Authored Books by Stefanie Hoss
The Roman military belt was a "marker" piece of equipment of the Roman soldier, distinguishing hi... more The Roman military belt was a "marker" piece of equipment of the Roman soldier, distinguishing him from civilians when he was not wearing arms and armour. This is corroborated both by ancient literature and the frequency and accuracy of the depictions of the military belt on the gravestones of the soldiers. The immense ideological value invested in the belt originated in its function as sword belt, but then developed independently from it. This comprehensive study of the Roman military belt combines the written sources with the pictorial representations of belts and the archaeological finds of the metal mounts, buckles and hangers of the belt. In addition to discussing typological features and analysing the distribution and dating of the different types, questions on the social significance of this distinct piece of equipment are discussed. The book aims to give as broad a picture as possible of the Roman military belt; from its origins and development to its visual, acoustic and physical characteristics and from its ideological value to its influence on the everyday posture of the Roman soldier.
At the heart of this study of ancient bathing and bathhouses is an analysis of the culture of bat... more At the heart of this study of ancient bathing and bathhouses is an analysis of the culture of bathing in Roman Palestine and what this reveals about the Romanisation of the Jewish population. The book, a 2002 PhD thesis, includes a discussion of of the origins of public baths and the development of bath building types in Hellenistic Palestine, but focuses on how Jews reconciled (or not) the Roman taste for public bathing and their own distaste for Roman displays of nudity and communal bathing. The study combines documentary evidence with archaeological evidence with much of the book comprising an illustrated catalogue of the large number of bathhouses and baths that have been excavated in the region. The appendix focuses on miqva'ot, or Jewish ritual baths.
Edited Books by Stefanie Hoss
The production of military equipment is a subject that has advanced much less in the last thirty ... more The production of military equipment is a subject that has advanced much less in the last thirty years since Mike Bishops article in 1985 than one would have thought from the amount of new finds made and new research methods developed during that period. This is especially striking when compared to the advances made in the research on civilian production in the same time. Most research on military production is either concerned with production for the military centring on grain and meat (where large advances have been made) or with production by the military centring on tile production.
Journal of Roman Military Equipment Studies, 2021
This volume is intended as a Gedenkschrift to celebrate the work and legacy of Dr Brian Dobson. T... more This volume is intended as a Gedenkschrift to celebrate the work and legacy of Dr Brian Dobson. The papers are provided by members of the Hadrianic Society, which Brian was instrumental in setting up over 40 years ago, and represent a range of Roman scholarship by current and former university professors, museum and post-excavation professionals, field archaeologists and non-professionals. The range of papers is indicative of the range of interests held within the Hadrianic Society and those of Brian himself, but focus on the Roman army and Roman frontiers, particularly Hadrian’s Wall.
Oxbow, 2016
Small finds – the stuff of everyday life – offer archaeologists a fascinating glimpse into the ma... more Small finds – the stuff of everyday life – offer archaeologists a fascinating glimpse into the material lives of the ancient Romans. These objects hold great promise for unravelling the ins and outs of daily life, especially for the social groups, activities, and regions for which few written sources exist. Focusing on amulets, brooches, socks, hobnails, figurines, needles, and other “mundane” artefacts, these 12 papers use small finds to reconstruct social lives and practices in the Roman Northwest provinces. Taking social life broadly, the various contributions offer insights into the everyday use of objects to express social identities, Roman religious practices in the provinces, and life in military communities. By integrating small finds from the Northwest provinces with material, iconographic, and textual evidence from the whole Roman empire, contributors seek to demystify Roman magic and Mithraic religion, discover the latest trends in ancient fashion (socks with sandals!), explore Roman interactions with Neolithic monuments, and explain unusual finds in unexpected places. Throughout, the authors strive to maintain a critical awareness of archaeological contexts and site formation processes to offer interpretations of past peoples and behaviours that most likely reflect the lived reality of the Romans. While the range of topics in this volume gives it wide appeal, scholars working with small finds, religion, dress, and life in the Northwest provinces will find it especially of interest. Small Finds and Ancient Social Practices grew out of a session at the 2014 Theoretical Roman Archaeology Conference.
http://www.oxbowbooks.com/oxbow/small-finds-and-ancient-social-practices-in-the-northwest-provinces-of-the-roman-empire.html
Papers by Stefanie Hoss
LIMES XXV, Volume 4, 2024
The Portable Antiquities of the Netherlands (PAN) project has been up and running since 2016. It ... more The Portable Antiquities of the Netherlands (PAN) project has been up and running since 2016. It has generated new insights into metal finds, among them a new distribution map of Roman military equipment. This shows high concentrations of finds in the Batavian region and in the Northeast (northern Friesland and Groningen). This paper post-depositional and other factors which may have contributed to the high concentration of Roman military equipment in these two regions in the Netherlands.
