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THE CANCEL ON THE FORUM OF ASSERIA

Nenad Cambi ; Sveučilište u Zadru, Odjel za arheologiju

Sažetak

Two fragments of stone slabs with flying erotes (fig. 1-2) were discovered on the northern part of the Asseria forum during archaeological excavations in 1999. In fact, they were used as building material for the small church of St. Spirit which was destroyed by Serbian rebels in the latest war (1991-95). A similar fragment (fig. 3) was found even before excavations and it is kept in the Benkoviæ Castle at Benkovac. During archaeological excavations
in 2000 fourth fragment (fig. 4) was discovered in the late-Antique remparts in front of the town fortifications built of megalithic blocks. The fragments nos 1-3 belonged to the same ensamble, while the fragment no. 4 obviously made part of a funerary precinct which
suggests that all the fragments did not belong to the same unit. It is not possible to establish where was the original place of the cancel, since this part of the forum was radically rebuilt in the later Roman period (fig. 5). The plutei could not stand upright without supporting pillars, but these have not been found. Therefore it was necessary to search for parallels in the region. Similar cancels existed on many fora in the Roman towns on the Adriatic coast. These cancels depicted also erotes carrying garlands (or some other garland bearers) and scenes of marine thiasos. The plutei pillars show masks of Jupiter Ammon, Gorgons, heads of mixed human and bulls’ creatures, Pan (fig. 6) and Dionysos. Such cancels were discovered during excavations in Aquileia, Tergeste, Pola, Celeia, Jader (fig. 7, 8) and Salona. Similar cancels were not found further south of Salona. The decoration of these cancels reveal cultural phaenomenon obviously linked with imperial cult which is not limited only to the
Adriatic regions, since such an iconography appeared also in other parts of the Roman world. The heads of Jupiter Ammon had nothing in common with the introduction of Egyptian religions in Adriatic areas. Very probably the masks of this type were also used in Asseria. A fragment of pillar with the Dionysos’ head was found in nearby Perušiæ (fig. 11, 12). Since it was a spolium there, it is very likely that its provenience was Asseria. The Perušiæ fragment
enables us to get an idea concerning these pillars. On the pillars of the Asseria cancel the masks of Pan alternated with masks of Dionysos, as was the case with the cancel of the upper floor of the southern portico of the nearby Jader Forum (fig. 9, 10). The Asseria cancel dates back to the end of the 1st or the beginning of the 2nd centuries AD. Such a chronology is suggested by the character of reliefs and by the inscriptions that speaks about building activity on the Asseria forum.

Ključne riječi

Hrčak ID:

9016

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/9016

Datum izdavanja:

26.2.2003.

Podaci na drugim jezicima: hrvatski

Posjeta: 3.217 *