Avenches – Roman Museum – Permanent Exhibition

Avenches – Roman Museum – Permanent Exhibition
Translation Sandy Hämmerle
© Musée Romain Avenches

Avenches – Roman Museum – Permanent Exhibition
Table of contents
Ground Floor – Introduction 3
Aventicum, Capital of the Helvetii . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
The Roman Empire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Switzerland in Roman Times . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Chronology of Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Ground Floor 7
The Gallo-Roman Population of Switzerland and Their View of Death . . . . . . . 7
Funerary Urns 9
Child Burials 10
Cremation Burials 10
Inhumation Burial 11
Christian Burial 11
The Extraordinary Finds from the Necropolis of En Chaplix 12
The Funerary Monuments of En Chaplix 13
The Northern Monument 14
The Southern Monument 15
The Inscriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Stone Inscriptions of Avenches / Aventicum 17
Miscellaneous . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
First Floor 21
The Early Days of Aventicum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
The Indigenous Population . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Language and Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
The Division of Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Weights and Measures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
The Dodecahedron, a Measuring Instrument? 27
Theatre, Games and Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Trade and Money . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
The Monetary System from the 1 st – 3 rd Century 30
Prices and Remuneration 31
Genuine Coins and Counterfeits 31
Money Saving and Spending Reflected in Coin Finds 32
Rome and Aventicum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
The Imperor, the Imperial Family and the Province 33
Table of Contents
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Religion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Oriental Cults 37
Roman Religion 38
Mythology and Heroes 41
The Local Gods 41
Housegods and Their Cult: Lararia and Domestic Chapels 43
The Sanctuaries of Aventicum 43
From Late Antiquity to the Early Middle Ages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Second Floor 45
A Typical Roman Town House . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Clothes and Jewellery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Body and Health Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Games . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Games of Chance 49
Strategic Games 49
Games of Skill 49
Textile Production . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Furniture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Gardens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Life in Town . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Town Layout 53
Houses 53
Protective Gods of the Household . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Pottery. An Indispensable Tool for Archaeologists as Regards ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
... Quantities 55
... a Means for Dating other Finds 55
... its Various Uses 55
An Important Contribution to the Understanding of Local History 55
Kitchen and Tableware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Food . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
A Big Market 57
Drinking and Eating 57
The Table of the Poorer People 58
The Table of the Wealthy 59
The Kitchen 59
Eating Habits 59
Types of Tableware 60
Table of Contents
2

Ground Floor – Introduction Aventicum, Capital of the Helvetii
Avenches – Roman Museum
Ground Floor – Introduction
Aventicum, Capital of the Helvetii
The founding of Aventicum can probably be linked to the unsuccessful migration of
the Helvetii in 58 BC and the subsequent return to their homeland. The name of the
town is derived from Aventia, a Celtic protective goddess. Aventicum was the capital
of the Helvetii.
No precise indications are available as to when the town was founded. Over the
past number of years, Late Celtic (1st century BC) tombs (1) and ditches southeast
of what would later become Avenches have been discovered on several occasions.
During the second half of the 1st century BC, an oppidum was located further south,
on the Bois de Châtel.
There is evidence of a harbour in Avenches dating from around AD 5/6 at
the latest (plan, no. 4). The orthogonal grid of streets, which was characteristic of
Roman towns, had also been set up. Until the 2nd century AD, more than 60 insulae
(rectangular living areas) were created. The town had a forum (public square),
several thermae (public baths) and at least eight temples. The cemeteries were
located along the roads leading into and out of the town.
Stone from the Jura Mountains was the main building material used. Large parts
of the town were built on rather humid ground. For this reason it was necessary to
stabilise the foundations by driving oak piles into the ground (2). This wood is often
still preserved and can be dated precisely using dendrochronology (method for
dating based on measuring tree rings).
Aventicum experienced a first “golden age” around AD 30 – 50 during the reigns
of the emperors Tiberius and Claudius. A group of larger than life-sized sculptures of
the members of the imperial family decorating the forum of the town bear witness
to this.
In AD 71/72 emperor Vespasian whose father and sons spent part of their lives
in Aventicum elevated the town to the rank of a colony named Colonia Pia Flavia
Constans Emerita Helvetiorum Foederata. At that time a town wall measuring 5.5 km
in length was erected around the 563-acre territory. Shortly afterwards the theatre,
the amphitheatre and the Cigognier sanctuary were built; these three buildings are
typical examples of Roman public architecture.
Far away from the borders of the Empire and spared of regional political
crises, Aventicum prospered over a long period of time until the beginning of
the 3rd century AD. Although the invasions of the Alamanni seem to have caused
Aventicum around 180 AD
B. Gubler, Zurich
1
2
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Introduction

