08-30-2003, 07:41 AM
Hi Robert!<br>
<br>
Your very welcome! Hey your not harsh - The last time I delt with harsh was when I was tooling around the Artic : ) On no need to apologize but rather let me thank you for steering Linda my way. It is a pleasure knowing Linda via the net - I have the utmost respect for Linda's dedication to the history of the Euro Sarmatians and the story of Lucius Artorius Castus, the Roman Arthur. Linda and I had about 2 months of a non stop e info. exchange. The main subject with that info. exchange was my marble logo piece that is featured in my collection. Linda and I were trying to find out where exactly the piece originated from - Frustrating but we did not find that information - What we do know is that the Dealer who sold me the piece told me that it originated in Campania and was purchased in the 1920's or 1930's. Linda was hoping that more precise information would lead to the location of the Artori family villa - If Linda could find that villa then it is possible that the legend of Arthur could become history.<br>
<br>
<br>
Oh I hear you on the Wild West with ancient artifacts but then that's the way it's always been and I am sure that's the way it's always going to be. Not counting the greedy fat cat types there are some impoverished people that are feeding their families with their digs - I believe that their quest is just as noble as we who are trying to discover our history. On my speculating I think that even with the best the defining of history comes with some degree of speculation. As much as I could find out from the Dealer in England the Roman Sarmatian Scale Armor Piece was found by an older gentleman who putts around with a metal detector. The find was not recent but had been dug years ago. Here is some more information on this topic that you may find of interest:<br>
<br>
The Roman Cavalry Piece that I bought from the English Dealer had been found at the same location as the scale armor piece. That piece is a Roman Bronze Cavalry Horse's Head Brow Boss approx. 2nd or 3rd Century. It appears that beneath the patina there is light silvering. The piece is complete and is in excellent condition. Here is the kicker - The Brow Boss has open work and is the typical circular style horse's brow boss with a 4 pointed Dacian Star cut out - I have seen quite a few circular horse's brow bosses that were from the Balkans. As much as I can tell the Dacian Star implies the IV Flavia or possibly the II Adiutrix - The II Adiutrix in that the other artifacts found with the brow boss have the style of anchor motifs typical to that legion. Now according to my many hundreds of artifacts from the Balkans the IV Flavia and the II Adiutrix of the 2nd to 3rd centuries were serving (perhaps even combined) in the region of the lower Danube (Moesia, ect). Many of my artifacts show that these two legions or their auxiliaries were conducting themselves as fleet legionaries or more precisely as riverine marines and also had a host of cavalry. According to the artifacts the four most common tribal identities that were in these legion's ranks or their auxiliarie's ranks at that time were Dacians, Sarmatians, Thracians, and Germans. The Dacian and Sarmatian cultural influence with the artifacts seems to be the most dominant. The horse's brow boss appears to be of local Roman British manufacture in that it is slightly cruder then those found in the Balkans and quite a bit more delicate - I am assuming that the reason for this is that metal was more scarce in Roman Britain Vs Moesia. As you know the IV Flavia and the II Aduitrix were no where near Hadrian's Wall - Vex. Cav. Detachments?<br>
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I agree with the possibilities of all the scenarios that you presented on the scale armor piece. Presently I am comfortable with my Roman Sarmatian classification of the scale armor piece. As with all artifacts I heartily agree that there is always the potential for new information to develop - In the meantime I base my conclusion on the information that is currently available.<br>
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Thank you for the compliment on my plumbata. Yup they are all original and according to the post from the gentleman who was in Slovenia they are not all that rare anymore! Robert don't let the fakes bother you - The majority of fakes are coins - Most of the rest are terra-cotta lamps ect. - The stuff that your novice will buy and if discovered will feel to embarrassed to complain. Now there are some big dollar marble pieces that you have to be wary of but then any professional Antiquities Dealer can spot them pronto. A lot of the legionary small stuff coming from the Balkans does not fetch such high prices - I am sure that the fake artists would go broke trying to make the originals that sometimes sell for as little as $20 - By the way some of those small pieces are loaded with legionary information. Back to those plumbata - Yes I am pretty sure that there is something mixed in with the clay. Due to the color of the clay I am not sure on the oxidized lead but then it could be. Nope no other plumbata around here : ) You got it - I will take my plumbata out of storage over the next few days and weigh them and post the results - Right now l'm in South Beach, it's Labor Day Weekend, and I do have an ATM Card - Oh and I'm not afraid to use it either : ) Hey Have a Great Weekend and Looking Forward!<br>
