This tombstone for the Spurius family is a rare example of a Republican-period inscription from the Bay of Naples, but it shows some facets that became standardized in later tombstones. The grouping of relatives together in a large tomb was a common practice to...
Funerary inscription of Callityche, a hairdresser (“ornatrix”) from the town of Puteoli on the Bay of Naples, in Italy. Callityche was formerly enslaved by Aulus and Gaia Valerius. We don’t know if Callityche, which means “good luck” in...
Funerary inscription of Coelia Hagne, a midwife (“obstetrix”) who lived in the area of Puteoli, on Italy’s Bay of Naples, in the 2nd century CE. This monument was dedicated to her by her husband, Marcus. Midwives like Coelia played a vital role in...
Portion of a monumental public inscription preserving only one letter and an interpunct (a dot separating letters and/or words in ancient inscriptions). The edge to the left of the “A.” is straight and the back shows possible traces of attachment,...
Portion of a larger monumental public inscription. This fragment preserves one complete letter and two partial letters from the middle of the honoree’s nomen (family/clan name). Chisel marks are visible on the surface of the stone, revealing how it was first...
This ceramic object is a pyxis, a small cylindrical container with a fitted lid often used by ancient people to store small items such as jewelry or cosmetics. This example depicts two women and an eros (cupid); one woman looks at herself in a mirror while the eros...
Weaving combs are used to beat or compress weft yarns against previous rows, ensuring that the final textile has a consistent density. This large weaving comb was made from three pieces of wood joined with pegs, decorated with a concentric circle design. It is one of...
This is a miniature comb, excavated from Karanis, that was most likely used in children’s play activities. Today, many children play with miniatures of “adult” objects to learn behaviors and mimic social interactions; this comb may have served a...
This lamp from Egypt’s Fayoum region is testament to both continuity and change in the ancient Mediterranean. The greenish blue to dark blue glaze belongs to a family of similar-colored materials, often called “faience,” used in Egypt since the...
This tiny figurine depicts Isis-Aphrodite, a syncretic deity that was linked to love, beauty, marriage, and childbirth, combining the attributes of the Egyptian goddess Isis and the Greek goddess Aphrodite. The goddess is in the anasyromene pose, lifting her robes to...
