Day 33: Tackling the British Museum

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.

Day 30: Getting Rained on in St. Albans

Today we had a stressful day, but a pretty successful one.  Ethan had a meeting the the Dean of St. Albans Cathedral and Abbey and I was tagging along to see the church and explore the Roman city of Verulamium.  Sadly, we had issues finding the right train station to get to St. Albans and then more issues with tickets.  After spending far too much time on the tube, we got on the train on a very rainy day and headed to St. Albans.

We went to the cathedral-abbey first and explored a very amazing church.  With Norman and Saxon origins, the church grew into a massive abbey complex and then dwindled again after the Dissolution.  It was revived and is now the thriving cathedral of the diocese.  The church is named for St. Alban, a 3rd century martyr who was a Roman citizen in the local town.  He was martyred for converting to Christianity and sheltering a priest.  His cult probably began around the middle of the 5th century and there is a shrine that holds relics of the saint in the cathedral.

St. Alban is depicted in the new nave screen, which depicts seven martyrs.  Four are locals: St. Alban, St. Amphibalus, George Tankerfield, and Alban Roe.  They range in period from the 3rd century to the 17th.  The other three are St. Elizabeth Romano, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and Oscar Romero.  All three come from the 20th century and are meant to remember the sacrifices still made for the church.  Together, they represent early Christianity, Anglicanism, Roman Catholicism, Russian Orthodoxy, and Lutheranism.

The cathedral has centuries of history, most of which I learned from Ethan after his talk with the dean.  The Lady Chapel, pictured below, was for a long period separated from the rest of the church.  There was quite literally a road running between the church and the chapel building.  The chapel was used as the local grammar school before being reincorporated to the cathedral.

The Wallingford Screen was built in the late 15th century but was devastated by the Dissolution.  Every statue in the screen was torn down and destroyed.  In the 19th century, the cathedral went through major restoration and renovation.  The two main benefactors disagreed on how the screen should look.  One felt that it should be restored into its original state and the other wanted to go more modern (and more egocentric) with just a silhouette of himself and Queen Victoria.  Apparently the conflict went all the way to the House of Lords, and luckily (in our opinion) the more traditional restoration won out.

The abbey greatly benefited in the 12th century when an Englishman was elected Pope.  Nicholas Breakspear, better known as Adrian IV, had been educated at the Abbey School of St. Albans and his selection as Pope increase interest in St. Albans as a pilgrimage.

After the church visit, I headed to the Verulamium Museum and site while Ethan met with the Dean.  I first headed to the theater at Verulamium.  Unlike the other theaters I've seen this trip, it is a true theater, not amphitheater.  The first theater at the site was built around 140 CE and was enlarged in 160 CE.  The theater could fit 7,000 people and featured columns 5.8 meters tall on the stage.  The theater eventually fell out of disuse, even before the Roman occupation ended.  It's unclear why it was no longer used.

Around the theater were the local shops and a few homes.  One third century villa contained an underground shrine, possibly suggesting that Christianity had forced pagan rituals into private settings.  Although, it may have just been a private shrine and that might be too much of an attachment.

Below is a pendant with a triskele, which is a design featured in cultures around the world.  It was particularly important in Celtic culture and art.  I'm curious how this was influenced by the Roman occupation and vice versa.

The gold ring below has a depiction of an ear of wheat.  The native Catavellauni tribe had a culture dominated by farming and it seems that the Romans continued the tradition.  Along with the ring, there were also depictions of Ceres, the goddess of the harvest and crops.

Below is a variation on the classic pennanular brooch.  The pair of silver brooches were connected by a thin chain.  I'm unsure if this would have been done to hold a cloak or just as a decorative statement.  Either way it seems like a fairly unique and beautiful piece.

There were many burials around Verulamium, fitting for a large Roman city.  They varied in their use of inhumation and cremation.  Some of the burials were in ornate lead coffins and others were in more simple stone ones.  One very interesting find was this Septimius Severus coin found in a child's grave.  The coin, shown with the child's teeth, was placed in the mouth of the child for burial and the copper in the coin turned the teeth a bluish-green color.  The coin probably dates the child's death to around 210 CE.

The depiction of Venus below, done in bronze, was originally depicted holding a golden apple.  The golden apple was won by Venus in the judgment of Paris, when she bribed him with the love of the most beautiful woman, Helen.  And we all know how that ended.  As a decline of Roman religion in Verulamium, the statue was found in what is believed to be a scrap pile in the workshop of a metalworker.

Verulamium had a unique triangular temple at a major intersection of roads.  The temple was dedicated to Cybele, an Anatolian goddess imported to Rome, and her consort, Attis.  The ceremonies dedicated to the gods involved the sacrifice of an ox, pine cones, palm leaves, and ceremonial pottery, all of which were found in the site of the temple.  The skull off an ox is shown below.

From the museum I went into Verulamium Park, which contains some more Roman artifacts.  Sadly, I was only able to peak at a large mosaic since the building had been closed for the day.  I did get to walk along portions of the city walls and see the foundation of a massive gateway.  The walls were a later addition, being added towards the end of the 3rd century.  Unlike most sites I have been to, the military presence in Verulamium was much smaller and the site was never really a fort.

