It was a stunning day for small finds as Brennan unearthed a hoard of finds outside the doorway of W1904. Brennan is shown here holding a metal pouring pot (tea anyone?)
Probably the most significant find was a dancing maenad carved in bone. In Greek mythology, maenads were the female followers of Dionysus, the most significant members of the Thiasus, the retinue of Dionysus. Their name literally translates as “raving ones”. Often the maenads were portrayed as inspired by Dionysus into a state of ecstatic frenzy, through a combination of dancing and drunken intoxication.
Two flasks, a scarab in metal, a ring, and at least one large broken pot comprise the finds for the day . . . just from this spot.
Ask us sometime about the marble cornices, the dagger, the vats, . . .
In a fragment of a small glass flask (?), we see two faces staring at us. It is the Roman god Janus. Janus is the god of gates, doors, doorways, beginnings and endings. His most prominent remnant in modern culture is his namesake, the month of January, which begins the new year. He is most often depicted as having two faces or heads, facing in opposite directions. These heads were rumored to look both into the future and the past.
Our Janus is somewhat hard to see in this photo. One face is looking to the left:
In the corner NE of ZZ99 it sits. We can see it from the side, but most of it is in the baulk. It is a large above-ground plastered basin . . . some sort of water feature. But exactly what is uncertain. Ideas?
Working in four teams, the Concordia dig crew has been making good progress at the start of the excavation season.
One team is working on the southwest corner of a colonnaded building. They have reached a depth of 3 meters in the square and should start exposing floor in a day or two.
See their progress here:
A crew working with Dr. Chambers has already discovered the line of a small street (Cardo 4N) that may form the eastern boundary for the Northeast Church compound:
One of our returning volunteers, Christine Mennicke, recovered this large coin from the destruction fill of our southerly square. On one side a cross is visible. On the other, perhaps an eagle. Further cleaning and analysis to follow:
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