WOOD YOU BELIEVE IT?

Archaeologists & Imagination

I believe there is a module in the training course for archaeologists called Module 4, which focuses on imagination and imaginative writing. We can all be considered archaeologists to some extent, especially metal detectorists who are interested in the past. Sometimes, these hobbyists show better imaginative skills than the so-called “experts,” although Barford might challenge this notion.

Archaeologists study the remnants of the past and how they relate to the traces they find. They then use these findings to create a meaningful understanding, whether it’s through making inventories, accounts, narratives, explanations, or anything else. Many people find this subject fascinating, including metal detectorists.

The Brothel Token

Courtesy of the UK Searcher Magazine

A video report from LondonTonight 4th January 2012

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PAS Database Record

 A worn and corroded Roman copper alloy spintria, dating to the late first century BC to early first century AD. The object comprises a flat, copper alloy disc. On the obverse are two naked lovers engaged in a sexual act; the female lies on her front beneath the male who straddles her. They lie on a bed or couch decorated with a swag. The depiction is classifed as ‘Scene V’ by Buttrey 1973. On the reverse are the Roman numerals ‘XIIII’, with a dot above the last two ‘I’, inside a circumferential border. An exact parallel for this spintria exists in the Department of Coins and Medals’ collection at the British Museum (R 4476). Although ‘spintriae’ are commonly identified as brothel tokens, due to the erotic nature of some scenes depicted on them, there is no evidence to suggest that they were used in such a manner. They are not mentioned in any ancient sources, nor have they been found in buildings identified as ‘brothels’. It is equally likely that they acted as gaming counters, and that the erotic images on them were merely decorative. For a more detailed discussion of their function and dating, see Buttrey, T. (1973) ‘The spintriae as a historical source’ Numismatic Chronicle Vol. XIII, p. 52-68 and Chapter 8 in Clarke, J.R. (1998): Looking at Lovemaking: Constructions of Sexuality in Roman Art (Berkeley).

Notes:

This is an important find and exciting find for London as the majority of spintriae are unprovenanced. However, as the spintria was not found in a closed context, it is impossible to determine whether the spintria was lost during the Roman period or more recently.

Record LON-E98F21 on the PAS database

A WORD I REFRAIN FROM USING

If YOU could permanently ban a word from general usage, which one would it be and WHY?

It is a fact that people in Bill Shakespeare’s time had working vocabularies of around 54,000 words. Estimating the number of words in the language today is a complex process, but the Oxford English Dictionary says that there are around 170,000 words in current use. I believe them.