Beautiful engraved gems found Hadrian’s Wall

[guy]

Beautiful engraved gems found along Hadrian’s Wall in Carlisle:

These intricately carved gems were discovered in an ancient pool at the site, found down a drain.

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“The engraved gems known as intaglios date from the late 2nd century or 3rd century AD, which includes an amethyst depicting Venus holding a flower or a mirror, and a red-brown jasper featuring a satyr.

Excavations also found more than 40 women’s hairpins, 35 glass beads, a clay Venus figure, animal bones, and imperial-stamped tiles – suggesting that the bathhouse was a monumental construction used by not just the garrison of Uxelodunum, but Roman elite living near near the fort and the fort of Luguvalium, located a short distance away now beneath Carlisle Castle.“

 

https://www.heritagedaily.com/2023/01/archaeology-project-uncovers-roman-gems-near-hadrians-wall/146060

 

Previous posts about excavations at Carlisle:

 

 

 

 

Edited July 10 by guy

[guy]

Here's a follow-up of this find. These are some of the more than thirty engraved gems discovered (so far):

 

 

 

 

 

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Down the drain is where British archaeologists recently discovered 36 artfully engraved semiprecious stones, in an ancient bathhouse at the site of a Roman fort near Hadrian’s Wall in Carlisle, England. The colorful intaglios — gems with incised carvings — likely fell out of signet rings worn by wealthy third-century bathers, and ended up trapped in the stone drains.

The delicate intaglios, fashioned from amethyst, jasper and carnelian, range in diameter from 5 millimeters to 16 millimeters — bigger than a pencil eraser, smaller than a dime. Some bear images of Apollo, Mars, Bonus Eventus and other Roman deities symbolizing war or good fortune. Others showcase Ceres, the god of fertility, Sol (the sun) and Mercury (commerce). One amethyst depicts Venus holding either a flower or a mirror. A reddish-brown jasper features a satyr seated on rocks beside a pillar.

 

 

Here is a section of the main drain excavated:

 

 

 

Ancient Romans Dropped Their Bling Down the Drain, Too - The New York Times (nytimes.com)

 

Archaeologists Recover Trove of Ancient Roman Gems That Fell Down Bathhouse Drain in England (yahoo.com)

Edited May 4 by guy