Antiquities and Ancient Art

What Does the Ancient Coin Market Portend for Antiquities?

Against the backdrop of a deepening financial crisis, December was a record shattering month for the antiquities market. Now, nearly two months later, what do we know about the direction?

Unfortunately, until we get further in the spring season with major fairs across Europe, there is little new direct data on the antiquities market. However, we do have some very interesting news coming out of the ancient coin market that could offer a barometer.

Specifically, I'm referring to the fifth annual Gemini Sale which took place in New York in January in conjunction with the annual New York International Numismatic Convention.  Timing couldn't have been worse. The lingering financial crisis, the holiday hangover effect, a pre-emptive missive by Dutch journalist Arthur Brand asserting that one of the star coin lots was a fake, and the bitter cold temperatures in the Northeast all conspired into a perfect storm that in other times might have dampened collectors' enthusiasm and their budgets.

Despite all, activity was brisk and dealers pleased. The 905-lot ancient coin auction was a major success ringing up over $3.7M including buyers commission. Observers and dealers at the event declared confidently that there is no evidence of a downturn adversely impacting the ancient coin market. 

In fact, Peter Weiss, treasurer of the American Numismatic Society, was quoted in press reports as saying "All nice-condition ancient coins have doubled in value in the last 18 to 24 months."

Like antiquities, aancient coins have come under tighter import/export scrutiny in recent years.  Provenance has also become a more element affecting the overall value of an objects. The similarities between the ancient coins and antiquities markets suggest that both remain somewhat insulated from the speculation that drove more popular areas of the art market.

It may also suggest that collectors understand that in a global highly specialized market like antiquities and ancient coins which is fueled by growing scarcity, opportunities to acquire great objects in every price range are fleeting. 

Oil Lamp Collectors: Archaeologists Pinpoint Site of Major Roman Factory

In the First Century AD, demand for molded terracotta oil lamps throughout the Roman empire led to commercialization of a large industry that for the first time competed for consumer demand by blending form and fashion...an important milestone in the evolution of lighting and commerce. Archaeologists reported yesterday that have now pinpointed the factory responsible for making the "Gucci" and "Armani" of ancient oil lamps. 

Oil lamps had been used in antiquity for hundreds of years before Christ.  But during the early years of the Roman Empire, one workshopp in Italy began manufacturing a large volume of lamps decorated with superb and innovative images of gladiators, animals, gods, goddesses and even elaborate important events. More importantly, some of these lamps were "signed" on the bottom with a Latin name that became synonymous with the factories where they were made as they were exported to Roman consumers on three continents.  One of the trendiest of these early lamps was the name FORTIS, and others included STOBILI, COMMUNIS, PHOETASPI, EUCARPI.  Until now the ancient location of these workshops was unknown.

So posh were some of these brands, that they were later copied by workshops in other locations, perhaps illustrating one of the earliest examples of consumer brand piracy!

Construction on a residential complex near the ancient walls of the city of Modena (also famous for its aged balsamic vinegar, Ferrari and the birthplace of Pavarotti) in central-northern Italy has uncovered a large dumping ground which they say confirms for the first time the location of the most famous early lamp workshops in Modena (known as Mutina in ancient times).  While this has been suspected, this is the first physical evidence that a large cluster of lamp workshops existed in the area. That the dump was found near the walls is significant as it is believed that the kilns were outside the ancient walls to prevent fire breaking out in the city.

Ancient Roman lamps are among the most affordable and portable antiquities sought by collectors today.  Most lamps fit in the palm of an adult hand and can cost as little as a hundred dollars. One very interesting facet of ancient lamps is how they evolve to reflect the events of this important period of Western civilization.  First Century Roman lamps tend to have beautiful yet austere decorative motifs reflecting Julio-Claudian taste and are highly desired; certain Second Century lamps can get more elaborate and interesting mirroring the increased complexity and diversity of the Roman empire. During this same period, lamps made in Palestine mirrored Jewish cultural and decorative traditions.  Roman lamps continue to evolve even into the Fourth and Fifth Centuries as secular images are replaced by those with significance to the early Christian community as religion spreads.    

