The Ackland’s lion-footed bronze cauldron leg is one of three such pieces that would have originally supported a large cauldron. The bronze leg, which is dated to the first century C.E., has aged well. Over the centuries, a blackish layer … Read more

Small in stature but big in meaning, the tarnished bronze female figurine stands tall, extending her arms out as if presenting an offering to whoever may gaze upon her. This statuette of Juno Regina was likely used in household worship … Read more

The value of funerary inscriptions cannot be overstated, as these texts provide information about the individuals who set up these monuments and were commemorated by them. Being a critical part of the study of the Roman world, inscriptions help us … Read more

The Ackland’s bust of the goddess Minerva (Athena) was crafted from terracotta. Traces of white on the bust’s outer and inner surfaces indicate that it was covered with a white slip, suggesting that it was likely mold-made. The humble material … Read more

This silver coin, a denarius struck between 79 and 81 C.E., features a portrait of the emperor Titus Caesar Vespasianus Augustus on one side and the Roman goddess Annona on the other. Titus became emperor in 79 C.E. after his … Read more

Glass vessels were made in virtually all parts of the Roman Empire. Carinated cups, or sack-shaped beakers such as the one in the Ackland Art Museum were primarily manufactured in Cyprus in the first century CE, but were also found … Read more

Transcription: D.M STACHYS AVG CAESARISN SYMPHORO LVCIO VALERI AMICO OPTIMO BENE MERENTI FECIT Latin: Dis manibus Stachys Aug. Caesaris n[ostri] Symphoro Lucio Valeri amico optimo bene merenti fecit. English: To the gods of the dead, Stachys, slave of our Caesar … Read more

The Amber-Colored Two-Headed Flask is fully preserved, a rarity for glass vessels from the Roman imperial period. It is intact with white encrustation and signs of milky weathering. It is made of mold-blown, amber glass. The glass would have been … Read more