collected during excavations of some archaeological site. In the case when such a fragment has formal and ornamental characteristics which generally don't appear on any other type of object, a positive identification is possible.
In 1897 L. Jacobi In his excellent publication of the Saalburg castellum in Germany published a nice drawing of a bronze fragment, which according to him could belong to a mirror-handle ("Spiegelgriff' - Jacobi 1897, 455, pi. 61:4). Its upper part seems to be broken off (fig. I: l).The second part from the top has the form of a thick column with octagonal transverse section, the third one the form of a high trapeze with rhombic vertical section and the fourth, which is cleft, the form of a low trapeze. The four parts were divided by three, two and one horizontal ribs.
Another similar fragment, found in Milano (Bolla 1991, 51, pi. 158: 3), was interpreted as a knife handle ("impu-gnatura di coltello"). It has an almost identical vertical section as the preceding one, but here both upper parts are missing (fig. I: 2).The Milano fragment still has a part of an iron blade, inserted in the cleft of its fourth part and secured with an iron rivet.
both corresponding to the most common type of wax-spatulae, that is type AI (Feugere 1998, 24, fig. I; 44; Feugere, Giovannini 2000,35, fig. I :A I; 2:1,2), and second, because grave 21 among others contained a bronze inkwell.
The south-eastern necropolis of Dukija seems to be quite important for the study of Roman wax-spatulae. In the years 1959 to 1962 339 Roman cremation and inhumation graves were excavated ranging from the beginning of the 1st to the middle of the 4th centuries AD. Ten graves were preliminarily published in 1965 in a publication, cited by Feugere (Cermanovic, Srejo-vic, Velimirovic 1965). Less known to the archaeologists of western Europe is the publication of the entire necropolis, which was issued in Cetinje ten years later (Cer-manovič-Kuzmanovič, Velimi-rovič-Žižič, Srejovic 1975). Three graves (nos. 21,71a and 284) contained bronze inkwells decorated with horizontal bands of incised parallel lines, and wax-spatulae. Of the specimen from inhumation grave 284 only a great part of the iron blade remained (ibid., pi. 20), so that the type of the spatula, respectively said to be a dagger (in the Serbian text, p. 131) and a knife (in the English summary, p. 353), can not be determined. The inkwell and the spatula blade were lying close together at the left hand (ibid, and the grave plan on p. 132).The spatula from cremation grave 71a (ibid., 71, pi. 7) belongs to type B2 (Feugere 1995, 321, fig. I: B2) and that from grave 21, already mentioned, to type A4.
vi
Fig. 2 - Wax-spatula of the A4a variant (I), instrument with perforated bronze handle and iron blade (2) and rectangular bone plate with flat head (3) from grave 21 of the southeastern necropolis of Dukija (after Cermanovic-Kuzmanovic, Velimirovič-Zlžič and Srejovic). Scale 1:2.
in memoriam professor doctor
Jan Kees Haalebos
Fig. I - Bronze handles of the A4a variant of wax-spatulae: I Saalburg (after Jacobi), 2 Milano (after Bolla), 3 Monte do Farrobo (after Alarcao). Scale 1:2.
One complete bronze handle of this type was found in grave I of the Roman necropolis at Monte do Farrobo in Portugal (Alarcao 1974, 6, pl. I: I). The upper part is extended and has a square upper surface (fig. 1: 3). It differs from the first two examples in having the third part of the same form and section (octagonal) as the second part. In the cleft of the lower, trapezoidal part we can observe the remains of an iron blade. Alarcäo's identification of this object as a mirror-handle ("cabo de espelho") was opposed by Boon (1991, 31, fig. 4: f), who claimed it belonged to a special type of razor.
However, another complete handle, found at Porolissum in Roumania and ascribed by Gudea (1992, pl. 10: 10) to the medical instruments, corresponds perfectly by its form to the fragments from Saalburg and Milano. It was Michel Feugere who stated that this handle belonged to a wax-spatula, because it is identical to the handle of a complete spatula, found in grave 21 of the necropolis at Dukija (Doc/eo) in Montenegro (Feugere 1995, 321 s, fig. I: A4, notes 3 and 8). He ascribed the specimens from Porolissum and Dukija to his type A4 of wax-spatu-lae, comprising all spatulae with a bronze handle except those having a faceted bronze handle, defined as type A3 (Feugere, Giovannini 2000, 35 s, fig. 3). Although he did not state it explicitly, Feugere obviously claimed that the well-preserved specimen from Dukija was a wax-spatula first, because it has a triangular blade and square head
The department of Provincial Roman Archaeology of the University of Nijmegen has lost Its inspiring professor.
Jan Kees Haalebos, who died only 58 years old, obtained his doctorate cum laude in Amsterdam in 1973 on the cas-tella from Zwammerdam (Nigrum Pullum). Since 1970 he worked in Nijmegen where he was engaged in several excavations, among wich the 10-years excavation on the legionary camp and canabae is well known from the year-
ly publications. In 1995 he became professor, succeeding the famous professor J.E. Bogaers. Not only was he one of the leading archaeologists studying the limes in Germania Inferior, he also published on Roman military in general and was well known for his knowledge of ceramics and epigraphy He was chairman of the Rei Cretariae Romanae Fautores and active in many archaeological committees and organisations.
