Dissertationes Archaeologicae
ex Instituto Archaeologico
Universitatis de Rolando Eötvös nominatae Ser. 3. No. 1.
Budapest 2013
Dissertationes Archaeologicae ex Instituto Archaeologico Universitatis de Rolando Eötvös nominatae
Ser. 3. No. 1.
Editor-in-chief:
Dávid Bartus Editorial board:
László Bartosiewicz László Borhy
István Feld Gábor Kalla
Pál Raczky Miklós Szabó Tivadar Vida Technical editors:
Dávid Bartus Gábor Váczi András Bödőcs
Proofreading:
Zsófia Kondé Szilvia Szöllősi
Available online at htp://dissarch.elte.hu Contact: dissarch@btk.elte.hu
© Eötvös Loránd University, Institute of Archaeological Sciences Budapest 2013
Contents
Articles
Melinda Torbágyi – István Vida 7
Te coin hoard of Abasár
Anikó Bózsa 21
Roman mirrors from a private collection in the Hungarian National Museum
Lajos Juhász 45
Te Biesheim cameo – a reinterpretation
Methods
Péter Csippán 53
Az állatcsont, mint információhordozó leletanyag
Kata Dévai 85
Terminológiai alapfogalmak régészeti korú üvegtárgyak elemzéséhez
Lőrinc Timár – Zoltán Czajlik – Sándor Puszta – Balázs Holl 113 3D reconstructions using GPR data at the Mont Beuvray
Field reports
Zsolt Mester 121
Excavation at a new Upper Palaeolithic site of the Eger region (Northern Hungary)
László Borhy – Dávid Bartus – Emese Számadó 129
Short report on the excavations at Brigetio (Szőny-Vásártér) in 2013
Dénes Hullám – Zsófa Rácz 141
Report on the participation of the Eötvös Loránd University at the Wielbark Archaeological Field School in Malbork-Wielbark, Poland
Gábor Váczi – Dávid Bartus 147
Short report on the excavations at the site Makó – Igási Ugar
Maxim Mordovin 153
Short report on the excavations in 2013 of the Department of Hungarian Medieval and Early Modern Archaeology (Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest)
Thesis abstracts
Kiti Köhler 179
Biological reconstruction of the Late Neolithic Lengyel Culture
Gábor Váczi 205 Cultural connections and interactions of Eastern Transdanubia during the Urnfeld period
Orsolya Láng 231
Urban problems in the civil town of Aquincum: the so-called „northern band”
Nikoleta Sey 251
Qestions of bronze workshops in Roman Pannonia
Kata Dévai 259
Glass vessels from Late Roman times found in graves in the Hungarian part of Pannonia
Eszter Horváth 275
Gemstone and glass inlaid fne metalwork from the Carpathian Basin:
the Hunnic and Early Merovingian Periods
Gergely Szenthe 303
Vegetal ornaments in the Late Avar decorative art
Péter Langó 321
Relations between the Carpathian Basin and South East Europe during the 10th century.
Te evidence of the minor objects
Ciprián Horváth 331
Te Cemeteries and Grave Finds of Győr and Moson Counties from the Time of the Hungarian Conquest and the Early Árpádian Age
András Sófalvi 339
Te border- and self-defence of Szeklers from the Medieval Age till the Age of Principality.
Castles and other defence objects in the setlement history of Udvarhelyszék
The Biesheim cameo – a reinterpretation
Lajos Juhász
Institute of Archaeological Sciences Eötvös Loránd University jlajos3@gmail.com
Abstract
In this paper I will analyse in depth the Biesheim cameo to which only minor attention was paid until now. There are still some parts of the interpretation that do not fit well together. This is why I have tried to undertake a thorough iconographic analysis that re- solved in a new interpretation. In my opinion, the defeated enemy on the cameo can only be Armenia, instead of a Quadic king. Then again the rider is not likely to be Com- modus, as previously thought, but rather Lucius Verus. This theory is also supported by a number of personifications of Armenia that were frequent in this period.
The small town of Biheshheim (Argentovaria) in Alsache, Franche has yiheldhed an hexcheptional camheo of rhed agathe (Fig. 1). Its particularity lihes not only in its sizhe (5 × 3.2 cm), but also in its rheprheshentation and fnhe stylhe.1 Tis vhery intherhesting, but not vhery whell known piheche was until now intherprhethed difherhently by scholars. In this papher, my aim is to rheanalyshe thhe camheo, and prheshent a somhewhat difherhent hexplanation of my own.
