Siscia

Among the many finds discovered in the harbour of Sisak during the dredgings undertaken in the early 20th century, several pronged spears, evidently fisherman implements, were also found. One of those finds, however, shows some notable differences. The lack of barbs on the prongs and its general appearance, strongly reminiscent of tridents’ depictions used by retiarii, could imply that this artefact was never meant to be used to catch fishes. It would rather appear that it was a gladiatorial weapon according to analogies depicted on Roman mosaics, reliefs, graffiti, pottery and glass vessels.

The Roman macellum, became over the years part of the imperial propaganda, shares the same development of its hosting cities: in fact, it could appear only in centers with the rank of municipium, of colonia or of civitates capitales (i.e. in Britannia and in the Asturias). The result is that the macellum not only is built in contexts representing a certain degree of urbanization, a certain level of economic development, a well-connected geographical position and a sufficient number of inhabitants, but sure also in possession of specific administrative determinants. In addition, a fair number of macella are built under Hadrian and more than half of them following a personal visit of the Emperor or the acquisition of a new civic status during his reign. This means that the macellum was sanctioned instrumental symbol of Romanization from the 2nd century AD.

The paper gives an overview of the Late Iron Age and early Imperial
settlement phases at the Dunavski Lloyd and Frankopanska
b.b. positions in Sisak. Both are positioned on the left
bank of the Kupa river in Sisak, and the findings give us an insight
into the material culture of the Late La Tène settlement
and the beginnings of the early Roman imperial settlement.

As a result of recent excavations and geophysical magnetic prospecting at the Sisak-Pogorelac position, conducted in the period between 2012 and 2017, important new insights into the history of the Iron Age and Roman settlement in present-day Sisak can be gained. It features a complex diachronic settlement activity with buildings with different orientations and layouts. Burial activity from the Late Roman period has also been detected at the site. The synthesis of trenching and prospection has given us a picture of utilization of the north-eastern part of the Pogorelac ‘peninsula’ from the period of the Early and Late Iron Age (8th(?)/6th–1st century BC) and also the Roman period. In the northwestern part of the area researched, the Iron Age settlement is partially superimposed with the remains of a 2nd–3rd century Roman layer with remains of wooden architecture and a Late Roman cemetery, dated to a period from the end of the 3rd century AD to the first half of the 5th. Furthermore, in the central part of the area surveyed, a building activity with strip houses from the Roman period is possible, while in the southern part a scattered settlement can be recognized. Due to a lack of excavation, exact dates for the strip houses in the central area and the scattered structures in the south for now remain unknown.

The idea behind this paper is to use local archival data in order to solve some topographical issues raised by ancient sources. This potentially
useful archival data consists chiefly of maps, plans and cadastral records which could offer reasonably accurate information
about the topography of protohistoric Segestica and Roman Siscia. Since modern Sisak’s topography happens to be deeply rooted in
the town’s history, as witnessed by local toponyms of which many can be followed for centuries, we assume that plans and maps of
Siscia from the 18th, 19th and early 20th century, while certainly not giving unambiguous answers, may provide at least some clues
to the better understanding of Octavian’s siege of Segestica and the subsequently built Roman fortifications.

The original Roman religion, which was abstractly anthropomorphic,
through the centuries transformed itself into a large pantheon that mediated
among the numerous Mediterranean beliefs and cults. The Roman religion
was family-based and local, and because of the very conception that Romans had
about society, it soon evolved into a political religion. Rome, as Cicero emphasized,
"had the habit of accepting people under its patronage and in this lay the
strength of its Empire". However, it also accepted into its pantheon the deities of
other peoples, Romanizing them or worshipping them according to their original
cult. The Roman religion only opposed those religions and beliefs that could disturb
the previously established religious-political balance, which had factually
and legally become the state religion1. In such a context, the distrust and antipathy
towards Eastern religions is understandable. It should particularly be emphasized
that of the many religions that were worshipped by ancient peoples, none
was as lacking in ethical elements and spiritual content as that of Rome. Abstract
and inaccessible in its official form, the Roman religion in fact existed solely in the
countryside, while Rome itself lived with the cult of the deities of the closets
nations that created it: the gods of the family and fields.