Snežana Golubović (ed.), LIMES XXIIII Proceedings of the 24 th International Congress of Roman Frontier Studies 2nd − 9th September 2018 Viminacium − Belgrade, Serbia, Belgade 2023, pp. 713-730., 2024
The article shows the striking difference in the frequency of depictions of symbols of pagan gods... more The article shows the striking difference in the frequency of depictions of symbols of pagan gods as protective signs on militaria of the 1st-3rd century AD and the depictions of Christian symbols on militaria of the 4th and 5th centuries AD. The historical sources prove that Christians already formed a strong minority in the 3rd century AD and were also represented in the army and administration of the Empire up to the highest ranks. After Constantine's conversion, more and more soldiers became Christians in the 4th and 5th centuries, which is why one would have expected the use of Christian protective insignia on the equipment of these soldiers. But it seems that the Christogram, while of course being a Christian symbol, was used to signal loyalty to the Emperor and therefore did not have only Christian connotations.
Rivers and Waterways in the Roman World. Empire of Water, 2023
The chapter presents an introduction to Roman finds from waterways in the Netherlands. These fall... more The chapter presents an introduction to Roman finds from waterways in the Netherlands. These fall into four main categories: finds from watery dumps near settlements, finds from river crossings, finds from settlements and cemeteries washed away by the changing courses of the river, and finds from the riverbeds themselves.
Each of the categories is illustrated with several examples, mostly from recent excavations. The common denominator of river finds in the Netherlands is the astonishing number and quality of the finds, which pose several interesting challenges.
P. Reinard & C. Rollinger (eds.) Cum magna fide? Vertrauen und die antike Wirtschaft / Trust and the Ancient Economy., 2023
Trust can be described as ‘assumption on the future behaviour of a person’ and may be gained in v... more Trust can be described as ‘assumption on the future behaviour of a person’ and may be gained in various explicit and implicit manners. Among the implicit manners, the trust signalling connected to the cultural signals of dress, accoutrements and manners is one that is generally difficult to determine. Unsurprisingly, these signals are even harder to find and understand when looking at a culture in the past, even one that was as intensely preoccupied with dress and manners as the Roman culture. This is connected to both the almost unconscious grasp con-temporaries had on these signals and because of their extreme variability, as they changed with fashion, social group and origin. While the actual manners or dress thus varied with each social group, the role of objects and manners in projecting statements on the rank and character of a person was the same. In this chapter, I would like to present two ‘systems’ of ‘social assurances’ that could further trust between (future) business partners.
Markt, Märkte und Marktgebäude in der antiken Welt, 2022
My paper uses well-excavated and published examples to give an overview of the architectural mode... more My paper uses well-excavated and published examples to give an overview of the architectural models for markets and shops that dominated the Northwestern provinces of the Roman Empire.
: The Production of Military Equipment – Fabricae, Private Production and More: Panel 9.1, Heidelberg: Propylaeum, 2021 (Archaeology and Economy in the Ancient World: Proceedings of the 19th International Congress of Classical Archaeology, Cologne/Bonn 2018, Band 48), 2021
When looking into the production of military equipment, we have to consider the size of the army ... more When looking into the production of military equipment, we have to consider the size of the army and the variability of the territories it was spread out on – both in terms of the development of surplus production and the availability of craftsmen. In addition, the development that must have taken place over the four hundred years between Augustus’ reforms that turn the legions into professional standing armies and Late Antiquity has to be taken into account.
A final consideration is the difference in the products: The production of a shield is much different from that of a sword belt and that again differs from the production of a sword. The result of these considerations is the realization that there could not have been one model, one system or one ‘grand plan’. Production probably varied according to both need and possibilities.
In my paper, I would like to give an overview of what we know about the production of different kinds of Roman military equipment, both on the level of the individual fort or fortress as well as the underlying systems of supply.
The purpose of this session is to collect what we do know and work towards terra incongnita from there. We thus invite papers that present productions sites or production systems for military equipment from all over the Roman Empire.
