Silver treasure from Kaiseraugst
The silver treasure from Kaiseraugst consists of 270 objects that were found 1961–1962 in a pit within the late Roman fort of Kaiseraugst ( Augusta Raurica ) in the canton of Aargau in Switzerland .
History of the find
In the winter of 1961 an excavator operator, while sinking an area for a gymnastics field, came across a 'sheet metal disc' which he took to be a discarded shaving foam bowl. Shortly afterwards it began to snow and the open find was covered with snow. A month later, a 12-year-old student at play found a dozen or so disc-like objects here. He took a copy and showed it to his teacher, who advised him to throw it away. The plate that he threw back into the excavation was the Ariadne tray , one of the treasure's showpieces. A little later, a family looked around the construction site. The father found a dented piece of metal, which he rubbed off and took with him, because he liked the drawing in the middle. It was the Achilles plate , meanwhile the most famous piece in the collection. Marie Schmid-Leuenberger, landlady of the nearby 'Löwen' inn, observed the incident and made a note of the car number. Curious, she in turn visited the site and found what she was looking for. She found five plates, took them with her, washed them thoroughly and first of all stored them in her inn.
A few days later, CE Bourcart looked for Roman shards on the site and found a 'dented lid'. Because Roman letters (P.ROMOLO) were scratched, he asked for a specialist. He was referred to Rudolf Laur-Belart , a pioneer of antiquity research in Switzerland, who is considered to be the real 'discoverer' of the Kaiseraugst silver treasure. In January 1962, construction work continued, this time under the supervision of scientists. The lion landlady remembered the tin plate, brought the researchers what she found and was able to trace them back to the family with the help of the car number.
In the summer of 1995, a notary reported to the archaeologists. He had received 18 more pieces of the treasure from the family of a deceased client. The family only sold the six plates, plates and bowls, each weighing 22 kilograms, on the condition that the previous owner could not be made known. How the 18 objects came into his possession remains unclear. However, a plate is still missing: on one of the silver trays, the imprint of a large plate is visible, which could not be detected under the existing vessels.
Composition of the treasure
252 pieces are known from 1962 and the 18 new pieces result in an inventory of 270 pieces that weigh a total of 58 kilos. The silver used is 92–94% pure. The rest consists mainly of copper, but also of gold, tin, lead, silicon, aluminum and calcium. The treasure of magnificent tableware and toilet dishes, a coin treasure of 187 pieces, a candelabra, a statue of Venus and three stamped silver bars. The coins are all silver denarii, plus 17 silver medallions. The medallions all have portraits of the three sons of Constantine the Great: Constans, Constantius II and Constantine II. There are almost no coins of Constantine II. They are memories of their government anniversaries. The denarii come from 11 mints. The majority comes from western mints. Trier in particular is represented with 110 pieces. The beginning of the coin series is a denarius from Diocletianus from AD 294. The end of the series is a denarius Constantius II from AD 349. Two silver bars bear the stamp of Magnentius. They can be dated to around 350 AD and were probably a gift that Magnentius gave to the soldiers when he was made emperor. It is noticeable that no coins of this emperor appear. There are no coins from the time of the sole rule of Constantius II, which probably means that the treasure was buried after Magnentius was raised to emperor 350 and before Constantius II became the sole ruler and Magnentius died in 353.
Achilles plate
The main piece of the treasure is the so-called Achilles plate, an octagonal plate with figural relief decoration. The pictures show sections from Achilles' youth in eleven scenes . Ten of them are arranged on the edge of the plate, the main scene in the middle. The eleven scenes are:
- The birth
- Celebration in the Styx
- Handover to Chiron
- Diet with bone marrow and viscera
- hunt
- Reading class
- Discus throwing lessons
- Return to Thetis
- Handover to Lykomedes on Skyros
- Lyre game with Deidameia and her sisters
- Discovery on Skyros
The plate consists of a forged and chased silver plate. A stand ring is attached to the back. The work is signed with a short Greek inscription on the underside and it comes from Pausylypos from Thessaloniki . The Achilles plate is the result of filigree silver processing in the 4th century AD. Due to its wealth of motifs, the plate is regarded as the main work of the entire treasure. It is one of the few antique silver objects whose manufacturer and place of origin are known.
