AN EXCEPTIONAL CUT BEAKER OF EMERALD-GREEN GLASS FROM THE CHERNYAKHOV CULTURE SETTLEMENT OF KOMAROV ON THE MIDDLE DNIESTER: GLASS COMPOSITION, RAW MATERIALS AND ORIGIN

В статье рассмотрен неординарный состав толстостенного шлифованного кубка второй половины IV - начала V в., изготовленного из темно-зеленого стекла. Он отличается от синхронных аналогий из ареала черняховской культуры и с территории римских провинций. При этом он наиболее близок составу аналогичного по цвету стекла сосудов I в. н. э. Предположительно, при изготовлении этого кубка было вторично использовано стекло сосудов более раннего периода. Наиболее вероятным местом производства кубка представляются европейские провинции Римской империи; при этом нельзя исключить мастерские, расположенные за римским лимесом, на варварской территории. The paper reviews an unusual composition of a thick-walled facet cut beaker dating to the second half of the 4 - early 5 centuries which is made from emerald green glass. It differs from contemporary analogies coming from the Chernyakhov culture area and the Roman provinces. The closest composition has been identified for the glass of vessels of similar color dating to the 1 century AD. Presumably, the glass of earlier vessels was recycled to fabricate the discussed beaker. European provinces of the Roman Empire appear to be the most likely place where this beaker was made; yet the workshops located beyond the Roman limes in the areas inhabited by the barbarians cannot be excluded either.

Crossroads and Barriers on the Roman Border: Institutional Authority, Roman Heritage and the “Đerdap” Projects

Institutional authority, Roman heritage and the “Đerdap” projects Although “the archaeological research in the Đerdap area represents the most important crossroad in Serbian archaeology” (Bikić i Šarić 2017, 67), the role of the two large research projects Đerdap I and II in the development of the discipline and the local archaeological community remains to be thoroughly reconsidered. In search for the answer whether the vast corpus of archaeological material and information gained in the course of these projects influenced the shift in interpretation of the Roman past and in presentation of the Roman frontier on the Danube, the paper presents certain scientific and research aspects and the consequences of the projects for the interpretive framework of the Roman period. It may be expected that, just as the fieldwork itself was a large opportunity for professional training and growing, the huge amount of information on the Roman border collected during the projects became a constant source for further consideration and disciplinary growth. The innovations introduced – multi-disciplinarity, interdisciplinarity, preventive conservation and integral protection of heritage – foreshadowed the space for testing of ideas. However, the archaeological record of the Roman period, approached from the culture-historical point of view, dominant at the time, is still principally interpreted according to the concepts formed in 19th century and significantly reconsidered over the last couple of decades. The majority of the recovered material is not published yet, the limited access to the “finds in boxes” obliges current researchers to work on the base of available publications, and the confidence in “discoveries” induces the transfer of ideas of original researchers without further reconsideration. The abandonment of the concept of Romanization is slow, mainly due to the institutional “keepers”, as illustrated by chosen examples, e.g. the monograph Vivere Militare est. From Populus to Emperors – living on the Frontier (Golubović, Mrđić 2018) and the exhibition Roman Limes and Cities in Serbia, organized on the occasion of the 24th International Limes-Congress, as well as the new permanent display of the National Museum, opened in 2018. It may be concluded that the constant affirmation of institutional authority, where the archaeological heritage of the Roman frontier acts as an academic symbolic capital, is more important than multivocal interpretation and presentation.

Spectroscopic Characterization of Iron Slags from the Archaeological Sites of Brâncoveneşti, Călugăreni and Vătava Located on the Mureş County (Romania) Sector of the Roman Limes

Iron slag samples unearthed from archaeological sites lying on the Eastern limes sector of Roman Dacia (the Brâncoveneşti and Călugăreni auxiliary forts and the Vătava watchtower) were studied in order to assess the probability of local iron working (smelting and smithing) during the 2nd–3rd centuries CE. Structural-mineralogic aspects revealed by PXRD analysis and FTIR spectroscopy indicate different slag types corresponding to different iron production and processing stages allowing the supposition that refining of the bloom and processing of the refined iron took place on the sites. The FTIR absorption bands obtained in the spectral domain 2000–400 cm−1 show that mineralogically the samples are constituted mainly of silicates associated with minor quantities of aluminates and carbonates. The fayalite, haematite, and magnetite phases appearing on both the X-ray diffractograms and the FTIR spectra agree with the redox conditions of the slag formation process which result from the Fe3+/Fe2+ ratio determined using the EPR-method. The bulk macro-elemental PXRF and ICP-MS spectroscopy data support the slag typization proposed on the basis of the probable working conditions; trace-elemental bulk composition suggests that the provenance of the raw materials may be different.

