Marisia - Maros Megyei Múzeum Évkönyve 31/1. (2011)
Articles
The Funerary Stelae from Porolissum. Typological, Iconographical and Epigraphic Aspects 191 The epigraphic record will be included in the discussion, focusing on specific elements which can offer information regarding social or ethnic identity. The three main components of our approach, the typology, the iconography, and the epigraphy will be correlated in order to explore the possibility of detecting patterns in the customs of commemoration at Porolissum. The typology4 Due to the general poor state of preservation, only 12 pieces out of the 42 discovered at Porolissum, can be integrated into a typological system (no. 1-12; Fig. I).5 Further 20 pieces were classified on the basis of their preserved decorative features, due to the necessity of identifying the stylistic preferences of the stone carving centre and possibly of the population of Porolissum (no. 13-32). This second classification was entitled ‘relative typology’. The third category within the monuments discussed, comprises 10 fragments, which due to their extremely poor state of preservation could not be integrated in our typology (no. 33-42). d e f Fig. 1. The typology of the funerary stelae from Porolissum. The typology implemented in our survey follows the system composed of two levels of classification: a structural level, consisting of: 1) architectural, 2) profiled, and 3) undecorated types, and a morphological level, defined by the combination of mostly architectural decorative elements principally characteristic to the monument. For Roman Dacia, the system is best illustrated through the work of C. Ciongradi (for a detailed description, see: Ciongradi 2004,167-169, fig. 6.3; Ciongradi 2007, 41-59, Taf. 6-8; Ciongradi 2009, 28-32, Taf. 3-4). It is important to note that, for Dacia Porolissensis, a typology of the stelae such as the one described above is yet to be completed. The classifications carried out hitherto with regard to the entire Roman Dacia (Florescu 1930; Teposu-Marinescu 1982; Bianchi 1985), in our opinion need to be reconsidered.