Some useful reference books on ancient lamps and motifs include:

• Roman Pottery in the Royal Ontario Museum

• Light from the Age of Augustine 

• A Catalogue of the Lamps in the British Museum:  Volume IV Lamps of Metal and Stone, and Lampstands

• Ornamented Jewish Oil-Lamps: From the Destruction of the Second Temple Through the Bar-Kokhba Revolt  

• The Dendrites in Pre-Christian & Christian Historical-Literary Tradition and Iconography  

  

The Google-ization of Ancient Rome

In case you missed it, users of Google Earth can experience an elaborate 3-D representation of ancient Rome circa 320 AD, during the reign of Constantine the Great. For the first time, users can soar above the streets of ancient Rome, soar above the Forum or Palatine Hill, or swoop into the Colosseum for a view of the arena and stands.

Ancient Rome 3D, as the new feature is known, is a digital elaboration of some 7,000 buildings recreating Rome circa A.D. 320, at the height of Constantine’s empire, when more than a million inhabitants lived within the city’s Aurelian walls, according to the New York Times. 

For more on Ancient Rome 3D, check out the following new reports:
BBC
New York Times

30+ Ancient Ships and Other Artifacts Found at Constantinople's First Port

Reports out of Turkey indicate that archaeologists may have uncovered the first Byzantine port of the ancient city of Constantinople.

A rich cache of ancient objects have been found in shallow waters off Yenikapi in modern Istambul with the potential to re-write the history books regarding life in the time of Theodosius I.  Pottery, coins, Stone Age skeletons, amphorae and even a basket full of ancient cherries has been surfaced so far. More than 30 timber ship frames have also been discovered.

According to a report in The National newspaper, researchers at the affiliated institutes of nautical archaeology at Texas A&M University and at Bodrum in Turkey have stressed the importance of the finds, saying they are unique because of their sheer number and ability to shed light on ancient building techniques. Nautical gear, such as stone anchors with wooden poles and ropes, have been perfectly preserved in the depths of the murky water, while entire merchant vessels from various centuries have been uncovered, some filled with ancient merchandise, such as oil and wine amphorae. Fifteen ships thought to have sunk in a strong storm in 1,000 AD were discovered at the eastern end of the harbor, revealing a high-traffic port that connected the ancient granaries of Alexandria to the vineyards of northern Greece.

Read a full report here.

Marble Portrait Head of Important Roman Ruler Fished Out of French River

In this battle with the Helvetii in 58 BC, Julius Caesar famously burned a bridge over the Rhone to force his enemy to take a lethal diversionary trek. Today, archaeologists announced that they have fished out of the Rhone River a treasure trove of Roman artifacts including a stunning marble portrait of Caesar depicting him as a middle-aged man.

The finds were made near the well-preserved Roman city of Arles in southern France. In addition to the Caesar portrait bust, scientists found a marble statue of Neptune, nearly 6-feet tall, and two bronze statues nearly 2-1/2 feet high dating to the 2nd-3rd Century BC.  The French Culture Ministry believes that the underwater site contains more treasures and further excavations are planned this summer. The archaeological team that made the discovery doesn't yet know how, why or when the objects were thrown into the River.   

The Roman bust of Caesar is remarkable in that it is believed to date from the founding of the city of Arles in 46 BC. This suggests that the bust was created just 2 years before his assassination on March 15, 44 BC, making it the oldest know representation of Caesar actually made during his lifetime. The portrait is sculpted in a realistic style with furrowed brow, deep facial creases and prominent chin.

British Farmer Reports Find of Two Gold Coins of Carausius

A farmer working a field in the Nottingham and Derbyshire area of Britain has unearthed two spectacular coins of the elusive Romano-British usurper Carausius, according to the London Times.

The two gold coins are remarkably preserved and will add to our knowledge of the famed Roman commander of legions in Britain and Gaul who declared himself emperor around 286 after the emperor in Rome called for his execution. He was murdered seven years later by his confident and treasurer Allectus in 293.    

The coins were handed in to the Portable Antiquities Scheme and moved to the British Museum. The scheme is facing a freeze in funding, despite recording more than 314,000 discoveries that have revealed many new archaeological sites. The farmer’s identity is not being revealed because archaeologists are to explore the site, according to the report.

First Ever Roman Throne Uncovered in Ashes of Vesuvius

While details are still sparse, several news agencies are reporting this morning that Italian archaeologists have discovered the first ever imperial Roman throne in excavations at Herculaneum. Until today, the shape and decorative elements of ancient Roman thrones were known only through written accounts and depictions in other media.

