Original scientific paper
Several Earli Roman Imperial Fibulae from Salona
Sanja Ivčević
Abstract
Good traffic position, early Roman influence, the role of Salona in the civil war between Pompeius and Caesar, are the reasons why Salona developed into one of the most important urban centres of the Adriatic in 1st c. BC. During the rule of the Emperor Augustus Salona belonged to Rome: conventus civium Romanorum was formed already in the first half of 1st century, some time between Cosconius
conquest of Salona, 78-76th BC, and Caesar’s Consulate for Illyricum, 58-56th BC; it became a colony during the rule of Caesar or Augustus. Those were the conditions in which Salona established better and better contacts with the rest of the Empire. The finds of fibulae in Salona, whose origins are in Gaelic area, are dated in the end of 1st century BC and beginning of 1st century AD. They are the proof of connections with the area of their origin, whether they were brought to Salona as a result of trade or other contacts of people, that is, as a part of costume worn by newcomers from the area where these fibulae originate from.
Sample (Cat. No. 1), excavated in Salona, belongs to type Feugere 16a2 (Almgren 240, Riha 4.5.5 Ettlinger 25, Rey-Vodoz 4.5.5), which ended with the times of Augustus. As the densest concentration of the variant 16a2 is in the area of Switzerland, this is where the centre of manufacture of these fibulae is being looked for. Interesting for us are the samples from Augst and Martigny, identical to ours. As this type was not used on a massive scale in the area out of its origin, nor was it accepted in local production of any other area, according to the knowledge so far, it is possible to claim that our sample arrived in Salona from Gaelic area in Augustan times.
Fibula of type Feugere 18b1(Cat. No. 2) (Feugere 18b1, Mazur 4.5, Riha 4.6) is related to the previous one. This type is concentrated in the area of France, particularly Burgundy, where its production is proved as well. Finds from other areas are sporadic, they come from the areas of Switzerland, Luxemburg, Germany and Croatia.
They are dated in Augustan times, mainly starting with the 1st c. BC. Fibulae type Feugere 14a (Almgren 241, Ettlinger 9, Rey-Vodoz 2.2) come from the area of Gaul, where they existed in the first half of 1st century, and completely disappeared in the times of Nero. The conclusion based on the numerous finds in military stations is that these fibulae were worn by soldiers, which does not exclude the civilians as there were also many finds in settlements and rustic villas.
Fibulae Feugere 14b1b (Ettlinger 9, Rey-Vodoz 4.4.1.,Riha 4.4.1 have been found all over the same area as fibulae Feugere 16a2, they originate in Augustan times, possibly slightly later the previous type, and were made throughout the first half of the 1st c. Among numerous varieties of the type, ours belongs to the most numerous one, and the area where it has often been found is France (central and eastern), Switzerland and the area of the River Rhein. In England this variety is also frequent; the finds are dated in the first half of the 1st c., mainly in Claudius’ times. Finds in other areas are sporadic. Our samples are most similar to the ones in France, therefore we suppose this type import from the area of its origin.
Although not numerous, the existence of the fibulae in Salona, dealt with in this work, prove the connection with their place of origin. These fibulae were not accepted in local production of various parts of the Roman Empire, but from their place of origin they were imported to other areas. This assertion particularly refers to the types Feugere 16a2 and 18b because their production was largely centralised, and the finds thereof are rare outside its area of origin. As they existed in the first two decades of the 1st century as well, their presence in Salona can be connected with the powerful military movements in the early 1st century, which caused movement of the military and civilian inhabitants.
Keywords
fibulae; Salona; early Roman imperial period
Hrčak ID:
2517
URI
Publication date:
1.12.2005.
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