<br>
<br>
All My Best!<br>
<br>
Dave<br>
<br>
<p></p><i></i>
<br>
Your very welcome! Hey your not harsh - The last time I delt with harsh was when I was tooling around the Artic : ) On no need to apologize but rather let me thank you for steering Linda my way. It is a pleasure knowing Linda via the net - I have the utmost respect for Linda's dedication to the history of the Euro Sarmatians and the story of Lucius Artorius Castus, the Roman Arthur. Linda and I had about 2 months of a non stop e info. exchange. The main subject with that info. exchange was my marble logo piece that is featured in my collection. Linda and I were trying to find out where exactly the piece originated from - Frustrating but we did not find that information - What we do know is that the Dealer who sold me the piece told me that it originated in Campania and was purchased in the 1920's or 1930's. Linda was hoping that more precise information would lead to the location of the Artori family villa - If Linda could find that villa then it is possible that the legend of Arthur could become history.<br>
<br>
<br>
Oh I hear you on the Wild West with ancient artifacts but then that's the way it's always been and I am sure that's the way it's always going to be. Not counting the greedy fat cat types there are some impoverished people that are feeding their families with their digs - I believe that their quest is just as noble as we who are trying to discover our history. On my speculating I think that even with the best the defining of history comes with some degree of speculation. As much as I could find out from the Dealer in England the Roman Sarmatian Scale Armor Piece was found by an older gentleman who putts around with a metal detector. The find was not recent but had been dug years ago. Here is some more information on this topic that you may find of interest:<br>
<br>
The Roman Cavalry Piece that I bought from the English Dealer had been found at the same location as the scale armor piece. That piece is a Roman Bronze Cavalry Horse's Head Brow Boss approx. 2nd or 3rd Century. It appears that beneath the patina there is light silvering. The piece is complete and is in excellent condition. Here is the kicker - The Brow Boss has open work and is the typical circular style horse's brow boss with a 4 pointed Dacian Star cut out - I have seen quite a few circular horse's brow bosses that were from the Balkans. As much as I can tell the Dacian Star implies the IV Flavia or possibly the II Adiutrix - The II Adiutrix in that the other artifacts found with the brow boss have the style of anchor motifs typical to that legion. Now according to my many hundreds of artifacts from the Balkans the IV Flavia and the II Adiutrix of the 2nd to 3rd centuries were serving (perhaps even combined) in the region of the lower Danube (Moesia, ect). Many of my artifacts show that these two legions or their auxiliaries were conducting themselves as fleet legionaries or more precisely as riverine marines and also had a host of cavalry. According to the artifacts the four most common tribal identities that were in these legion's ranks or their auxiliarie's ranks at that time were Dacians, Sarmatians, Thracians, and Germans. The Dacian and Sarmatian cultural influence with the artifacts seems to be the most dominant. The horse's brow boss appears to be of local Roman British manufacture in that it is slightly cruder then those found in the Balkans and quite a bit more delicate - I am assuming that the reason for this is that metal was more scarce in Roman Britain Vs Moesia. As you know the IV Flavia and the II Aduitrix were no where near Hadrian's Wall - Vex. Cav. Detachments?<br>
<br>
I agree with the possibilities of all the scenarios that you presented on the scale armor piece. Presently I am comfortable with my Roman Sarmatian classification of the scale armor piece. As with all artifacts I heartily agree that there is always the potential for new information to develop - In the meantime I base my conclusion on the information that is currently available.<br>
<br>
<br>
Thank you for the compliment on my plumbata. Yup they are all original and according to the post from the gentleman who was in Slovenia they are not all that rare anymore! Robert don't let the fakes bother you - The majority of fakes are coins - Most of the rest are terra-cotta lamps ect. - The stuff that your novice will buy and if discovered will feel to embarrassed to complain. Now there are some big dollar marble pieces that you have to be wary of but then any professional Antiquities Dealer can spot them pronto. A lot of the legionary small stuff coming from the Balkans does not fetch such high prices - I am sure that the fake artists would go broke trying to make the originals that sometimes sell for as little as $20 - By the way some of those small pieces are loaded with legionary information. Back to those plumbata - Yes I am pretty sure that there is something mixed in with the clay. Due to the color of the clay I am not sure on the oxidized lead but then it could be. Nope no other plumbata around here : ) You got it - I will take my plumbata out of storage over the next few days and weigh them and post the results - Right now l'm in South Beach, it's Labor Day Weekend, and I do have an ATM Card - Oh and I'm not afraid to use it either : ) Hey Have a Great Weekend and Looking Forward!<br>
<br>
<br>
All My Best!<br>
<br>
Dave<br>
<br>
<p></p><i></i>