02-26-2012, 03:25 PM
Time for another tombstone, this one a not-quite-Totenmahl (since there is no Mahl taking place) of the cavalry signifer Oclatius (of ala Afrorum) from Neuss. Since it has been rather heavily restored, I have included a colour-coded view showing the restoration work in pink. This means the lion-headed standard is, alas, largely guesswork. Details that will entrance and delight include a set of writing tablets like those of the Camomile Street Soldier, a sword hilt that looks like Thor's hammer, and (interesting for clothing buffs) a tunic, rather than the trousers we might expect of a cavalryman. In the lower register, a calo leads a horse and balances a bundle on his shoulder that might be a bundle of javelins, a besom broom, or a beach umbrella (take your pick). The horse harness is really sketchy (to the point of looking unfinished) and the whole stone seems to have be dressed with a claw chisel.
Mike Bishop
Mike Bishop