Mária T. Biró: The Bone Objects of the Roman Collection. (Catalogi Musei Nationalis Hungarici. Seria Archeologica 2; Budapest, 1994)

III. JEWELLERY - 4. Necklace ornaments, pendants (crtpundia)

4. Necklace ornaments, pendants (crepundia) In Greek and Roman wear there were several accessories like straps and ribbons on which bone carvings attached could be effective. That is, these ribbons decorated with bone plates were not only worn around the neck but they were in different Fig. 7. Crepundia — ways bound across the strap ornaments upper part of the dress It can be seen on ancient representations that the straps bound the thin cloth across the chest or transversely; or decorated the naked trunk (Fig. 7.). The bone plates to be strung on straps can be determined on the basis of perforations or marks of wear. Bone plates fastened with rivets cannot be distinguished from those employed on straps, belts or casket mounts of similar type. When beginning my research the find unit unearthed in Tác in the area sacra was a happy coincidence.

67 The necklace consisted of three perforated animal teeth, of a plate with serpent head shape and one shield-shaped plate decorated with concentric circles. Both the shield-shaped ornament and the square shaped carving are typical products of provincial bone processing industry. The shield shape was also known from among the finds of the vicus in Tác settlement. Both carvings were coming from the earliest layers of the settlement. The bores of the ornament found in the area of the vicus were open toward both outer ends of the oval; lacking the traces of rivets, their fastening can be imagined only on a thick strap. The same shield form (No. 95.) is known in the Collection of the Hungarian National Museum from Szőny and another from Óbuda in the Budapest Historical Museum.

68 Squareshaped bone lamellae are even more frequent (Nos. 96., 97.) than the former type. The Hungarian National Museum has a lamellae of such type from Szőny, respectively Veczel (Hunyad County, today in Rumania) with dot circle motif and with its perforations made suitable for hanging. The bores suitable for hanging should be noted because varieties of this same type with rivets were made for casket mounts. Of the necklace ornaments to be found in Collection the bone casket mount from Nagytétény with the fan or shell shape is a unique piece. (No. 98.) The majority of necklace ornaments in strikingly unified; bone lamellae with the same size, shape and decoration survived in different settlements (Szőny, Tác, Óbuda) of the province. Bone lamellae make up a group that can be compared to the belt-mounts of the Avar Age. The questions should be raised: who may have worn these bone ornaments strung on strap? According to antique representations and archaeological finds the monile or the phalera were fastened on strap (and could be decorated either by bone or by metal ornaments). The phalera preserved in the British Museum has also shield-shaped ornaments, however, both phalera and monile consist of a strict succession of similar motifs. While all the links of the necklace type assumed by me are different (tooth, shield, square, animal head, etc.). There are representations of crepundia to be seen on antique child's statues which entirely correspond to this reconstruction. Crepundia is a jewel consisting of a strap or ribbon with different figures hanged on it without order or symmetry. Its best known contemporary representation survived on one of the infant's statues of Louvre. There is a ribbon across the chest of the child transversely and there are small ornaments, toys, tools and amulets hanged on it. Such a necklace was on the statue of the infant Bacchus on one of the mirrors of the Naples Museum; and another is worn by infant Eros on one of the vase paintings in British Museum.

69 The most beautiful such necklace has come to light from Hungary from the Migration Period, the necklace from Szilágysomlyó.

70 The mediaeval survival of this custom is proved by the existence of bone lamellae among the finds of mediaeval excavations.

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