Ground Floor – Introduction Switzerland in Roman Times
considerable damage, building activities were still ongoing in the 4 th century AD, in
particular fortification work around the theatre.
A large part of the population of Aventicum probably belonged to the tribe of
the Helvetii. The members of the local elite undoubtedly preserved their status;
they were the first to obtain Roman citizenship. These notables guaranteed both
the survival of Roman culture and the maintenance of a certain degree of political
stability.
Until the 6th century AD Avenches was a bishop’s see. In the 7th century AD the
town received the new name Wibili, which, later on, became Wiflisburg.
Interest in the archaeological remains of the Roman city of Avenches began to
arise in the 16th century. A few excavations were carried out from the 18th century
onwards (1), but systematic investigations only started with the foundation of the
Pro Aventico Association in 1885. The Roman museum was created in 1824. Since
1838, it has been installed in this medieval tower, which was built at the end of the
11th century on the remains of the Roman amphitheatre and using stones from that
monument.
The Roman Empire
Over a period of eight centuries, Rome created an empire from a small nucleus
founded in 753 BC. Around 300 BC, the conquest of Italy was achieved and by
around 50 BC large parts of Europe, the Near East and North Africa had been
annexed. In AD 117 the Empire had reached its zenith. Large sections of the Empire
were protected against incursions from neighbouring peoples by a network of
border fortifications (limes).
The Roman domination over the conquered territory was based on five pillars: a
strong army, an homogenous legislation, a common administration, one common
currency and one or – more precisely – two official languages, namely Latin in the
west and Greek in the east.
During the 3rd century AD the deterioration of the climatic conditions as well as
a number of economic and political upheavals marked the beginning of the decline,
which led to the fall of the Western Empire in AD 476.
However, Roman civilisation in Europe stayed very much alive for a further
thousand years. Until the 16th century Latin remained the common language of
educated people. Roman Law was the basis of quite a number of present-day legal
systems and, with a few slight adjustments, the Roman calendar is still in use today.
Switzerland in Roman Times
The territory of present-day Switzerland became part of the Roman Empire in 15 BC
at the latest and was integrated into five different provinces: The Grisons and a
large section of eastern Switzerland were part of Raetia, the Ticino and the southern
valleys of the Grisons belonged to Italia, the Valais to the Alpae Graiae et Poeninae,
1
Map of Avenches (J. C. Hagenbuch, 1727)
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Introduction

Ground Floor – Introduction
the so-called Alpine Provinces, and Geneva was part of Gallia Narbonensis. The
midlands between the Jura Mountains and the Alps (the territory of the Helvetii) as
well as the region around Basle (the territory of the Rauraci) were initially attached
to Belgica and then to Germania Superior.
An important network of roads criss-crossed what is now Switzerland: a major
route led from south to north via the St. Bernard pass and the passes in the Grisons
while another arterial road connected western and eastern parts. In addition,
there were navigable waterways from the Lakes of Neuchâtel and Morat via the
Rhine towards the North Sea and from the Lake of Geneva via the Rhone to the
Mediterranean. These different transport axes were used for moving troops,
transporting civilians as well as for short and long distance trade exchanges.
During the 1st century AD, a legion, i.e. 6’000 soldiers and auxiliary troops, was
stationed at Vindonissa (Windisch, Canton Argovia).
Urban settlements were a new development. Examples of such urban
settlements were Nyon (Colonia Iulia Equestris), Augst (Augusta Raurica) (1),
Martigny (Octodurus / Forum Claudii Vallensium) and Avenches (Aventicum). Smaller
towns were dependent on these cities and a variety of farms and rural settlements,
in turn, depended on these smaller towns.
Masonry was another innovation introduced by the Romans. While initially, this
technique was reserved for public buildings, it gradually became more popular for
private buildings both in urban and rural settings.
The regional economy was mainly based on agriculture, but various specialised
skills and crafts developed simultaneously, sometimes even reaching an industrial
scale. The incorporation into a vast trading network resulted in many products that
had been unknown until then being imported such as foodstuffs like olive oil, fish
sauces, dates and oysters.
Chronology of Events
753 BC Founding of the City of Rome (2)
509 BC Founding of the Roman Republic
3 rd – 1 st centuries BC Expansion of the Roman Empire (Italian Peninsula,
Iberian Peninsula, Greece, parts of Asia Minor and North
Africa).
58 BC Unsuccessful exodus of the Helvetii and battle against
Julius Caesar at Bibracte
58 – 51 BC Roman conquest of Gaul
27 BC Beginning of the Imperial period
27 BC – AD 14 Reign of Augustus (3)
25 BC Opening of the Great St. Bernard route
16 / 15 BC Subjugation of the Alpine regions
1
Augusta Raurica (Augst)
M. Schaub, Römermuseum Augst
2
3
Chronology of Events
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Introduction

