Budapest Régiségei 19. (1959)

ANYAGKÖZLÉSEK - Szentléleky Tihamér: Aquincumi mécskészítő műhelyek 167-203

T. SZENTLÉLE KY LAMP-MAKING WORKSHOPS IN AQUINCUM The Museum of Aquincum is preserving a rich material of lamps of the Roman age. Out of the three hundred and three pieces whose provenance could be established, two hundred and forty turned up in producing workshops. One hundred and thirty pieces of the workshops' material are negative moulds. Bálint Kuzsinszky, in his work : "The Roman pottery plant in Aquincum near the gas-works" and Lajos Nagy, in the reports about his excavations, have published the material in part. The groups of objects found in the various workshops allowed to follow the ways and changes of lamp-making in Aquincum through a period of two centuries. The lucernes originating from "Pottery plant near Kiscelli utca No. 77—79", from "Pottery plant near the Military Supply Depot", from the "Material turned up from the Danube near the gas-works" from the "Roman pottery plant opened up in the region of the Macellum" and from the "Workshop excavated in the site of lodgings for workmen of the gas-works" show an even development, discontinued only concerning the last workshop. As to the marking of the types, the respective numbers figuring in the work: "Lamps of Pannónia" by Dóra Iványi are mentioned. I The series of lamp-manufacturing workshops begins with the pottery plant of No 77—79. Kiscelli utca. Military troops, arriving in the course of the first century, have brought their lamps with themselves and it was only later that the need was felt to supply lamps of local make instead of imported wares. The local production was more profitable for tradespeople because in this way they were able to put their wares at a cheaper price to the market. Their raw-materials : wood, clay and water were available on the spot, in Aquincum. The craftsmen following the legions provide the workmen for this indus- try. In the lamp-material of this workshop a ne gative form in the shape of a gladiator's helmet and a round-shaped positive lamp-model are taking an eminent place. The helmet-shaped mould for lamps is no local product, in Italy and in the western provinces of the empire this kind was known also before. Analogous to this one is a specimen from Mainz, bearing the C DESSI firm-mark. Its engraved ornaments imitate the technique of the decorations on metallic helmets of gladiators. Behrens in comparison with imitated helmets—of more closed forms — of gladiators considers the helmets with more open visors a northern characteristic, originating from Germania. The Niessen collection in Cologne is keeping a lamp entirely like the negative mould of Aquincum (No. 2147). The helmet has been put above a discus bearing the firm-mark FORTIS. Besides its outer form, the tendrillar ornaments on the rim of the helmet and its sigillata-like dark-red clay material correspond to our negative form. It is possible to suppose a relation between the production of lamp in Aquincum, beginning in the course of the early years of the 2nd century of our era and that of the military colonies in Germany at the end of the 1st century. The marked tegulae found are indicative in respect of the period during which the workshop was in action. There can be found the marks of the Und Adiutrix and of the Und Gemina legions which have presumably been stationing together in the Aquincum area from 103 to 107 or took over each other's places, respectively. The said workshop belonged presumably to the Und Adiutrix legion since on the rims of the shedding-basins, found in the same place, the mark of the Und Adiutrix legion may be read. The workshop is following its activity even at the time when the Xth Gemina had already left Aquincum. The round-shaped lampmodel mentioned above is a local product, as proved also by the clay used thereto. Three simple lamps of dimensions have turned up at this site. The simple form and the small handles refer to an influence from Germania. The use of the handles is known, prior to the 2nd century also in the material from southern Greece. Still one can not presume an influence originating from Greece, since the handles were in fashion there during the Hellenistic period, and in the early years of the 1st and 2nd centuries of our era, at the time of the activity of the workshop in Kiscelli utca, the use of handles is discontinud and returns only in the second half of the 2nd century, in the form of greater, foliate handles. II On the occasion of the excavations in 1919, two small kilns and a well were discovered near the military supply store. In this workshop lamps and also other ceramic products had been manufactured. The period of its activity may be assigned to the age of Trajan and Hadrian. Seventeen of our lamps come from 199