Sea town plate
The Sea City Bowl has a diameter of 59 cm and was recovered by the landlady Marie Schmid-Leuenberger and four other plates. She was damaged by the excavator and suffered. a. Cracks that were repaired during the restoration. The imprint of the Achilles plate shows on it, which shows that it must have been on it. The peculiarities of the plate are the central medallion decorated with niello and gilding and the edge. In the center there is a round, gold-plated medallion depicting a building complex by the sea, in which fishing erots in barges and some sea animals cavort. Hence the name “Meerstadt” -platte, whereby the building to be seen can be interpreted more as a villa by the sea. The border and medallion decoration was cut with graver and chisel and then nielloed . The surfaces were chiseled. The weight of the plate is indicated in dotted lines on the back within the base ring. There are also two graffito on the plate. Once opposite the weight indication "AQVILINI" and once slightly outside the base ring "FONT". Most of the niello inlays have been lost in the margin, but are almost entirely preserved in the middle medallion. The bottom of the plate has many tiny scratches, which indicates that it will be used over a long period of time. So it was not intended purely for decoration.
The edge is divided into approximately eight equally long sections. Geometric motifs and hunting scenes alternate. The sections are divided axially, which means that the geometric sections lie on the main axes as seen from the central medallion. The hunting scenes, the “sea town” and the fishing erots stand for the striving for a quasi “heavenly” happiness of the people living at that time. Such sea city motifs were very popular throughout ancient times and can be found, for example, on mosaics or on clay lamps.
Ariadne tray
Another very elaborately worked piece of the treasure is the so-called Ariadne tray, a silver tray with 13 more or less different figurative representations on the edge. The picture in the center shows the wine god Dionysus , his wife Ariadne and a satyr . Edge representations and the central image are framed by geometric patterns.
Decennial plate of Constans
Another important plate of the treasure is the "Decennalienplatte des Constans", which was included in the 18 finds later known. The plate has a total weight of 3,076.9 g and a diameter of 55.8 cm. The diameter of the central medallion and the inscription is 14.1 cm. The curvature of the plate, the rim and the lip are forged and pressed. It was partially turned on both sides. The stand ring is soldered on. The central ornament, the inscription and the border ornaments are shredded and provided with niello and gilding. The hallmark "SANCT PX" can be read inside the base ring. On it is another inscription inlaid in niello between a gilded groove and the central medallion: AUGVSTVS CONSTANS DAT LAETA DECENNIA VICTOR SPONDENS OMNIBUS TER TRICENNALIA FAVSTIS, which means something like: Constans as Augustus gives three auspicious omen as the winner, promising happy ten-year celebrations Thirty Years Celebrations. This means that the record was issued due to the tenth anniversary of Constans. She speaks in advance for three more thirty years, i.e. 90 years. So it is a Largitions plate which, thanks to the inscription, can be dated to the year 342/343. The central medallion and the edge are decorated with niello decor. On the edge, geometric sections alternate with figuratively decorated medallions. Two gilded covings border the niello decorations. The geometric decorations on the edge are divided into 10 equally long sections, which are alternately filled with two geometric patterns with an infinite repeat and separated by a gilded male bust. One ornament works with circles that are offset one on top of the other. Seven of these circles are present in each of these sections and when intersecting they form pointed ovals that are filled with tendrils. The other ornament with three pointed ovals each. In the pointed ovals there is a rhombus filled with tendrils. Tendrils with palmettes surround the pointed ovals or curl up into a circle. Ten busts of young men separate the sections. Two heads are inclined towards each other. The bust neckline encompasses the shoulders and you can see a bulla on some. None of the heads look alike.
Romulus plate
Under the plates is a forged and driven plate with circular grooves turned on the lathe. The plate is curved inwards. It has a horizontal edge and a stand ring. A groove and several grooves decorate the edge area. It was badly damaged by the excavator and was glued during restoration. An old patch was also noticed. In itself the record is not spectacular. However, the name "P ROMVLO" is engraved on the underside of the base. From the time around 350 only two high-ranking Romuli are known: the consul Flavius Romulus and a Romulus, who was the military leader of Magnentius and who died on September 28, 351 in the battle of Mursa. The consul resigns as owner because of his family name. The military leader could have buried his valuables before starting the battle and could never retrieve them again. He would be a possible owner.
