Mária T. Biró: The Bone Objects of the Roman Collection. (Catalogi Musei Nationalis Hungarici. Seria Archeologica 2; Budapest, 1994)

V. BONE OBJECTS CONNECTED WITH COSMETICS AND PHYSICAL CULTURE

V. BONE OBJECTS CONNECTED WITH COSMETICS AND PHYSICAL CULTURE 1. Unguentum jars (narthecium)

. 2. Spatulae (focus) 3. Unguentum sticks. 4. Casket mounts. Roman physical culture included apart from basic hygienic rules (bath, physical training) also cosmetics; the obligatory employment of perfumery and paints for man and woman alike. Bodily hygiene and the appropriate cosmetics of the face was a prescription of civilized people. Neatness was one of the most characteristic material component of GraecoRoman culture realized again by people only as late as the 19th century. The culture of baths and personal hymirror giene has fallen victim to the destruction of the Migration Age and to the devastation of towns (baths). Cosmetics were also assaulted by new ethic values wrapped into aesthetic demands. The radically ascetical and rigourous line of Christianity considered unpainted face the mirror of good morals. Besides jewellery they were also fighting against paints, perfumes and oils all promoting sensuality. Although the aesthetic demands of the Church were not compulsory before that Early Middle Ages, still cosmetic devices disappeared from the material culture of the Province earlier. The explanation for this and the related phenomena was possibly that Romanization began to " get out of breath"

. The assimilation of Fig. 14- Represen tation of unguentum stick and box on an Etrsucan ever larger masses of population could be realized only more and more superfluously. Romanization, at the beginning mediated spiritual, linguistic, written and religious values, incidentally embedded into a specifically urbanized material culture. In the course of Romanization, together with the growth of the Empire's territory, this material culture mediating cultural values became more and more self-consistent. With approaching the living conditions of the Romans (dwelling, clothing) provincial peoples felt themselves Roman. In the last century material presence had gradually broken down and Rome was only represented by the military forces and later by their presence declared only in words. Without these historical trends — the change in the construction of the bone processing industry producing the same quantity of objects which can be regularly registered — could not be understood. The archaeological relics of physical culture like jars, spatulae, paint palmettes, etc. become less frequent at the end of the 3rd century and by the 4th century they completely disappear from our province. Although this century is the great flourishing of bone processing industry. It could be explained by the circumstance that the bone tools, hard to clean were substituted by glass being more suitable for cosmetic purposes. Glass, which tends to be a cheap mass product in the 4th century. It is more likely, however, that behind the disappearance of the above mentioned objects historical processes, social rearrangements, ruralism and impoverishment are lying as referred to, all resulting a fundamental change in requirements.