Finds from the Comacchio wreck

[Arahne]

Laudes from me also, especially for those shrines. I'll tell You why later today,since that I just got up. In brief. Not direct but close references to this shrines you can find in Helen Chew, Deux Venus en plomb...Antiquite Nationale 22/23, 1990, 1991, p.81. For years I have been working on problem of lead venus statues ( hundreds of them) found in Danube region. This find pushes my ideas further, thanks a lot.
Interesting thing that lead ingots were found on the same ship, maybe it is not coinsidence.
By the way, do these ingots have stamps of fabric?

[Martin Moser]

Not direct but close references to this shrines you can find in Helen Chew, Deux Venus en plomb...Antiquite Nationale 22/23, 1990, 1991, p.81. For years I have been working on problem of lead venus statues ( hundreds of them) found in Danube region. This find pushes my ideas further, thanks a lot.

Looking forward to hear more once you're fully awake :-) )

[Arahne]

In brief
Lead was widely used for produciton of smaller objects, mostly cult, but also utilitarian (just speaking for these stuff, not speaking about use of lead in architecture, construction, armour). I suppose that it was cheaper than other metals, besides the fact that it melts around 300 + celsius degree. These objects are lead icons (danubian horseman), lead mirrors, lead pendants, lead statues ( all of these finds are numerous especially in pannonia and moesia, also some of them in dacia). I have seen also small vessels, lamps, fibulae but not so common. I percieve lead as plastique of the roman empire. Forgot to say that as far as I know silver ore has large percentage of lead, at least silver mines in Kosmaj in Moesia Superior ( roman settlement and castel where found in the region, as well as evidence of silver, and lead minning)
Now about lead statues. Finds are rising through the Empire when you go from west to the east. Usually all of the divinities are presented, Jupiter , Juno Minerva, Venus, Venus and Amor, Mars, Mercur, Fortuna, Victoria, Triviae-matres (pannonia and noricum), Jupiter and Mercur Heliopolitanus (region of Baalbek). Caracteristics of serbian part of danube region are that we have roughly one hundred Venus sometimes with Amor statues from, Sirmium, Gomolava, Hrtkovci (pannonia inferior), vinca ( famous neolithic setllement also has roman stratum) and finnally Viminacium ( I have counted 75 statues but dont have permition to publish them), and few of other divinities. These two that Mrs Chew published are from danube region. I will edit this post later to insert pic of typical venus statue from danube region.

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b169/ ... 1170255240

[Martin Moser]

Did roman sailors use these little temples as propriatic altars or sort of shrines for possible"penates" or some gods as Neptunus

I checked the report on this one and it says that because of the similarity of make and the circumstances of the find (seems they were all in one place) the most likely thing is that these were merchandize.