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标题：FIGURATIVE REPRESENTATIONS ON ANTIQUE TIN ARTEFACTS FROM SOTIN - CORNACUM
本地全文：下载
作者：ILKIĆ, Mato
期刊名称：Histria antiqua
印刷版ISSN：1331-4270
出版年度：2010
卷号：19
期号：19/2010
页码：245-252
出版社：Institut društvenih znanosti IVO PILAR
摘要：One of the most important auxiliary strongholds located on the limes in the present-day Croatian Danube River Basin was Cornacum, located in the area of Sotin in Roman times. In the last two centuries, a large number of different artefacts have been found in this poorly known multilayered archaeological site located 10 km south of Vukovar. Among other items, six tin artefacts with figurative representations have surfaced during different earthworks, and especially during deep ploughing. All the artefacts are made of bronze, while the figurative representations they bear were executed with the use of a matrix. Beside seals, seal boxes (capsules) were used to protect valuable items and confidential pieces of information from curious eyes in the antique world. A seal box recovered at Sotin belongs, thanks to its figurative content, to a rare type of related artefacts (Fig. 1a-b). The lid of the box is decorated with the representation of Victoria facing right. Although the figurative composition is small, only 12 mm high, it was executed very skilfully with many details. The goddess of victory holds a round shield set against a small column. Thanks to other similar examples of seal boxes of the same technical traits but decorated with imperial portraits, this seal box could be dated possibly in the times of the Flavians or early Antonines. The winged goddess, accompanied by two horses she is leading on short bridle reins, is represented on another small artefact from Sotin (Fig. 2). On a partially preserved small round plate there is a frontally set composition, in the centre of which a goddess dominates. She wears a short chiton. Her body is leaning leftwards, while her face is turned toward the horse on the right. The prancing horse’s head is turned toward the goddess. The other horse, turned leftwards and with his head bent downwards, is indicated with a much shallower relief. At the foot of this composition there is a possible representation of clouds. So, the whole scene is set in the air, which is also suggested by the goddess’s widely spread wings. It seems that the small round plate from Sotin, with the representation of the floating winged goddess leading two horses, is inspired by one of the scenes from the mythological description of Aurora, that is, Eos. According to Homer (Odyssey, Book 5), at the end of night she rises from her bed in the east. In a saffron-coloured robe, she jumps into a horse-drawn chariot, and rides to Mt. Olympus, where she announces the arrival of her brother Helios. So, I presume that the motif on the small plate from Sotin refers to the goddess of dawn, who brings steeds to her brother, the god of the Sun, for his journey across the heavens. Then there is a small fragment of a small plate with a preserved part of a figurative composition which most likely relates to a frontal motif of a quadriga with Sol, the Roman god of the Sun (Fig. 3). Above the lower flat rim, trimmed with a row of large dots, two horses are represented. In front of the first one, with its body turned to the right, and head turned back, stands another horse, whose neck is longer and its head is turned rightwards. A carriage wheel is situated between the legs of these animals. In terms of iconography, the representation from the Sotin fragment corresponds to the lower right part of the frontal composition of Sol and the quadriga. One of the most important items of Roman military equipment was the belt fastened around the waist. A large number of various bronze parts from such belts have been discovered in Sotin. Several bronze parts from these belts bear figurative decorations. One belt buckle features a square tin reinforcement whose front is trimmed with a series of large dots. The central field bears the representation of a horseman, turned rightwards (Fig. 4). The horse is galloping, which is particularly emphasised by the horseman’s flowing cloak, which flags in a number of folds behind the rider. The horseman is protected by a round shield, held to the front, on the left of the horse’s head. Armed with a short spear, which he raises in his right hand, he aims at the ground beneath him. Unfortunately, the lower part of the figurative metal reinforcement is damaged. Almost the same figurative composition is also found on a two-piece prong of the waist belt set (Fig. 5a-b). Both small plates have an identical decoration. There is a stylised curly ornament in the upper, smaller field, bounded along the rims with a thin line. A horseman galloping to the right dominates the lower, much larger field, trimmed with a series of large dots. His representation is simplified, without a cloak, shield, or spear. Beneath the horseman, there is a quadruped with its legs spread and a long tail, bent upwards. Its body is turned rightwards, and the head backwards. The horseman on the buckle’s tin reinforcement (Fig. 4) and the two-piece prong (Fig. 5a-b) possibly represent Bellerophon. The concentration of such finds in the territory of Pannonia indicates that these finds were manufactured at workshop centres in this area. According to mythological traditions, Bellerophon killed the monster Chimera, defeated an enemy army, and subdued murderers. So, he symbolises strength and virtue, so that waist belt sets bearing the motif of this brave hero should primarily be associated with the Roman army of Late Antiquity. At that time, two military units were stationed in Sotin (Cornacum): Cuneus equitum scutariorum and Equites Dalmatae. The owners of the waist belt sets with the figurative representation of Bellerophon were probably members of these cavalry formations. On the last tin artefact with a figurative representation from Sotin a frontal motif of a stylised human head is impressed (Fig. 6). The beardless face features indications of eyes, a nose and a mouth. Above a narrow forehead, several locks of hair are faintly visible. On the right side of the head, an ear can be seen. The representation on that artefact probably relates to Medusa. Tin artefacts with figurative representations from Sotin belong to the types which are, for the time being, a unique phenomenon in the area of the Roman limes on the Croatian Danube River basin. All motifs on these tiny artefacts can be associated with the Roman army. This is quite logical, since Cornacum was one of the most important strongholds of the Roman army on the limes in the southeast part of the Roman province of Pannonia.