Članak obrađuje čamce monoksile pronađene u Kupi u Sisku 1983. i 1992. godine. Datirani su od kraja starijeg željeznog doba do početka rimske vladavine na prostoru Siska. U radu se daje njihov opis, pokušava se odrediti njihova namjena i smjestiti u njihov kulturni kontekst. / The paper examines the logboats found in the Kupa river in Sisak in 1983 and 1992. The boats date back to the period from the end of the late Iron Age to the beginning of the Roman rule over this territory.

This paper discusses the thin-walled pottery from the site
Sv. Kvirin (Saint Quirinus) , found during the 2003 rescue
excavation in sectors A and B, stratigraphic unit SU 11, i.
e. the layer formed after the destruction of the first phase
of construction of the Roman Siscia. The published thinwalled
pottery from the area of ancient Siscia has been
examined and statistically analyzed. 100 fragments have
been examined from the site Sv. Kvirin. The analyzed thinwalled pottery varies according to the clay body texture,
production technique, shape and decoration method. 11
different structural compounds have been singled out and
labeled Sisc.kts.1–11. According to the decoration techniques, the pottery was divided into smooth-surface ware, ware with incised decoration, indentation and appliqués. Compared to the rest of the material from this layer, as well as the stratigraphy, it can be concluded that the material dates to the late Tiberian - Claudian period.

In 1912, during the dredging works of the river Kupa (in Sisak, today Croatia) a curse tablet was found by workers. Its text was published several times which showed differences in certain sections. On one hand it was due to the poor legibility of the text. On the other hand the reason of the discrepancies is that only some of the researchers could examine the tablet personally, the rest of them applied photographs or previous editors' sketches which they interpreted in their own way. Because of the divergent readings, even establishing the correct text order of the outer and the inner side of the tablet has given rise to much controversy. Despite these problems, the text of this curse tablet has become a standing exemplar of vulgar Latin features on the course of the past 100 years, handbooks and publications on the Latin of imperial times refer its well-known "mistakes". For obvious reasons, a new autopsy could not be delayed any longer. This paper aims to present a revised and interpreted reading of the Latin curse tablet from Siscia based on a recent autopsy.

While almost all lead tags from Siscia share identical morphological characteristics and while most of their inscriptions correspond to defined patterns with some variations, there are exceptions and oddities such as the tag presented in this paper. Despite uncertainties as far as reading is concerned – the surface of the tag is badly scratched – the inscription clearly does not have a commercial character since there is no price, nor any abbreviations usually recorded on those tags, referring to dimensions, weights, dyes, garments, wool or any other trade items or service available in the textile craft. It must have been a personal note addressed to a person the author of the message seemingly urged to meet. Did somebody use the opportunity to slip a message to his sweetheart while meeting each other in a fullonica or a tinctoria?

The cult of Jupiter Heliopolitanus spread from ancient Heliopolis, modern day Baalbek in Lebanon, to the western provinces of the Roman Empire in the first half of the 2nd century. The cult image of the god is known only from the Roman Imperial period, for there are no depictions dating to the period before the first half of the 1st century B. C. Siscia is known to have been popular with “Orientals”, and many found their new home in this Pannonian transportation and trade hub. Evidence of the cults of Mithra, Cybele, Attis, Isis, Serapis, Jupiter Amon and the Thracian horseman have all been found here in both epigraphic sources and archaeological materials. One monument, the altar of the beneficiarius consularis Lucius Virilius Pupus, testifies to the cult of Jupiter Heliopolitanus in Siscia. At the end of the votive inscription, the dedicant specified that pigs are not to be sacrificed on this altar. Such a formula is unique when it comes to epigraphic sources. This altar is the only known monument from the Roman Imperial period on which we find a ban on sacrificing pigs. It is also the only monument that provides certain information about the practices of the cult of Jupiter Heliopolitanus. The prohibition against pigs and pig taboos are well known to have been widespread among the people of “Oriental” origin at that time. Pigs were considered impure, both literally and symbolically. Since we know very little about the rituals and cult practices of the Heliopolitan cult, this information raises the question of whether this “Oriental” tradition was an official cult policy. If it was, what would it mean in terms of determining the “oriental” in “oriental” cults? Was the cult of Jupiter Heliopolitanus more “Roman” in nature? This paper aims to contribute to solving the problem of continuity of “Oriental” cults and reinterpreting the process of Romanization of deities of “Oriental” origin.