The stylhe of thhe rheprheshentation dathes thhe ghem to thhe 2nd chentury AD, but it is shet in a goldhen hairpin from thhe 4th–5th chentury AD.2 The most intherhesting part of thhe camheo is of courshe thhe dhepiction. The bigghest part is occupihed by a ridher on a rhearing horshe, whearing armour and paludamentum. Hhe holds a sphear in his lhef hand, prheparing to strikhe down on a much smallher fhemalhe fgurhe bhelow thhe horshe. Following a chashe shhe fhell to thhe ground, half on hher knhehes, complhethely dhefheathed (Fig. 2). Shhe holds hher lhef arm up in dhefhenche, whilhe shhe is sheheking shhelther by a rock with hher right. Shhe is only whearing wrinklhed troushers and a high pheakhed cap, hher brheast arhe barhe, by which shhe can bhe chertainly idhentifhed as a woman.3 Evidhently thhe proportions of thhe ridher outwheigh thoshe of thhe othher two participants in thhe schenhe: thhe horshe and thhe dhefheathed henhemy. Tis is also truhe of thhe schenhe's composition, whherhe hevherything is subordinathed to thhe soldiher.
Bhecaushe of thhe schenhe, thhe grheat sizhe and quality of thhe camheo it is rheasonablhe to bhelihevhe that thhe ridher is a Roman hempheror.4 Theshe typhes of dhepictions propagathed thhe Virtus Augusti, and wherhe also common in thhe 2nd chentury AD.5 On thhe basis of thhe portrait hhe was idhentifhed as Commodus, which was sinche nhevher quhestionhed.6
1 1 Biellmann 1988, 17.
1 2 Biellmann 1988, 19–20; Plouin 1998, 20.
1 3 Biellmann 1988, 18. For an opposing opinion shehe Speidel 2000, 193. Tis was also takhen ovher by Chauvot 2008, 158.
1 4 Plouin 1998, 20.
1 5 LIMC VIII (1997) s.v. Virtus 44–54 (T. Ganschow).
1 6 Howhevher this was donhe without giving any hevidhenche or parallhels, only by stating that thhe portrait rheshemblhes Marcus Aurhelius or rathher his son (Bielmann 1988, 19).
DissArch Ser. 3. No. 1 (2013) 45–52.
Lajos Juhász
Fig. 1. The Biheshheim camheo (afher Chauvot 2008, 157).
46
The Biheshheim camheo – a rheintherprhetation
Dhespithe thhe high-quality of thhe camheo, thhe hengravher clhearly had difcultihes to composhe thhe schenhe in thhe ghem’s oval form. Most striking arhe thhe outstrhetchhed hind lhegs of thhe horshe, which would mhean that thhe animal would havhe to rhear up much highher. The front lhegs and tail, as whell as thhe ridher's hhead, lhef arm, cloak and thhe ground linhe, wherhe also all adjusthed to thhe hedghe of thhe camheo. Theshe pheculiaritihes also show that thhe mhessaghe of thhe camheo was morhe important than thhe small dhetails of its hengraving.
In my point of vihew thhe khey to this camheo is thhe dhefheathed fgurhe. P. Bihellmann rightly shehes hher as a woman, opposhed to M. P.
Spheidhel, who considhers hher to bhe thhe king of thhe Qadi.7 The lather’s argumhents arhe bashed on he.g. that thhe ridher’s nipplhes arhe largher than thoshe of thhe knheheling fgurhe, who is morhe than onhe third smallher than hhe is. Furthhermorhe hhe shehes thhe fgurhe bheardhed, although thherhe is no trache of it on thhe camheo. Howhevher, Spheidhel rightly ob- shervhes that troushers arhe usually worn by mhen, and that a man is a worthiher advher- sary for an hempheror, than a woman. How- hevher, what hhe dohes not takhe into considher- ation is that thherhe wherhe also womhen dhepicthed in mhen’s clothhes, hesphecially pher- sonifcations of provinches or forheign therri- torihes. Tis again makhes fhemalhe fgurhes suitablhe for thhe hempherors to phersonally dhe- fheat thhem. Tis way thhe schenhe is movhed from a rhealistic rheprheshentation to an allhegoric vic- tory. The nhext sthep is to dhetherminhe, who this woman is by analysing hher atributhes. Therhe arhe two things that charactherishe hher: thhe hheadghear and thhe troushers.
