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Roman head of Minerva fitment

Contributed by The Hunterian

Roman head of Minerva fitment

This Roman metal fitment in the shape of head of Minerva was found at Castledykes Roman Fort, Lanarkshire, Scotland, and was picked by Helen Green, third year student at the University of Glasgow (Single Honours Archaeology). Helen writes - This object would have been some kind of attachment, possibly a cart-fitting, or attachment to the end of a harness or other item of horse tack. The Romans tended to be highly superstitious, and this is clearly demonstrated by their bringing their gods from Rome to the edge of the empire. They sometimes combined Minerva with the local equivalent goddess, ever open to new gods and happy for the indigenous inhabitants to adopt the Roman ones. I chose this object because, aside from being a really beautiful artefact, Minerva, Roman equivalent to Greek Athena, is my favourite Roman goddess: she is goddess of war, wisdom and magic. It's easy to see why she would be a useful ally in the context of occupation of such a hostile place as Northern Britain.

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About this object

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Location

Castledykes Roman Fort

Culture
Period

second century AD

Theme
Size
H:
3.5cm
W:
3cm
Colour
Material

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