Journal of Roman Military Equipment Studies 21, 2020
The paper will be added in 2023.
The Waal near Nijmegen has long been known to be a treasure tro... more The paper will be added in 2023.
The Waal near Nijmegen has long been known to be a treasure trove of Roman military equipment, with helmets and swords being found in high numbers. While these finds may be connected to the pre-Roman tradition of ritually deposing militaria in water, some pieces may also have been lost during a crossing to the other side or were thrown away as rubbish.
The paper presents an overview of the finds and discusses the reasons these pieces were found in water, comparing them both structurally (which items) and by geographic distribution to similar findspots such as the Rhine near Xanten or Mainz or the finds at Piercebridge in Northern England.
T. Ivleva, R. Collins, Un-Roman Sex: Gender, Sexuality, and Lovemaking in the Roman Provinces and Frontiers , 2020
This chapter investigates the depiction of female genitalia in Roman society both in the Mediterr... more This chapter investigates the depiction of female genitalia in Roman society both in the Mediterranean and the north-west provinces. It begins by outlining a number of basic premises shaping the investigation and an explanation of the central hypothesis, namely that the faithful depiction of female genitalia was a taboo in Graeco-Roman society. This is followed by two parts examining and comparing the depictions of female genitalia, first, on women in Mediterranean culture and, second, the north-western provinces. In a third part, “disembodied” symbolical depictions of female genitals and their possible use as apotropaia are discussed for both the Mediterranean culture and the north-western provinces.
Journal of Roman Military Equipment Studies
This paper investigates the decorations imbued with an apotropaic protectional quality used on th... more This paper investigates the decorations imbued with an apotropaic protectional quality used on the harnass of Roman horses by first examining the depictions of horses to
see which amulets appear and where they are worn, before
looking at the archaeological finds of amulets themselves. These can be grouped according to their connection with sexuality (male/female/neutral).
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Authored Books by Stefanie Hoss
Edited Books by Stefanie Hoss
http://www.oxbowbooks.com/oxbow/small-finds-and-ancient-social-practices-in-the-northwest-provinces-of-the-roman-empire.html
Papers by Stefanie Hoss
Each of the categories is illustrated with several examples, mostly from recent excavations. The common denominator of river finds in the Netherlands is the astonishing number and quality of the finds, which pose several interesting challenges.
A final consideration is the difference in the products: The production of a shield is much different from that of a sword belt and that again differs from the production of a sword. The result of these considerations is the realization that there could not have been one model, one system or one ‘grand plan’. Production probably varied according to both need and possibilities.
In my paper, I would like to give an overview of what we know about the production of different kinds of Roman military equipment, both on the level of the individual fort or fortress as well as the underlying systems of supply.
The purpose of this session is to collect what we do know and work towards terra incongnita from there. We thus invite papers that present productions sites or production systems for military equipment from all over the Roman Empire.
The Waal near Nijmegen has long been known to be a treasure trove of Roman military equipment, with helmets and swords being found in high numbers. While these finds may be connected to the pre-Roman tradition of ritually deposing militaria in water, some pieces may also have been lost during a crossing to the other side or were thrown away as rubbish.
The paper presents an overview of the finds and discusses the reasons these pieces were found in water, comparing them both structurally (which items) and by geographic distribution to similar findspots such as the Rhine near Xanten or Mainz or the finds at Piercebridge in Northern England.
see which amulets appear and where they are worn, before
looking at the archaeological finds of amulets themselves. These can be grouped according to their connection with sexuality (male/female/neutral).
http://www.oxbowbooks.com/oxbow/small-finds-and-ancient-social-practices-in-the-northwest-provinces-of-the-roman-empire.html
Each of the categories is illustrated with several examples, mostly from recent excavations. The common denominator of river finds in the Netherlands is the astonishing number and quality of the finds, which pose several interesting challenges.
A final consideration is the difference in the products: The production of a shield is much different from that of a sword belt and that again differs from the production of a sword. The result of these considerations is the realization that there could not have been one model, one system or one ‘grand plan’. Production probably varied according to both need and possibilities.
In my paper, I would like to give an overview of what we know about the production of different kinds of Roman military equipment, both on the level of the individual fort or fortress as well as the underlying systems of supply.
The purpose of this session is to collect what we do know and work towards terra incongnita from there. We thus invite papers that present productions sites or production systems for military equipment from all over the Roman Empire.
