Original scientific paper

FIGURATIVE REPRESENTATIONS ON ANTIQUE TIN ARTEFACTS FROM SOTIN - CORNACUM

Mato ILKIĆ orcid.org/0000-0001-6748-639X ; Sveučilište u Zadru Odjel za arheologiju Obala kralja Petra Krešimira IV, br. 2 HR - Zadar

Abstract

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.

Keywords

Hrčak ID:

85468

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/85468

Publication date:

1.11.2010.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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