Magnentius succeeded after his elevation to emperor, one of the three sons of Constantine the Elder. Assassinated Great Constans and briefly ruled the western part of the empire. The army commander mentioned must have served under Constans and then defected to Magnentius. The coins from the time of Constans and the Decennalia plate of Constans would prove this.
Candelabra
One of the most splendidly decorated pieces of the treasure is a candelabra . It consists of a foot, two interlocking shafts and a candle holder. The height can be adjusted with a retaining pin. When extended, it is 117 cm high, and 78 cm when pushed together. Its weight, including a modern acrylic glass support, is 2608.5 g. The foot was cast and forged; they are slightly angular and curved downwards. The legs were then polished and the shaft parts made of hexagonal bent silver sheet were soldered together. Chisels and graves were used to deepen the ornaments. The ornaments are filled with niello and partly gilded. Since many of the niello parts have broken out, you can see the rough ground that was created so that the niello adheres better. Some of the gilding was done with gold foil. The capital consists of embossed and chased silver sheet. The plate was either hammered or cast and forged. There are several graffito engraved with the needle on it, such as B. a "G" on the foot. They could refer to former owners and / or artists. The candelabra was badly damaged by an excavator; a palmette was torn off at the foot and replaced. A second was damaged. The lower shaft was broken in two and the niello ornament broke out. The upper shaft also broke in two. The lower shaft was also bent. The upper part of the candelabra was quite well preserved, apart from some slight bends. In ancient times, a break on the lower shaft was roughly repaired with a hexagonal, 6 cm high sheet of silver. A section was probably lost in the process; part of the decor is covered. At the end of the upper shaft a break point indicates that a piece has been missing here since ancient times.
Venus statuette
The silver treasure includes a cast and chased silver statuette approximately 12 centimeters in size. The woman depicted is identified as Venus by her nudity and a mirror that she holds in one hand. The function of the statuette within the context of the find has not yet been clarified.
Other objects
The treasure also includes a rectangular bowl with the motif of a 26 cm long fish, a simple round plate (46.9 cm) and some silver spoons. These are divided into two categories. On the one hand the ligules and on the other hand the cochlearia . The ligules are small spoons whose handles are decorated with bird heads. The cochlearia are connected to the bowl by a long handle and a disc-shaped spacer. This type of spoon is most common in Schatz.
Meaning of the treasure
Obviously, it was not just tableware, but the equipment of a high officer or official who must have collected the pieces for years. Some pieces were purchased as largitions , i.e. as imperial gifts. However, there is no evidence that the treasure belonged to only one person. One of these owners could have been the above-mentioned general Romulus. However, the inscription on the plate only says that it once belonged to a man named Romulus. Based on the silver coins and bars, the burial of the treasure is dated to the period 350–353 AD. As in most cases, one reason for this could have been domestic and foreign political tensions. It should be noted that the silver treasure of Kaiseraugst offers an insight into the late antique silver art of Western Europe. The treasure is part of the archaeological collection of the canton Aargau and is exhibited in the Roman Museum in Augst .
literature
- Hans Ulrich Instinsky : The late Roman silver treasure from Kaiseraugst . Mainz 1971
- Herbert A. Cahn , Annemarie Kaufmann-Heinimann (Ed.): The late Roman silver treasure from Kaiseraugst . Derendingen 1984.
- Urs Naef: Archaeometric investigations on the Roman silver treasure in Kaiseraugst . Basel 1984
- Martin Guggisberg , Annemarie Kaufmann-Heinimann (ed.): The late Roman silver treasure from Kaiseraugst. The new finds. Silver in the field of tension between history, politics and society in late antiquity . August 2003
Web links
Individual evidence
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↑ Christoph Bühler: The late antique silver treasure from Kaiseraugst - Constansplatte . Regional association Badische Heimat eV. 2005. Accessed on January 26, 2014. (Complete picture)
Christoph Bühler: The late antique silver treasure from Kaiseraugst - Constansplatte . Regional association Badische Heimat eV. 2005. Retrieved January 26, 2014. (Illustration of the central medallion) - ↑ Overview of the Archaeological Collection of the Canton of Aargau, accessed on October 5, 2015