Within the archaeological collection of the Sisak City Museum there is a small group of nine engraved gems found at Sisak (ancient Siscia), which have not been previously published. There is not much preserved data about them, apart from that they are stray finds from the Sisak area. Only one intaglio has the additional information about being found in the river Kupa, which flows through Sisak. Iconographic repertoire, according to which the engraved gems are analysed in this paper, is diverse and includes figural representations, the motifs of animals, a group of symbols, as well as an inscription.
Given that the Roman gems from Sisak, mainly for the lack of publication, are so far a little-known category of ancient findings from the Roman Siscia, a collection of Roman intaglios from the Sisak City Museum is an important contribution to the further study of iconographic, stylistic and technical characteristics of the glyptic of Siscia.

The subject of the dissertation Thesis is Roman golden jewellery in the area of Pannonia Superior. The main purpose of the scientific research was building of catalogue of known jewels, interpretation of its wider context and contribution to the better understanding of jewellery in the mentioned area.
This text is concerning the history of archaeological research, character of gold and other materials used for jewellery and used techniques. The main methodical progress was based on mutual comparison of the jewels and confrontation with chosen jewel typologies. More than 500 specimens are divided according to the way of wearing to head-, neck- and hand decoration, with extra consideration on pendants and needles/pins. Thesis does not handle with objects indentified purely as dress decorations . Final text includes general evaluation, specialists vocabulary, abbreviations. In part II of the Thesis is text of the catalogue and part III includes images of the jewels, maps, charts and other images.

Thesis was successfully completed in 2013

Si presenta una nuova proposta di scioglimento di alcune fra le etichette in piombo rinvenute nel fiume Kupa a Sisak (Siscia, Pannonia). In particolare oggetto del contributo sono le etichette contraddistinte nel titulus dalla presenza di MVC, MVCI e MVCCI (gruppo 22).

The aim of this paper is to offer a new proposal for the resolution of some of lead tags found in the river Kupa in Sisak (Siscia, Pannonia). In particular, this paper deals with the lead tags bearing MVC MVCI and MVCCI in the titulus (group 22).

The work will give an brief overview of the pannonische Glanztonware found in Sisak, Roman Siscia. The majority of pieces in question was collecetd during the numerous rescue excavations conducted in the city in the last three decades, but was not extensivelly researched and published, and the pieces were often mistaken for the local imitations of terra sigillata and counted as such. In this overview we will present selected pieces of PGW in our collection, their frequency and provenance.

The Sava River in antiquity was not a river that divided, rather, it made connections. It was used in various ways: as a waterway and as a guidepost – a link between the Eastern and Western parts of the Roman Empire. Sources that have a spiritual characteristic provide an insight into the Roman pagan way of life in Late Antiquity and into the beginnings of Christianity of that area. The Sava River was above all worshipped as a personification of divinity by the inhabitants of the Late Antiquity and only secondarily as a means essential for human existence. Various findings of altars mentioning the god Savus (alone or combined with other divinities) show images of pagan cults. Although sources of spiritual culture do not indicate it directly, the inhabitants of the surrounding area used the Sava River for shipping, they crossed it by ferries and bridges, and there were docks alongside it. Everyday objects found in the stream bed portray the everyday life at the river. The Sava River was a gathering place for the production of useful objects, for handicrafts, trade and rituals or simply a place to socialize. Object with cult purposes thrown into the river (sacrifices to the divinity, inscriptions with pleas and expressions of gratitude to divinities) provide evidence of the Sava River as a place for the purification of body and soul.
Abundant material sources denote a change in the attitude to the Sava River with the appearance of Christianity. The pagan inhabitants had more familiar, subjective attitude to the river, while in Late Antiquity, dominated by Christianity, it became more general and objective.