Finds

Silver spoon

In the area behind the right sacristy of the Main Baptistery chamber (fig. 1) they found a silver spoon (fig. 2). The object is fragmentary, with a part of the handle and a part of the spoon missing. The two elements are long, respectively 4 cm and 3 cm and are joined by an attachment with three parallel grooves. The item has no decoration, so it is difficult to date. The assumption of it having been made at the start of the VI century comes from its shape and similarities with similar articles. Spoons had various uses, both in domestic environments, and for liturgical use, linked to the celebration of some rites and sacraments (fig. 3). As with Cornus, similar artefacts are often found in baptismal buildings as they are used to administer the sacrament to pour water, mix oil or chrism, or to distribute the Eucharist after the rite. They were often decorated or inscribed and their shapes evolved based on changes in the celebrations they were used for (fig. 4). You can also find spoons in the funerary environment amongst grave goods or used during the agape.

1
Fig. 1 - Map of the Columbaris area showing where the spoon was found (drawing C. Cocco, F. Collu, from Cornus I,1, p. 200, Tab. II).
2
Fig. 2 - Cornus: silver spoon (from CUGLIERI I, fig. 21).
3
Fig. 3 - Spoons from the treasure of Sucidava (from RĂDULESCU LUNGU 1989, p. 2594, fig. 23).
4
Fig. 4 - Liturgical spoon: A - handle; A1- coupling; B - scoop or shell; B1- edge; B2 - bottom (from MONTEVECCHI, VASCO ROCCA 1988, p. 143).





 

Bibliografia

  • R. MARTORELLI, I corredi tardo-romani (IV - prima metà del VI secolo), in C. AMANTE SIMONI, R. MARTORELLI, I corredi funerari e la suppellettile metallica. Cultura, Materiali e Fasi Storiche del Complesso Archeologico di Cornus. Primi risultati di una ricerca, in AA.VV., L'archeologia romana e altomedievale nell'Oristanese. Atti del Convegno di Cuglieri (22-23 giugno 1984) = Mediterraneo tardoantico e medievale, Scavi e ricerche, 3, Taranto 1986, pp. 161-170, catalogo pp. 178-186.
  • R. MARTORELLI, Arredi e suppellettile liturgica in metallo negli edifici battesimali in Italia dal IV al VII secolo, in D. GANDOLFI (a cura di), L’edificio battesimale in Italia. Aspetti e problemi. Atti dell’VIII Congresso Nazionale di Archeologia Cristiana (Genova, Sarzana, Albenga, Finale Ligure, Ventimiglia 21-26 settembre 1998), I-II, Bordighera 2001, I, pp. 497-519.
  • B. MONTEVECCHI, S. VASCO ROCCA, Dizionari terminologici. Suppellettile ecclesiastica, I, Firenze 1988, p. 143.
  • A. RADULESCU, V. LUNGU, Le christianisme en Schytie mineure à la lumière des dernières découvertes archéologique, in Actes du XIe Congres International d’Archéologie Chretienne (Lyon, Vienne, Grenoble, Genéve et Aoste, 21-28 septembre 1986), III, Città del Vaticano 1989, pp. 2561-2615.

 

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