Budapest Régiségei 39. (2005)

Szilágyi Magdolna: Bullák és amulettkapszulák az Aquincumi Múzeum gyűjteményében = Bullae and tubular amulet capsules in the collections of the Aquincum Museum 151-171

BULLÁK ÉS AMULETTKAPSZULÁK AZ AQUINCUMI MÚZEUM GYŰJTEMÉNYÉBEN BULLAE AND TUBULAR AMULET CAPSULES IN THE COLLECTIONS OF THE AQUINCUM MUSEUM Seventeen Transdanubian Roman sites have to date yielded amulet capsules with globular or tubular forms. Apart from Intercisa, these amulet capsules have not yet been discussed as a group of artefacts. In my paper I analysed the amulet capsules in the collection of the Museum of Aquincum. In addition, I catalogued nearly one hundred Pannonian amulet capsules of both forms and referred to them as comparative material for the items of Aquincum provenance. The characteristics and use of Pannonian amulet capsules may be summarised as follows. The wearing of globular amulet capsules (bullae) in Pannónia dates between the AD 2

nd and 4

th centuries. Most of them were undecorated bronze lockets of 1.5-2.5 cm diameter, which enclosed pieces of textile and/or remains of plants. The tubular amulet capsules were used in Roman Pannónia from the 3

rd century onwards, and as opposed to the bullae, they were almost exclusively made of gold or silver. While bullae had been brought to Pannónia by the Romans, tubular amulet capsules seem to have been of eastern origin. In contrast to bullae, tubular capsules in Aquincum are always found together with gold gravegoods, which indicates that they were worn by more affluent people. In spite of the numerous differences, both globular and tubular capsules were used in the same way in Pannónia: they were worn as containers of charms by women and children to ward off misfortune and disease. 161