Marisia - Maros Megyei Múzeum Évkönyve 30/1. (2010)

Articles

Women in a Man’s World? Female Related Artefacts from the Camps of Dacia

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Combs (Pi. 3/22) made of bone or other materials are very rare finds not only in camps but in the whole province. The fashion of combs appears mostly in the 4th century AD.37 This could be probably the explanation of their lack in Dacia. The only published and known bone comb from Dacia was recovered from the fort of Gherla.38 The semicircular comb decorated with incised dot-circle motif is very untypical for the Roman material culture; I did not find any analogy for this artefact for the 2nd and 3rd century AD in the Empire so far. It is not excluded that this object with unknown findspot was rather a spoil find from the surrounding area dated to a later period.

Fig. 2. Distribution pattern of artefacts.

The distribution pattern of the mentioned artefacts (Fig. 2) shows a striking inequality in representation. Necklaces and earrings are very rare founds in the military forts in Dacia, yet from nearly every fort at least one or two hairpins made of bone and bronze were recovered (Appendix). This could indicate that hairpins, especially those made of bone were cheap and very popular articles of hairdressing that could be easily replaced when lost. Various types of glass, ceramic or bronze beads are the second largest category. Their large quantity could also be misleading. As in the case of 12 glass beads39 found in the same spot in the fort from Buciumi shows, their large individual number, may relate to a few individual item.

Bajusz 1991, 95, nr. 79.7, pl. IX/7 (Porolissum); Chirilä et al. 1972, 92, nr. 7-8, 10, Taf. C/6-7, 9; Gudea-Bajusz 1991, 97, nr. 97.11, pi. XII/11 (Buciumi); Isac 1999, 764, nr. 61-62, Taf. IX/61-62 (Cä$eiu); Protase et al. 2008, 253, nr. 4-6, Taf. XLII/4-6; 258, nr. 4-6, Taf. LV/4-6 (Gherla); Isac-Gaiu 2008, 427, nr. 41, pi. 3/41; 428, nr. 42, pi. 3/42 (Ili$ua); Protase-Zrinyi 1994, 130, nr. 2, pl. LVIII/2 (Bräncovene?ti); Bondoc-Gudea 2009, 275, nr. 1095, pi. CLV/1095 (Räcari); Macrea et al. 1993, 108, nr. 9-11, pi. XXVI/9-11 (Praetorium). Decorated hairpins: Protase et al. 1972, 92, nr. 5, 9, pi. C/4, 8; 93, nr. 1-2, pi. CII/1-2; Gudea-Bajusz 1991, 99, nr. 124.1, pi. XVII/1 (Buciumi); Isac 1999, 763, nr. 49, Taf. VII1/49; 764, nr. 63, 68, Taf. X/63, 68 (Cä$eiu); Isac 1999, 764, nr. 59-60, Taf. IX/59-60, 764, nr. 64, 65, Taf. X/64, 65; 765, nr. 69, Taf. X/69 (Giläu); Protase et al. 2008, 253, nr. 1-3, Taf. XLII/1-3 (Gherla); Isac-Gaiu 2008, 426, nr. 29, pi. 2/29; 426, nr. 30-32, pi. 3/30-32; 427, nr. 36, pi. 3/36 (Ili?ua); Protase-Zrinyi 1994, pi. LIVa/7 (Brancovene§ti); Gudea 2008, 230, nr. 3, pl. LXXI/3 (Feldioara). Hairpins with pinecone: Gudea-Bajusz 1991, 101, nr. 140.4, pl. XIX,/4; 102, nr. 146-147 (Porolissum); Isac 1999, 764, nr. 67, Taf. X/67 (Giläu); Protase et al. 2008, 258, nr. 1, Taf. LV/1; 259, nr. 7, Taf. LV/7; 259, nr. 1, Taf. LVI/1 (Gherla); Gudea-Bajusz 1991, 101, 134.5, pl. XVIII/5 (Rä§nov). Hairpins with figurate head: Isac 1999, 763, nr. 45, Taf. VII/45 (Cä$eiu); Isac 1999, 762, nr. 43, Taf. VII/43 (Giläu); Bärbulescu 1997, Abb. 27/3 (Potaissa).

37 Bíró 1994, 13.

38 Protase et al. 2008, 259, nr. 9, Taf. LV/9.

39 Chirilä et al. 1972, 90, nr. 1-12, Taf. XCVII/1-12.