Today Ethan and I spent our entire day at the British Museum. In the morning I made a list of galleries I wanted to see. The list was 44 galleries long. Not exactly realistic, but I separated out the rooms that may contain research related items and we headed to the museum. Five hours later and 1,220 pictures later, we headed out. I had only seen a fraction of the things I had wanted to and it had been an exhausting day of fighting through crowds, but also a wonderful and exciting day.
As I took so many photos, it was impossible to go through them all before this post so I decided to do my highlights from the Roman Britain gallery.
Below is a rare gold body-chain from the Hoxne Hoard. The Hoxne Hoard is a collection of 15,000 coins and precious pieces of jewelry and other items found in Hoxne, Suffolk. The body-chain centers around an amethyst, with garnet decoration and what is believed to have been pearl decorations as well.
This 4th century wall painting with Christian imagery comes from a Roman villa in Lullingstone, Kent. Shown here is a large ΧΡ, or chi-rho, symbol, which represent Jesus Christ with the first two letters of Christ in Greek. There is also an alpha and omega, an appellation of Jesus in the Book of Revelation. Other painted walls from the villa depict early Christian priests preaching and giving benediction.
This head of Jupiter would have had much more decoration in Roman times. Where there seems to be a seem or an indented band would have been a separate wreath or diadem. The eyes would have been filled with enamel to give a more lifelike appearance to the king of gods.
I'm surprised in such coin based societies, I haven't seen more piggy banks. An example was found in England though, with a simple pot cut for coins to be put in and a few coins still inside.
This is thought to be the earliest depiction of Jesus Christ in Britain. The mosaic was found in a complex at a villa in Hinton St. Mary, Dorset. The images shown in the larger mosaics were not just Christian, but pull from Greek mythology as well. The mosaics in the front room show Bellerophon fighting the Chimera, while the depictions around Jesus resemble the four wind gods. However, it is theorized that the figures around Jesus are actually depicting four of the apostles and were executed by an artist unaware of the symbolism. Either way it shows Christianity being depicted in mosaic in Britain by the mid-4th century CE.
Hercules was a popularly depicted deity in Britain. The one below was found near Hadrian's Wall and may have been commissioned by soldiers. If the sculpture was complete it would depict Hercules with a bow, shooting down the Stymphalian birds.
I've been really fascinated by any sort of everyday items I've come across, especially perishable ones like textiles or this bucket binding. Made of twisted willow, this binding would have held oak pieces together to form a bucket. It was thought to be used for a well.
The Ribchester Helmet was found in 1796 by a clog-maker's son as part of the Ribchester Hoard. The hoard contained military paraphernalia, including pieces from cavalry sporting events, or hippika gymnasia. The helmet below would have been used in such events and is a wonderful decorative piece. The figures depicted show infantrymen and cavalrymen fighting.
This iron ingot, known as a pig, was found in Hints Common, Straffordshire, but originated from lead mines in north-eastern Wales (indicated by the DECEANG). An inscription on top of the ingot declares it the property of emperor, Vespasian.
These two gold fibulae show how the upper echelons designed their brooches. They follow the traditional crossbow design, but are done in higher quality gold. Both date from the 4th century.
This collection of silver snake rings comes from a jeweler's hoard found in Norfolk and dating from the mid-2nd century CE. The rings show how certain popular styles of jewelry were being mass produced in Roman Britain. They jeweler also had a similar collection of gem-set rings and even more gems cut and ready to be put into new rings. Other items included tools for carving and finishing jewelry and older silver coins that were being used as scrap metal.
This is a very early example of a letterhead. The 2nd or 3rd century wooden writing tablet from London has the official stamp of the imperial procurators in Britain. These officials represented the imperial interests in the province, including tax management and government expenditure.
Possibly the most exciting thing I saw all day was a selection of the Vidolanda Tablets. The tablets, originating from a Roman fort just south of Hadrian's Wall, contain discussions of military matters, personal messages, communications between families, and other bits and pieces of everyday life in the northern most parts of Roman Britain. The tablet is a letter between brothers discussing business ventures. There's a theory that the author was left-handed.
I saw probably thousands of other objects today and it wasn't enough. I ensured to go to all my research related rooms today, but missed many other sections that I wanted to see. I'm headed back to the British Museum to explore more tomorrow while Ethan does some research at Lambeth Palace. I think tomorrow still won't be enough, but at some point I'll be come oversaturated with their amazing collection!
Fun Fact #33: Before the discovery of the Vindolanda Tablets scholars were not sure how the Romans in Britain referred to native peoples. The tablets give Brittunculi, meaning little Britons, as a derogatory and patronizing term for native peoples. However, this may have been particular to the Romans in the northern part of Britain or for the tribes in the northern area.
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