Römische Bleibarren

Mit Beiträgen von Christian Bergen, Christoph Grünewald, Daniel Bérenger, Rudolf Aßkamp, Bernhard Rudnick, Norbert Hanel, Peter Rothenhöfer, Martin Straßburger, Kerstin Batzel, Walter Melzer, Ingo Pfeffer, Michael Bode, Andreas Hauptmann, KLaus Mezger, Susanne Jülich, Henriette Brink-Kloke, Wolfgang Ebel-Zepezauer, Christoph Reichmann, Peter Ilisch, Jonathan Scheschkewitz.

A Roman lead ingot with the mould mark metallo
Messallini provides highly interesting insight into the
economic side of power politics pursued by the first
Roman emperor Augustus. The proprietor of the mine,
Messallinus, can be identified with Marcus Valerius
Messalla Messallinus, consul in 3 BC and governor
of Illyricum in AD 6. At the beginning of the Illyrian
revolt in AD 6 he achieved important victories over
the insurgent tribes. The mines were likely a gift from
Augustus (who owned mines in that region) to Messallinus
for his deeds. The shape of the panel and the
inscription on the ingot as well as lead isotope analysis
suggest an origin in the ore regions of Serbia and
the Kosovo. According to the isotope comparison, the
mines were located in the district of today’s Novo Brdo
in eastern Kosovo.