In recent times he excavated in Alphen aan den Rijn, Woerden, Zwammerdam, and Eist in the Netherlands, and also in Tihau and Romita in Romania. These excavations led to many (international) publications.
The archaeological world has lost a dear and much respected colleague and a very creative and original thinker.
drs. Paul Franzen p.franzen@letkun.nl
Fig. 3 - Bronze perforated handles from Volubilis (I, after Boube-Piccot) and Niederbieber (2, after Oldenstein). Scale 1:2.
The inventory of the cremation grave 2! is extremely interesting (Cermanovic, Srejovič.Velimirovič 1965,Y 72; Cermanovič-Kuzmanovič, Velimirovič-Žižič, Srejovič 1975,58,325, pi. 3). In cylindrical stone urn with loaf shaped cover were put beside a glass cup several instruments: a bronze inkwell, a wax-spatula (fig. 2: I), an instrument with narrow iron blade and perforated bronze handle (fig. 2: 2), two rectangular bone plates, one of which has a flat head (fig. 2: 3), a short knife with silver casing and a bronze coin, maybe of the emperor Cara-calla.The grave was dated to the first half of the 3rd century, not the 2nd, as Feugere mistakenly wrote (1995, 322, note 8).
The possible function of the instrument with bronze handle, perforated with two peltae and ornamented with eight groups of concentric circles (fig. 2:2), remains unknown because of the lack of the blade section in the publications. Nevertheless, we can cite some parallels for the handle. Some years ago Ch. Boube-Piccot published 16 examples of very similar bronze objects from two sites in Morocco (Volubilis and Banasa) and interpreted them as strap-ends (Boube-Piccot 1994,95-98, nos. 146-161, pis. 14-15; 71 -72 - here fig. 3:1). It is much more probable that they are handles of instruments of the same type as the one entirely preserved from Dukija, but have all lost their iron blades, as this also happens frequently with wax-spatulae with a bronze handle and an iron blade. Boube-Piccot noted traces of iron rust in the cleft lower ends of four examples (n<« 146 and 156-158), and even the remains of an iron blade in another (n° 160). The specimens from Morocco, dated by Boube-Piccot on the basis of their decoration to the 3rd century AD, and one handle of the same form and decoration found in the camp of Niederbieber (Oldenstein 1976,203,271, pi. 68:894 - here fig. 3:2), which was in use from 190 to 260 AD (Boube-Piccot 1994, 95), perfectly confirm the dating of grave 21 from Dukija.
The rectangular bone plate with flat head (fig. 2: 3) in our opinion doesn't represent a bone label, as suggested by the most scholars who deal with Roman bone objects (see for example Carnap-Bornheim 1994, 350 s, fig. 9: 9, IO;Mikler 1997,27,pi. 18:1;Deschler-Erb 1998,153),but an instrument, connected with writing.This is proved by its presence in several other tombs which contained writing instruments, e. g. in the tombs from Berlingen in Belgium and Nijmegen in the Netherlands (Boeselager 1989, 227) as well as from Sinj in Dalmatia (Gabričevič 1983, 21, fig. I I - with a bronze inkwell) and from Salzburg in Austria (Künzl 1982, 114, fig. 90:7 - with a wax-spatula and a bronze Inkwell).
The small group of five wax-spatulae described in this article represents a rather rare variant of the A4 type according to Feugere , who in a letter written to us on 13th March 2001 proposed for it a denomination "variant a, or variant Dukija" of A4 type of the Roman wax-spatulae.This variant can be dated to the first half of the 3rd century AD, perhaps also running into the beginning of the second. This dating is supported by the date of grave 21 from Dukija, by the presence of one specimen in the castellum of Saalburg, which Roman troops left at the latest in the year 260 AD (Böhme 1972, 9), and by the fact that one handle was found in Porolissum in the
province of Dada, which was abandoned during the reign of the emperor Aurelianus (270-275; Fitz 1964, 1356).
Dragan Božič Inštitut za arheologijo ZRC SAZU Gosposka 13,51-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenija Dragan.Bozic@zrc-sazu.si
Bibliography
Alarcäo 1974 :j. de Alarcäo,A necröpole do Monte do Farrobo (Aljustrel). Coramfar/go 13, 1974,5-32. Boeselager 1989 : D. von Boeselager, Funde und Darstellungen römischer Schreibzeugfutterale. Kölner Jahrbuch für Vor- und Frühgeschichte 22, 1989,221-239. Böhme 1972 :A. Böhme, Die Fibeln der Kastelle Saalburg und Zugmantel. Saalburg Jahrbuch 29, 1972,5-112. Bolla 1991 : M. Bolla, Reperti metallici. In : D. Caporusso (ed.). Scow MM3. Ricerche di archeoiogia urbana a Milana durante la costruzione della linea 3 della Metropolitana 1982 - l990,Milano 1991,51-56.