I headed back towards the abbey through the park to meet Ethan in the rainy weather.  Unfortunately, due to a miscommunication, as I arrived back at the abbey, Ethan headed to the museum to find me.

I took a few more minutes to walk around the abbey before Ethan and I reunited.  We eventually found each other and headed back to the train station.  By the time we were back to London, we were wet, hot, sweaty, and ready for a break.  Though the day was successful, the travel logistics were messy and the rain dampened both our hair and our moods.  But with a little rest, we were able to rally for dinner and a quiet evening.

Fun Fact #30: There were several breeds of Roman dogs at Verulamium, shown by the various dog skeletons found at the site.  Romans had three divisions for different types of dogs, villatici or house dogs, venatici or sporting dogs, and pastorales or shepherds' dogs.  The villatici could be small lap dogs and the sporting dogs were divided into further categories: fighting (pugnacious) and hunting (celeres, sagaces).

Day 15: Making it to the Museum

Leaving Port Talbot, I headed to the "Pittsburgh of Wales," Newport.  People are really enjoying telling me what American equivalent I'm headed to next.  Again, I disagree, although I have never been to Pittsburgh either.  Newport reminds me of want-to-be Boston in a lot of ways.  It has a nice stretch along the River Usk that they are trying to develop into a center of arts and culture, but the process seems to be going slow.  There is a lot of construction and renovation happening around the city.  So the city really seems like a work in progress.

Traveling so much has made me lose sense of time.  I rarely know what day of the week it is, which almost became a major problem.  I was planning on heading to the Newport Museum, the point of my visit, tomorrow.  As I was walking to my hotel, I had a vague memory that today was Saturday and that most museums are closed on Sundays (you know, like most things).  So I thought to check the times on the museum, and turns out it is closed on Sundays.  It would have been horrible to miss another museum.

So I headed out towards the museum (and managed to get lost in the midst of the construction).  Once I found the museum, I was surprised to find a trove of Roman artifacts.  The museum contains many pieces from the excavations in Caerleon and Caerwent, two sites outside Cardiff that I will be seeing in the next few days.  The prehistoric and Roman room was well divided into different cases, such as ones dedicated to the region in the Iron Age and the Bronze Age.  Once it became more focused on the Roman occupation, the cases focused on Roman religion, domestic life, jewelry, the army, etc.  Here are just a few selections of the many interesting things from the museum.

This dish is from what is known as Caerleon ware.  The ware was produced in the Caerleon area and shows influence from other Roman pottery, such as the famous Samian ware.  Some of the pieces were even meant to imitate the Samian ware from Gaul, suggesting that the citizens of Caerleon wanted a cheaper, easier to get alternative to importing more pottery. 

There was also another style of local pottery, presumably more of a common, everyday pottery.  It was grey, rather than the preferred red tones found in Samian or Caerleon ware.

Another wonderful piece of the collection was a Roman glass urn with human remains still inside.  In the 1st and 2nd centuries, cremation was the main mode of Roman burial.  This changed later (and varied around the Empire), leading to many beautiful sarcophagi, but it is very cool to see the remains of a Roman, around 2,000 years later.  Or maybe I just find that cool...

The museum also had a beautiful collection of jewelry and clothing items, like this penannular brooch.  These brooches are a great example of Roman and Celtic fashions coming together.  They became particular popular in Roman Britain during the 3rd and 4th centuries, often adding images of animals to the brooches (not quite visible in this photo).

There were also some lovely fragments of frescoes discovered in Caerleon.  Most, like this depiction of a male figure, were done sometime in the 4th century, but there is evidence that there were earlier frescoes in some places that had been plastered over.

There is a great deal of evidence in this museum of the mixing of native British and Roman cultures.  Here is a depiction of a Celtic mother goddess found in a Roman home in Caerwent.  She seems to have been worshipped as a fertility goddess.  Other similar Celtic depictions included a male statue and an antefix tile with the depiction of a Celtic feline goddess (although this is not entirely certain).

A final, special gem was this Roman tile with a paw print in it.  It is very fun to imagine the ancient craftsmen making this tile and then watching a favorite dog run across it, ruining the tile.  It's wonderful when little bits like this survive in history!

After seeing the museum, I went a walk along the River Usk.  Below you can see the Riverfront Center, which houses a gallery and a performance space, and a pedestrian footbridge.  There is a nice walk running along the river itself.

My hotel, along with a many residential neighborhoods of Newport, lay across the River Usk.

A detail of the pedestrian footbridge.

Fun Fact #15: So this fact may not be quite a fact.  Like most museum displays, sources aren't cited, but the Newport Museum had a display titled "What money was worth at Caerwent in AD 122?"  I'm not quite sure where this information was derived, but here's what things cost in Caerwent 1,893 years ago!

Annual pay of a Roman legionary: 300 denarii

Half liter of wine: 1 as

Cloak: 5 denarii and 2 asses

Slave boy: 600 denarii

Loaf of bread: 2 asses

(Roman currency is confusing and variable, so for simplicity sake, at this time an as would have been worth 1/16th of a denarius)