07-25-2007, 08:36 PM
Looted and lost in the Rine -- The Barbarian Treasure Hoard
From the wonderful Museum/Team at the "Historische Museum Der Pfalz, Speyer" that gave us "Attila & The Huns" comes a catalogue book of the exhibition that directly preceeded the Attila-exhibition. That exhibition is still accessible right now, but right now I also don't know for how long this will be. Unfortunately I didn't chose to visit this exhibition while attending the Attila one, but at 19,90 € and after a short "thumbing-through" I decided to go for it and buy one.
So what spurred my interest in that book ?
The subject: The treasure hoard of Neupotz (south of Speyer), that was found in 1980-83 by chance on occassion of routine gravel mining in an area where the rhine had it's main stream somewhere between 250 and 300 A.D. .
BTW: It's one of the largest finds of that kind north of the alps and one of several similar hoards that have been found in that area.
It consists of 1062 pieces weighing in at about 728 kg.
Some people still speculate that there might be more.
Roughly:
It is made up of 39 roman coins of all types, issued till 277 A.D. ( the one last coin from the times of postumus is considered as an errata, because it doesn't fit into the average of the other objects at all).
The we have lots of pots and vessels of all kinds made out of all kinds of metal. Kitchen-ware and -utensils being the largest number. Tools. Ironware. Weapons in a minor number. Accessories for religious rites not unlike some parts of the hoard find from Hagenbach, found not too far away. And the parts of the transportation cart that sunk with the treasure.
The background:
The book is not only made out of the decriptions of the parts that have been found or the description of the location where the treasure was lifted from the deep. It also gives a good overview over the historical and cultural context of the parts -- and gives a proper explanation of how the individual parts or the sinking of the loot should be dated correctly.
It covers reports and essays about a time in roman history, that in my opinion has been severly neglected up to now : The transition towards the late roman empire, the years from about 250 to 284 A.D. !
The historial context covers the era of the beginnings of the Rhein-Iller-Donau-Limes. It's both a good overview and a worthwile addition to eralier essays on that topic. The main part covers the parts of the Neupotz trasure, their origins, usage etc.-- their cultural context.
The following part covers some other treasure hoards from this area, first in general and then individual like the ones from Hagenbach, Lingenfeld and Otterstadt -- all locations not too far away from Speyer.
After a summary on hoard finds from the Rhine another part covers hoard finds from the deep of the Barbaricum.
A last Chapter deals with the reception and the depicted image of both Romans and Germans as well a sidestep towards the "Rhinegold".
Yes, and we have the usual Appendices.
Summary: If you take provincial roman archeology serious both a an "afficionado" or professional -- buy this book , besides an interesting content it got the same striking appearance that the "Attila" book boasts.
Greez
Siggi
From the wonderful Museum/Team at the "Historische Museum Der Pfalz, Speyer" that gave us "Attila & The Huns" comes a catalogue book of the exhibition that directly preceeded the Attila-exhibition. That exhibition is still accessible right now, but right now I also don't know for how long this will be. Unfortunately I didn't chose to visit this exhibition while attending the Attila one, but at 19,90 € and after a short "thumbing-through" I decided to go for it and buy one.
So what spurred my interest in that book ?
The subject: The treasure hoard of Neupotz (south of Speyer), that was found in 1980-83 by chance on occassion of routine gravel mining in an area where the rhine had it's main stream somewhere between 250 and 300 A.D. .
BTW: It's one of the largest finds of that kind north of the alps and one of several similar hoards that have been found in that area.
It consists of 1062 pieces weighing in at about 728 kg.
Some people still speculate that there might be more.
Roughly:
It is made up of 39 roman coins of all types, issued till 277 A.D. ( the one last coin from the times of postumus is considered as an errata, because it doesn't fit into the average of the other objects at all).
The we have lots of pots and vessels of all kinds made out of all kinds of metal. Kitchen-ware and -utensils being the largest number. Tools. Ironware. Weapons in a minor number. Accessories for religious rites not unlike some parts of the hoard find from Hagenbach, found not too far away. And the parts of the transportation cart that sunk with the treasure.
The background:
The book is not only made out of the decriptions of the parts that have been found or the description of the location where the treasure was lifted from the deep. It also gives a good overview over the historical and cultural context of the parts -- and gives a proper explanation of how the individual parts or the sinking of the loot should be dated correctly.
It covers reports and essays about a time in roman history, that in my opinion has been severly neglected up to now : The transition towards the late roman empire, the years from about 250 to 284 A.D. !
The historial context covers the era of the beginnings of the Rhein-Iller-Donau-Limes. It's both a good overview and a worthwile addition to eralier essays on that topic. The main part covers the parts of the Neupotz trasure, their origins, usage etc.-- their cultural context.
The following part covers some other treasure hoards from this area, first in general and then individual like the ones from Hagenbach, Lingenfeld and Otterstadt -- all locations not too far away from Speyer.
After a summary on hoard finds from the Rhine another part covers hoard finds from the deep of the Barbaricum.
A last Chapter deals with the reception and the depicted image of both Romans and Germans as well a sidestep towards the "Rhinegold".
Yes, and we have the usual Appendices.
Summary: If you take provincial roman archeology serious both a an "afficionado" or professional -- buy this book , besides an interesting content it got the same striking appearance that the "Attila" book boasts.
Greez
Siggi
Siggi K.