Boon 1991 : G. C. Boon, Tonsor Humanus: Razor and Toilet-knife in Antiquity Britannia 22, 1991,21 -32. Boube-Piccot 1994 : Ch. Boube-Piccot, Les bronzes antiques du Maroc 4, L'equipement militaire et I'armement, Paris 1994.
Carnap-Bornheim 1994 : C. von Carnap-Bornheim, Die beinernen Gegenstände aus Kastell undVicus in Niederbieber Bonner Jahrbücher 194, 1994, 341 -395. Cermanovic, Srejovič, Velimirovic 1965 : A. Cermanovic, D. Srejovič, O.Velimirovič, La necropole romaine ö Dukija (Dociea) pres de Titograd en Montenegro (Inv. Arch. jug. 8), Beograd 1965.
Cermanovič-Kuzmanovič, Velimirovič-Žižič, Srejovič 1975 :A. Cermanovič-Kuzmanovič, O.Velimirovič-Žižic, D. Srejovič, Antička Dukija. Nekropole [The Roman cementary ot Doc/eoJ, Cetinje 1975.
Deschler-Erb 1998 : S. Deschler-Erb, Römische Beinartefakte aus Augusta Raurica (Forsch, in Augst 27), Augst 1998.
Feugere 1995 : M. Feugere, Les spatules ä cire a manche figure. In : Provinzialrömische Forschungen. Festschrift für Günter Ulbert zum 65. Geburtstag, Espelkamp 1995, 321-338.
Feugere 1998 : M. Feugere, Ecrire aux morts? A propos des boites ä sceau en contexte funeraire./nstrumentum 7, 1998,24-25.
Feugere, Giovannini 2000 : M. Feugere, A. Giovannini, Spatole da cera in Aquileia. Instrumentum 12,2000,35-36. Fla 1974 : J. Fia, Dacia. In : Der kleine Pauly I, Stuttgart 1964, 1355-1357.
Gabričevič 1983 : B. Gabričevič,Antička nekropola u Sinju [Necropole antique de Sinj]. Vjesnik za arheologiju i histo-riju dalmatinsku 76, 1983,5-101. Gudea 1992 : N. Gudea, Instrumente medicale si ustensi-le folosite de medicii si farmacistii romani din Dacia Porolissensis contributii la studiul medicinei romane. Acto Mus. Porolissensis 16, 1992,249-291. Jacobi 1897 : L. Jacobi, Das Römerkastell Saalburg bei Homburg vor der Höhe, Homburg vor der Höhe 1897. Künzl 1982 : E. Künzl, Medizinische Instrumente aus Se-pulkralfunden der römischen Kaiserzeit. Bonner Jahrbücher 182, 1982, 1-131.
Mikler 1997 : H. Mikler, Die römischen Funde aus Bein im Landesmuseum Mainz (Monogn Instrum. 1), Montagnac 1997.
Oldenstein 1976 :J. Oldenstein, Zur Ausrüstung römischer Auxiliareinheiten. Bericht der Römisch-Germanischen Kommission 57, 1976,49-284.
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XV Congresso internazionah
sui bronii antichi ((Produzione e tecnologia»
Aquileia e Grado, 22-26 Maggio 2001
Per
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CALL FOR PAPERS
11 XV Congresso Internazionale sui Bronzi Antichi, con II tema «Produzione e Tecnologia» si terra nei giorni 22-26 Maggio 2001 nelle sedi di Grado ed Aquileia; sarä organizzato dal Corso di Diploma Universitario per Operatore del Beni Culturali, Universitž di Udine, sede di Gorizia, in collabora-zione con i Comuni dl Grado e Aquileia e potra essere per molti colleghi l,occasione di conoscere 11 rlcco e significativo patrimonio archeologico, storico ed artistico della regione Friuli-Venezia Giulia.
Le tematiche del congresso lasciano volutamente ampio spazio ai temi, sla nell.approccio, archeologico o archeometrico, che nei materiali di ricerca.
Si invitano gli interessati ad inviare la loro adesio-ne, entro 11 30 Novembre 2000 preferibilmente via e-mail, se possibile con titolo prowisorio della rela-zione proposta, a:
BRONZE CONGRESS DUOBC Universitä di Udine, Palazzo Alvarez, Via Diaz 5 1- 34170 GORIZIA (Italia) Tel.: 0039 0481 580333; Fax.: 580322 e-mail: archeo@cego.uniud.it
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Si richiede inoltre, entro il 31 Gennaio 2001 e preferibilmente via e-mail, un riassunto del contributi in formate A4, con titolo, autore/autori ed ente/enti di appartenenza. Si prega di sottolineare 11 nome del relatore. Un volume con gli abstracts delle comuni-cazioni verra distribuito all.inizio del convegno. E prevista inoltre la pubblicazione degli Atti del Congresso.
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I Comitate Organizzatore Alessandra Giumlia-Mair
Pendants articules en bronze; St-Saturnin (Herault): Montagnac, maison du patrimoine).