DOI article:
Żelazowski, Jerzy: A new name stamp from the army camp at Novae
DOI Page / Citation link: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.41949#0161
Jerzy Żelazowski
A NEW NAME STAMP FROM THE ARMY CAMP AT NOYAE
Abstract: Publication of a fragment of stamped rooftile from the first decades of the third century
AD, found in the army camp in Novae (Moesia Inferior), in the location of the barracks of the
First Italie legion. The proposed reading of the inscription with the name of Aurelius Hegenianus
places it in the category of name stamps, which is a fairly well represented categoiy among the
finds from army camps and forts in the different provinces of the Roman empire. The discussion
to datę has shown that it is difficult in practice to determine whether a mentioned person was
a civil entrepreneur producing rooftiles for the legion in Novae or he was a soldier, perhaps even
an officer involved in producing building ceramics for camp use.
Key words: Novae, rooftiles, name stamp, Latin palaeography, onomastics
Continued excavation in the camp of the First Italie legion in Novae have provided scholars
interested in stamp impressions on bricks and rooftiles the opportunity for morę detailed
research on this category of finds, which remains extremely difficult to interpret despite
its abundance in the archaeological record.1 The opportunities derive, on one hand, from
a continuous stream of new finds, which undoubtedly verify and supplement existing ty-
pologies, and on the other, from an ever clearer archeological context of their discovery.
Progress in excavations can be expected to provide morę precise archaeological dating of
the stamps, which in themselves seldom contain any chronological indicators. At the same
time, a systematic approach can be madę to the difficult issue of reuse of bricks and
rooftiles, which constitutes a considerable impediment for historical analyses.2
A recent review of the literaturę on building materiał stamps in military contexts from
virtually the entire area of the Roman Empire, prepared by R. Kurzmann,3 has demon-
strated the rareness of reasonable conclusions concerning function and meaning, which
could be drawn from an analysis of the stamps themselves, these being usually abbreviated
and often banał in content. Interpretation must therefore reach out to parallels and factors
of historical reality known from other sources.
11 am deeply grateful to Prof. Piotr Dyczek for kindly
making available an impression of the stamp to-
gether with information about the archaeological
context of the discovery and the identification ofthe
amphora found in context with it.
2 Recław, Żelazowski 2008, pp. 53-63; Duch 2011,
pp. 73-85; Duch 2012, pp. 259-282 (with earlier
references).
3 Kurzmann 2006.
A NEW NAME STAMP FROM THE ARMY CAMP AT NOYAE
Abstract: Publication of a fragment of stamped rooftile from the first decades of the third century
AD, found in the army camp in Novae (Moesia Inferior), in the location of the barracks of the
First Italie legion. The proposed reading of the inscription with the name of Aurelius Hegenianus
places it in the category of name stamps, which is a fairly well represented categoiy among the
finds from army camps and forts in the different provinces of the Roman empire. The discussion
to datę has shown that it is difficult in practice to determine whether a mentioned person was
a civil entrepreneur producing rooftiles for the legion in Novae or he was a soldier, perhaps even
an officer involved in producing building ceramics for camp use.
Key words: Novae, rooftiles, name stamp, Latin palaeography, onomastics
Continued excavation in the camp of the First Italie legion in Novae have provided scholars
interested in stamp impressions on bricks and rooftiles the opportunity for morę detailed
research on this category of finds, which remains extremely difficult to interpret despite
its abundance in the archaeological record.1 The opportunities derive, on one hand, from
a continuous stream of new finds, which undoubtedly verify and supplement existing ty-
pologies, and on the other, from an ever clearer archeological context of their discovery.
Progress in excavations can be expected to provide morę precise archaeological dating of
the stamps, which in themselves seldom contain any chronological indicators. At the same
time, a systematic approach can be madę to the difficult issue of reuse of bricks and
rooftiles, which constitutes a considerable impediment for historical analyses.2
A recent review of the literaturę on building materiał stamps in military contexts from
virtually the entire area of the Roman Empire, prepared by R. Kurzmann,3 has demon-
strated the rareness of reasonable conclusions concerning function and meaning, which
could be drawn from an analysis of the stamps themselves, these being usually abbreviated
and often banał in content. Interpretation must therefore reach out to parallels and factors
of historical reality known from other sources.
11 am deeply grateful to Prof. Piotr Dyczek for kindly
making available an impression of the stamp to-
gether with information about the archaeological
context of the discovery and the identification ofthe
amphora found in context with it.
2 Recław, Żelazowski 2008, pp. 53-63; Duch 2011,
pp. 73-85; Duch 2012, pp. 259-282 (with earlier
references).
3 Kurzmann 2006.