Budapest Régiségei 40. (2007)

TANULMÁNYOK - Facsády Annamária: Aquincumi fülbevalók = Earrings from Aquincum 51

AQUINCUMI FÜLBEVALÓK EARRINGS FROM AQUINCUM Being akin to facial ornaments, earrings are prominent jewellery items and display great variety. Being able to wear them may call for certain modifications of the earlobe. In Aquincum, the site of the present research, earrings were fastened by means of two substantially different methods: either by a closing ring with a hook at one end and a loop designed to fit into the hook on the other; or a hook in the shape of the letter "S" fixed to the rear side of the jewel. The closed ringed earrings could only put into bored-through earlobes, whereas the so-called "S-hooked" types were in all probability worn as clip-on earrings. Their wearing position could only be ascertained in the case of items having a pendant, since these determined the downward tilt and thus defined the right position of the earrings. The loop with the upward curve could easily fit into the hole in the ear whereas the downward curve embraced the lobe from down under. The typology of the Aquincum earrings was done according to their structure and overall appearance. Jewels of type I have closed rings and a simple design, and based on the accompanying finds, would probably have been placed in graves in the end of the 3

rd or beginning of the 4

th century. Type II also includes closed ringed items but their finish is more elaborate. Also fitted with closed rings, type III earrings were complemented with pendants. Blandly designed S-hooked specimens are found among type IV; they have half balls attached to them and were used in the 3

rd century. Type V specimens have a strapped mounting enclosing a bead. Type VI includes S-hooked, case-mounted, square or circular shaped jewels. These latter ones fit in well with the floral shaped earrings making a trend in the 3

rd century. Type VII earrings are S-hooked, circular and open mounted. They are trimmed with granulation or lacework, the latter of which can arguably be dated to the first and second third of the third century. Type VIII earrings with a pendant date from the pre-Empire, and were not in widespread use in Pannónia. Type IX jewels are finished with case mounting and pendant. Type X also has a compound structure, but is finished with an inverted S-hook, and is divided by a horizontal panel, attaching to which is a round shaped lower and upper pivot fastening the mount. On closer inspection, the piece wrought from a twisted wire (filigree) turns out to be only faintly reminiscent of its genuine lace-work counterparts. The Aquincum finds total 64 pieces (that is, 47 items) partly in pairs and partly as individual pieces. Gold specimens top the list with a total of 46 pieces, followed by 4 silver and 9 bronze pieces. The most widespread technique was twisted wireembellishment even with more elaborate items. With types I-II-VI and X this was an inherent part of the overall aspect. Less demanding is the pattern observed on type Vl/a and IX case mountings imitating strip twisted wiring, but made in relief as the rear panel reveals; this technique gains growing foothold by the first half of the 3

rd century. Types IIIV and VII were embellished with granulation or lacework. Earrings became fashionable in Aquincum in the wake of the Severus era and displayed a fair diversity in terms of their appearance, if not their material. Type Il/a and type VIII with an obscure piece can be dated to the 2nd century. Most of them display the characteristic shapes and trimmings of the 3

rd century with a widening range to follow later on this century, which is the time when most of the type II-VII earrings would have been worn. Based on its provenance, type V/b is presumably dated to 4th century. Found among grave goods, type I includes, for the most part, unadorned late-Roman pieces made of gold silver and bronze. There are only stray examples of earring depictions as they did not form part of the indigenous gear. Due to the obscuration and the material of the stones the type of the jewels cannot always be safely established, but their general shape serves strong clue in the determination of their age. 65