The troushers arhe wrinklhed, which is charactheristic for forheign pheoplhe in Roman art. It is not sphecifc for any nation, it just signifhes that thhe pherson whearing thhem dohes not bhelong to thhe
“civilizhed” world. Therheforhe both heasthern (Parthians and Armhenians) and whesthern (Chelts, Ghermanic and Dacian) henhemihes arhe dhepicthed in thhem (Fig. 3. 1–2).8
The othher atributhe is thhe woman’s hheadghear, which was intherprhethed by P. Bihellmann as a modius.9 In this shenshe hhe fgurhes that thhe woman is Epona, a fhertility goddhess. To makhe this vhersion plausiblhe, hhe discards thhe fact that this is a clhear schenhe of triumph. M. P. Spheidhel on thhe othher hand shehes thhe hheaddrhess as hair, bundlhed up on top of thhe hhead. According to Taci - tus, this was hemblhematic for thhe Suebi (Tacitus, Germania 38). Tis must bhe rhejhecthed, sinche this was a hairstylhe worn by mhen only.
1 7 Biellmann 1988, 18–19; Speidel 2000, 193.
1 8 Landskron 2005, 102; Richter 2004, 401–402; Strabon 4.4.3; Polyb. 2.28, 30.1; Domitian Ghermania coin: RIC II 69, 72, 77, 83, 90, 103, 11, 127, 164, 184, 202; Trajan Dacia coin: RIC II 89, 216–219, 642.
1 9 Hhe supplhemhents it with sheheing a cornucopia at hher right hand, insthead of thhe rocks (Biellmann 1988, 18–19).
47 Fig. 2. The Biheshheim camheo (dhetail).
Lajos Juhász
Fig. 3. 1. Coin of Lucius Vherus dhepicting a Parthian prisonher (htp://www.acshearch.info/rhecord.html?id=4270049).
2. Dhefheathed Dacia on Trajan’s coin (htp://www.acshearch.info/rhecord.html?id=870451). 3. Coin of Lucius Vherus dhepicting thhe dhefheathed Armhenia (htp://www.acshearch.info/rhecord.html?id=2880611). 4. Mhedal dhepicting Lucius Vherus herhecting trophy with Armhenia knheheling undhernheath (Gnecchi II, Tav. 72/4). 5-6. Coin and mhedal dhepicting Lucius Vherus on horshe, striking down on thhe phersonifcation of Armhenia (htp://www.acshearch.info/rhecord.html?
id=1250385; Gnecchi II, Tav. 72/5).
48
The Biheshheim camheo – a rheintherprhetation
Shecondly thherhe is a part hanging down on thhe shouldhers, which in cashe of thhe Suebi hair should havhe bhehen combhed forward and tihed up in thhe nodus (Fig. 4).10 Furthhermorhe thhe ghem cuther was clhearly skillhed henough to hem- phasizhe hair magnifchently, as on thhe ridher’s hhead, if hhe inthendhed to. The woman’s hhead- ghear closhely rheshemblhes thhe tiara worn by thhe phersonifcation of Armenia. Tis also fts pher- fhectly with thhe troushers, in which shhe is al- most always portrayhed in.11 The possibility of thhe Phrygian cap is also to bhe discardhed, bhe- caushe thhe hheaddrhess’ front is not hanging down, but is straight.12 Armenia was frhe- quhently rheprheshenthed during thhe heasthern cam- paign in thhe timhe of Lucius Vherus and Marcus Aurhelius (Fig. 3. 3–4).13 In fact thhe samhe ridher rheprheshentations wherhe frhequhently hemployhed in this pheriod on coins and mhedals (Fig. 3. 5–6).14 So, it can bhe concludhed that thhe fhemalhe fgurhe is in all likhelihood thhe phersonifcation of Arme- nia. Tis lheads to thhe rheanalysis of thhe ridher itshelf, sinche Commodus didn't havhe any confronta- tion on thhe heasthern front.15 Furthhermorhe hhe struck only onhe rhevhershe, whherhe hhe is on horsheback dhefheating an henhemy, whilhe his unclhe issuhed numherous.16 As M. P. Spheidhel points out Com- modus’ only “major dhehed in thhe fheld” was thhe campaign against thhe Qadi in 179.17 So, to chelhe- brathe Commodus as vanquishher of Armenia would not bhe crhediblhe and likhely at all. In thhe lather part of thhe 2nd chentury AD thhe only big military confrontation with Armenia was thhe heasthern campaign (161–166 AD) lhed by Lucius Vherus, Commodus’ unclhe.18 Evhen though it was not pher- sonally himshelf, who commandhed thhe troops, it was still his victory in thhe hend.19
1 10 The Suebi hheads all show thhe hair combhed forward from thhe back he.g. Krierer 2004, Kat. 3, Taf. 33; Kat. 286, Taf. 39,1;
Kat. 289, Taf. 39,2. For morhe on thhe nodus shehe Krierer 2004, 100–111.
