Canteen For Water or Oil? Armerini Mosaic Evidence

[Anonymous]

"I'm pretty certain gourds are not native and another way to carry water would be used in Western Europe."<br>
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Gourd fragments have been identified at the Saalburg in Germany, so case closed i guess!<br>
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[Anonymous]

Oh yeah, there is also some mention on waterskin fragments in Gannser-Burckhardt's book on the leather from Vindonissa, though i didnt get round to translating that bit, might prove useful...<br>
Some commentators have pushed the line that the string bag seen on packs on T's column contains a water skin, as such bags have been used in more recent times to keep the waterskin ventilated when stored on a flat shelf, thus reducing chances of the thing moulding away (allegedly) <p></p><i></i>

[Lucius Aurelius Metellus]

Here is a photo of the gourd water bottle or canteen that I mentioned earlier. I don't know how authentic it would be for Romans, though, but if ancient people grew them, they certainly might have utilized them for some such purpose.<br>
<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v384/Lucius68/GourdWaterBottle.jpg" style="border:0;"/> <p>Lucius Aurelius Metellus, draconarius, Secunda Brittanica</p><i></i>

[Anonymous]

that pic of the gourd-canteen made me think of the New England use for dried gourds - Folk Art objects.<br>
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Crafters apparently love using dried gord halves to make "snowmen" and other cutesy little folk art stuff.<br>
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*shrug* <p>Titus Vulpius Dominicus ~ Your Friendly Neighborhood Roman Dude.<br>
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Svaviter in Modo, Fortiter in Re (Soft in Manner, Strong in Deed)<br>
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www.higgins.org <br>
www.higginssword.org </p><i></i>

[Anonymous]

"Here is a photo of the gourd water bottle or canteen that I mentioned earlier. I don't know how authentic it would be for Romans, though, but if ancient people grew them, they certainly might have utilized them for some such purpose."<br>
<br>
Like i just said in a previous post, gourd fragments have been found at the roman fort site of the saalburg in germany<br>
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[John Maddox Roberts]

I think the dunce cap is some sort of athletic award. "The Ancient Greeks" Osprey Elite 7, on p. 55 shows a vase-painting of an athlete holding a wreath, wearing ribbons around hos left arm and thigh, wearing a helmetlike cap with a long spike jutting from its crown, with a very long, writing-covered ribbon hanging from the tip of the spike. Perhaps this degenerated over the centuries into a conical cap. <p></p><i></i>

[Mithras]

Oh yes! I have it here in front of me ... that sounds plausible if he is an athlete in the baths. <p><strong>Paul Elliott/<em>Caius Fortunatus</em></strong><br>
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3rd Century Auxiliary (<em>Cohors Quinta Gallorum</em>)<br>
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4th Century Legionnary (<em>Comitatus</em>)<br>
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www.geocities.com/zozergames/interactive.html</p><i></i>

[aitor iriarte]

Unfortunately not...<br>
He is one of the slave attendants acompanying the lady of the house and her two sons to the bath. What is inscribed on his loincloth is his name. If I recall well, there are two male attendants on that Piazza Armerina mosaic.<br>
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Aitor <p></p><i></i>