Significantly, the find comes from an area of Herculaneum that lies neglected and largely unexplored. Italian officials in the Antiquities ministry have been criticized in the past for not moving more quickly to excavate these areas, including the lower floors of the Villa of the Papyri which some believe could contain a vast library of ancient literary masterpieces that may be slowly disintegrating under water which has collected in the structure.

Here is a portion of the Reuters account this morning regarding the throne:   

An ancient Roman wood and ivory throne has been unearthed at a dig in Herculaneum, Italian archaeologists said on Tuesday, hailing it as the most significant piece of wooden furniture ever discovered there.

The throne was found during an excavation in the Villa of the Papyri, the private house formerly belonging to Julius Caesar's father-in-law, Lucius Calpurnius Piso Caesoninus, built on the slope of Mount Vesuvius.

The name of the villa derives from the impressive library containing thousands of scrolls of papyrus discovered buried under meters (yards) of volcanic ash after the Vesuvius erupted on 24 August 79.

Restoration of the throne is still ongoing with restorers painstakingly trying to piece back together parts of the ceremonial chair.  Read the full account in Reuters.

Additional photos from the BBC are available.

British Museum Lauds Metal Detectorists as 58,920 Antiquities Reported this Year

An intricate figurine of a Roman horse and rider and an Iron Age comb are among an extraordinary 58,290 archaeological objects unearthed by members of the public in the past year, according to an article in today's London Times.

More than three quarters of those objects were discovered with the aid of metal detectors. The rest were found by chance by people who were out walking or gardening.  Roger Bland, head of portable antiquities at the British Museum praises these metal detectives a "national treasure."  And why not?  Unlike other countries where backward logic is applied driving such finds figuratively underground, the British Museum proudly puts on show some of the most important finds — objects that have lain undiscovered for many hundreds of years and might have been decomposed or damaged in the ground and lost forever.

Duncan Pangborn, who first started metal detecting about five years ago, came across the Roman figurine, which dates from the 3rd or 4th century and is extremely well preserved, in an arable field in Cambridgeshire. “It was a shock,” Mr Pangborn, a project manager from North Wymondham, told The Times, recalling the moment he lifted the figurine from a clump of earth close to the surface.

Asked about the thrill of his hobby, he said: “It’s about finding something that hasn’t been seen, in this case, for 1,700 or 1,800 years. It’s about being the first person to handle it since the Roman owner, the link with the past.”  Click here for full article.

Ancient Roman Sacred Grotto Dedicated to 'She-Wolf' Found 52 Feet Deep

Archaeologists on Tuesday unveiled an underground grotto believed to have been revered by ancient Romans as the place where a wolf nursed the city's legendary founder Romulus and his twin brother Remus, according to a report from Discovery News.

Decorated with seashells and colored marble, the vaulted sanctuary is buried 52 feet inside the Palatine hill, the palatial center of power in imperial Rome, the archaeologists said at a news conference.

In the past two years, experts have been probing the space with endoscopes and laser scanners, fearing that the fragile grotto, already partially caved-in, would not survive a full-scale dig, said Giorgio Croci, an engineer who worked on the site.

The archaeologists are convinced that they have found the place of worship where Romans believed a she-wolf suckled Romulus and Remus, the twin sons of the god of war Mars who were abandoned in a basket and left adrift on the Tiber.  Read the full story.

UK Portable Antiquities System Records 300,000th Artefact

Countries practicing draconian measures to protect their cultural patrimony should consider the tremendous success of the UK's Portable Antiquities Scheme. 

The UK system, extended in 2003, encourages finders of antiquities to report them to their local finds officers so they can be examined, recorded and logged into a central database. Unless it is deemed a national treasure, in which case a review panel determines a fair market' price for the object, the finder is entitled to keep or sell the object thereafter. This system encourages cooperation between the metal detecting and archaeological communities, bringing valuable information about find sites and objects to light that might otherwise be destroyed or end up on the black market.

The system has been highly successful, logging its 300,000th reported object -- a 3rd-4th Century AD Roman bronze coin -- on Monday.  More than 65,000 objects have been recorded since January 1 of this year, including a Roman curse tablet, a medieval horse boss, and a rare Roman bronze figurine related to the Romano-British slave trade (pictured). 

The Portable Antiquities Scheme database is available for public browsing and searching.