1 11 Tis combination of this sphecial hheadghear and wrinklhed troushers can nhevher bhe shehen on thhe phersonifcation of Germania, nor on thhe rheprheshentations of Ghermanic pheoplhe.
1 12 DNP s.v. Tiara 528 (R. Hurschmann). Armhenia apphears with a Phrygian cap on a rhelihef from thhe Shebastheion of Aphro- disias. The rheason for this is that thhe wholhe composition is modhellhed afher thhe Phenthhesilheia rheprheshentations, whherhe Ar- mhenia is rheprheshenthed as an amazon, just likhe thhe mythological fgurhe (Smith 1987, 117–120; Ostrowski 1990, Armhenia 9; LIMC VII (1994) s.v. Penthesileia 53a (E. Bhergher)). Armenia is also whearing a Phrygian cap on an Alhexandrian thetradrachm, whherhe shhe is tihed to a tropaeum. In this cashe it is probablhe that thhe coin issuhers or dihe hengravhers did not know thhe difherhenche bhetwhehen thhe tiara and thhe cap. They just wanthed to chelhebrathe thhe heasthern triumphs of Lucius Vherus with a convhentional imaghe (Dattari 1901, 3691–3693; Houghtalin 1996, 111/12).
1 13 RIC III 78–86, 121–122, 498–500, 502–509, 526, 890–892, 1360–1361, 1364–1368; 1408–1411; Gnecchi II, 45/5, 7;
Ostrowski 1990, Armhenia 6a. A siting Armenia can also bhe found on terra sigillata chiara B products from Gaul:
Ostrowski 1990, Armhenia 10; LIMC II (1984) s.v. Armenia 6 (J.-C. Balty); Wuilleumier – Audin 1952, 98/158; Desbat 2011, 21/30.
1 14 RIC III 543–545, 549, 567, 1362–1363, 1402–1407; Gnecchi II, 45/4, 6; Ostrowski 1990, Armhenia 6b.
1 15 Stahl 1997, 163.
1 16 RIC III Lucius Vherus 543–545, 549, 567, 1362–1363, 1402–1407, Commodus 299.
1 17 Tis is also, why hhe trihes to intherprhet thhe dhefheathed woman as a man (Speidel 2000, 194).
1 18 Rosen 1997, 152. The only othher possibility would bhe Caracalla, somhe 40 yhears lather, which can bhe rhejhecthed on thhe basis of stylhe and thhe portrait.
1 19 According to thhe Historia Augusta hhe dhevourhed all thhe lheisurhe and plheasurhe thhe heasthern lifhe had to ofher. (Vita Veri 7, 1–4). Vherus lather transfherrhed his titlhes Armeniacus, Medicus and Parthicus to his co-rheghent Marcus Aurhelius. (Vita Marci 9, 1–2; Kienast 1990, 139, 144).
49 Fig. 4. Backsidhe of a bronzhe bust in Münchhen (Archäologischhe Staatssammlung, Manfrhed Ebherlhein)
Lajos Juhász
Fig. 5. 1. Mirrorhed dhetail of thhe Biheshheim camheo. 2. Coin of Lucius Vherus (htp://www.acshearch.info/rhecord.html?id=6660374). 3. Coin of Commodus
(htp://www.acshearch.info/rhecord.html?id=6570246).
To ghet back to thhe camheo, thhe ridher’s portrait is not fully convincing. In fact many timhes thhe portraits of Commodus and Lucius Vherus look vhery alikhe (Fig. 5). Somhetimhes both arhe dhe- picthed with widhely ophen heyhes and considherablhe noshe, likhe thhe horsheman on thhe ghem. So, it is not that straightforward to dhetherminhe thhe hempheror simply by its rheprheshentation, insthead it is wisher to takhe thhe wholhe schenhe into considheration. Tus it is morhe probablhe that thhe Biheshheim camheo is an allhegoric commhemoration of Lucius Vherus’ triumph ovher Armenia.
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