Brood en vlees

Summary This paper presents the current state of knowledge on food supply to the Roman Limes, vici and towns in the Netherlands – based on archaeobotanical and archaeozoological research – and the role of the local countryside. For the first century AD, several areas of origin for the food can be established. Cereals were imported, but also supplied from the regions adjacent to the Rhine; pulses and oil seeds may have been sourced locally. Cattle were both imported and obtained locally. Population density in the countryside was low and farmers were not used to structurally producing surplus food. In the earliest phase, the army probably requisitioned cattle and raised pigs and chickens. From the late first century, supply was organised better and the local farmers supplied more of the cereals and meat required by the army, vici and towns. However, certain cereals were still imported. Orchards and vegetable gardens were located near the towns, where chickens were also raised. Throughout the Roman period, wild fruits and hazelnuts could be gathered and game, wild birds and fish hunted by consumers. Saltwater fish and seashells indicate trade with coastal regions. Wine, olive oil, fish sauce, preserved fruits, pine nuts, preserved meat and fish were imported from other provinces.

An "achtformige" bronze lamp from Ptuj/Poetovio

This research highlights a recent discovery, at Poetovio, among a huge number of standard imported Roman oil lamps, of an open-shape copper-alloy lamp to be used with tallow (type Loeschcke XXV). This form, together with its clay counterpart (type Loeschcke XI), is typical of the northern Roman limes provinces where its production and usage was almost exclusive. To understand the uniqueness of this find so far south, the authors have mapped all the known parallels made of different metals. They also present a short introduction to the very eclectic clay variant, which is marginal almost everywhere except for Trier, where it constitutes by far the most common type, quantitatively speaking, of Roman lamps found in situ.

An "achtformige" bronze lamp from Ptuj/Poetovio

This research highlights an open-shape copper-alloy lamp to be used with tallow (type Loeschcke XXV), recently discovered at Poetovio, among a huge number of standard imported Roman oil lamps. This form, together with its clay counterpart (type Loeschcke XI), are typical of the northern Roman limes provinces, where they were produced and used almost exclusively. Finding such a lamp so far south merits note, hence the discussion of the distribution of known parallels, made of different metals, as well as a brief consideration of a very eclectic clay variant, which is marginal almost everywhere except at Trier, where it constitutes by far the most numerous type of Roman lamps found in situ.

Novaesium type chape from the area of Międzyrzecz

A copper alloy chape was found by chance by a detectorist, Ernest Buczkowski, at Silna – several kilometers to the east of Międzyrzecz. It is a unipartite form with an openwork crescent decoration on the front side fastened to the scabbard with the use of a nail. One should attribute the item to the Roman type Novaesium, dated to the late 2nd century and the first half of the 3rd century. Outside the Roman limes, it was popular in the Elbe Circle as well as the Isle of Funen and the Jutland Peninsula during Subphases C1a and C1b. Some of the chapes of the said type (specifically the multipartite specimens) may be treated as barbarian replicas of Roman originals. However, it is not the case for the finding from Międzyrzecz. It is the second find of this type from the territory of Poland. It should be associated with the Wielbark Culture, which was situated in the Międzyrzecz region in the beginning of the Early Roman Period. It makes the finding very intriguing, as this cultural unit is characterised by the lack of weapons among the grave goods; therefore, the one in question sheds some light on the problem of armament in the Wielbark Culture.

Roman Wine in Barbaricum. Preliminary Studies on Ancient Wine Recreation

Ancient Roman wine is found outside of the borders of the Roman world as a result of the Roman influence, trade and political relations. In our project, we decided to extensively research and recreate the ancient method of wine making in order to understand ancient viticulture and viniculture as it could have been if implemented outside of the borders. The objective was to recreate roman wine using ancient methods based on ancient texts (such as Columella, Pliny the Elder, Cicero, Cato the Elder, Galenus and Mago). The wine was made using modern grapes grown on lands considered by the Romans as barbaric (i.e., outside the Roman Limes), in modern Poland. The aim of the project—except for the wine making itself—was to measure the level of alcohol created through fermentation process. Ethanol levels in samples were obtained using gas chromatography (GC).