The Waal near Nijmegen has long been known to be a treasure trove of Roman military equipment, with helmets and swords being found in high numbers. While these finds may be connected to the pre-Roman tradition of ritually deposing militaria in water, some pieces may also have been lost during a crossing to the other side or were thrown away as rubbish.
The paper presents an overview of the finds and discusses the reasons these pieces were found in water, comparing them both structurally (which items) and by geographic distribution to similar findspots such as the Rhine near Xanten or Mainz or the finds at Piercebridge in Northern England.
see which amulets appear and where they are worn, before
looking at the archaeological finds of amulets themselves. These can be grouped according to their connection with sexuality (male/female/neutral).
L'article résume brièvement l'évolution de la recherche concernant le mobilier découvert dans les thermes des provinces nord occidentales de l'empire romain et explique les difficultés qui résultent de stratigraphies et taphonomies souvent complexes.
Schlüsselwörter: Römische Periode, Thermen und Bäder, Kleinfunde, soziale Bedeutung, Stratigraphie, Taphonomie, medizinische Instrumente.
in two case studies based on metal finds, with the main focus on fibulae. In the first case, the metal finds from the 2002-2004
excavation of the ditches of the fort at Woerden (Netherlands) are analyzed to determine if they originally came from the fort
or the vicus. By dividing the finds into artefacts typical for soldiers and artefacts typical for women and children, the conclusion
could be drawn that the finds in the ditches had indeed come from the fort.
In the second example, the different preferences in fibulae of legionaries and auxiliaries in Germania Inferior are examined with
the help of the fibulae collections of the legionary and auxiliary forts on the Lower Rhine. While the Aucissafibula is defined as
typical for legionaries, the Almgren 19, 22, and Augenfibula are defined as typical for Germanic auxiliaries. In theory, the relation
of Aucissafibulae to the other three types in these forts should correspond to their being either of legionary or auxiliary forts.
As usual, the real finds prove to be somewhat more inconsistent.
This article is about the medieval to early modern metal finds from Hulst 's‐Gravenhofplein and Vismarkt. Most notable are a number of medieval horse harnesses, some of which were used for pulling wagons. On the other hand there are some parts of arms and armour, pilgrim's badges, coins and tokens, as well as jewellery from the viking times to about 1800. Attached is also the catalogue of all metal finds, selected for determination.
D. Hagens, RAPPORT. Archeologische begeleiding en proefsleuven met doorstart naar een opgraving met beperking aan de Varkensmarkt te Roermond (Roermond 2019) And: Gerald Volker Grimm / Stefanie Hoss, ibid.: Bijlage 22 Catalogus klein vondstmateriaal en metaal / Bijlage 23 Spoordatering aan de hand van klein vondstmateriaal en metaal
The finds are mainly late medieval and early post-medieval, with a high concentration of finds from the late 16th to the early 17th century.
Among the numerous finds of dress asseccoires, two metal wire supports of ruff collars are especially important for the histroy of dress.
Remarkable is the high number and good preservation of the militaria: helmets, armour, swords, and even war scythes and a small war hammer. These are remains from the various battles fought in and around Hulst in the late middle ages and during the 80 years war.
The finds are mainly late medieval and early post-medieval, with a high concentration of finds from the late 16th to the early 17th century.
Among the numerous finds of dress asseccoires, two metal wire supports of ruff collars are especially important for the histroy of dress.
Remarkable is the high number and good preservation of the militaria: helmets, armour, swords, and even war scythes and a small war hammer. These are remains from the various battles fought in and around Hulst in the late middle ages and during the 80 years war.
The Lower German Limes extended from the Vinxtbach near Bad Breisig (Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany) to the North Sea coast near Katwijk (Netherlands). It was a „wet“ Limes, as along the entire stretch, the Rhine formed the border between the Roman Empire and the Germanic Barbaricum to the east or north.
Archaeological excavations over the past 150 years have contributed to a unique wealth of archaeological finds. In the moist soil along the Rhine many finds made from organic materials such as wood and leather have survived. This selection of the top 100 finds gives an insight into the eventful, more than 400 years history of life on the Lower German Limes. Today they belong to the collections of the museums in Leiden, Nijmwegen, Utrecht, Xanten, Krefeld, Neuss, Cologne and Bonn.
Full PDF in open access here: https://erfgoed.utrecht.nl/publicaties/onderzoeksrapporten-archeologie/van-onbekende-herkomst/