Ground Floor – Introduction Chronology of Events
AD 5 / 6 Oldest constructions found to date at Aventicum
AD 14 – 101 Legionary camp at Vindonissa (Windisch, Canton
Argovia)
AD 43 Conquest of Britannia (Great Britain) under the reign of
emperor Claudius
AD 71 / 72 Aventicum obtains the status of a colony under the reign
of emperor Vespasian and is called Colonia Pia Flavia
Constans Emerita Helvetiorum Foederata
AD 117 Largest expansion of the Empire under the reign of
emperor Trajan
2 nd century AD Height of power of Rome and its provinces
AD 275 Incursions by the Alamanni into Helvetian territory;
major destructions
4 th century AD Earliest Christian evidence at Aventicum (1)
AD 395 Split of the Roman Empire into western and eastern
sections
AD 476 Fall of the Western Roman Empire
6 th century AD Aventicum becomes an Episcopal see
AD 592 Marius (Saint-Maire), the last bishop of Aventicum, moves
to Lausanne
7 th century AD Avenches is also called Wibili, later becoming
germanised into Wiflisburg
11 th century AD onwards Development of the medieval town still visible today (2)
2
1
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Introduction

Ground Floor The Gallo-Roman Population of Switzerland and Their View of Death
Ground Floor
The Gallo-Roman Population of Switzerland and Their View of Death
The Helvetii believed in some form of life after death.
Before they died, some drew up a will settling their succession and giving
instructions concerning their funeral, the choice of their grave and its upkeep, the
funerary banquets, etc. The executor made sure that the will of the deceased was
adhered to.
The funerals were paid for either by the deceased or by their families. Less well
off people joined a collegium funeraticium and regularly contributed to a funerary
fund to cover their burial costs (purchase of ground, construction and upkeep of the
tomb, periodical meals and offerings). Important people within a community were
sometimes granted the honour of a public funeral.
As stipulated by Roman law, the necropolises were situated along the main
roads leading into and out of the towns. The deceased were taken to the cemetery
on a bier carried by members of their immediate family and friends. Inhumation
and cremation coexisted. However, the latter was predominant during the first
two centuries AD. Infants whose teeth had not yet erupted were never cremated
regardless of the period they lived in (display case 2). From the 3rd century AD
onwards, inhumation became the rule, undoubtedly due to the influence of oriental
cults and the rise of Christianity (display case 5).
Cremations were carried out in the open air (1) where the dead were placed
on a pyre along with their personal belongings (clothes, jewellery) and vessels
containing food (display case 3). During the cremation, small flasks with aromatic
plants and perfumes were thrown into the fire. Afterwards the bones were gathered
and placed in urns, which were put into a grave together with some of the burnt
objects (2). In most cases the urns were ceramic or glass vessels (display case 1),
originally intended for domestic use, and sometimes wooden caskets were used
(display case 3); such containers were rarely produced specifically for funerary
purposes.
In the case of inhumation (3) the deceased was placed in a wooden coffin
(display case 4); sarcophagi made of stone or lead –were rare in this region –and
only later became popular. The deceased was usually laid on his or her back, less
frequently on the stomach or on the side. Offerings were often deposited in the
coffin or the grave, but our perception remains incomplete since usually only
objects made of non-perishable materials such as ceramics, glass or metal survived;
traces of food are rarely found and basketry or objects made of leather, wood or
cloth do not often survive.
Once the tomb was closed, its location was marked, in order to remind the living
to respect its inviolability and to honour the memory of the deceased (nos. 1 – 8).
1
2
3
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Ground Floor The Gallo-Roman Population of Switzerland and Their View of Death
The markers for burial places varied considerably: stone or wooden tombstones,
simple stones, small mounds as well as “aedicules” or mausoleums. In most cases
tombstones were engraved with an epitaph and sometimes further decorations
were added. The beginning of the inscription Dis Manibus, often abbreviated to DM,
dedicated a grave to the Manes of the departed or to the spirits of the dead; then
followed the name of the deceased, sometimes his or her filiation, age, profession
or training, honorific titles and, finally, the name of the person who erected the
monument. The deceased was usually represented alone or perhaps accompanied
by his wife or his son; sometimes he was depicted at work. In the Roman Empire the
funerary portraits assumed the function of preserving the memory of the deceased.
Some tombstones were decorated with symbols referring to the immortality of
the soul: laurel leaves, birds, celestial bodies. Wealthy people often paid tribute to
their memory by erecting monuments with the statues of the deceased. This can be
seen in the cemetery of En Chaplix. Such monuments were surrounded by gardens,
embellished with statues and sometimes water basins and protected by walls.
The tomb and its surroundings were looked upon as being sacrosanct and holy
and they remained the property of the deceased. The cult of the deceased included
funerary celebrations held at regular intervals on the occasion of the parentalia
(from 13th to 21st February), at which food and drink were given to the dead and
libations (act of pouring out a liquid as a sacrifice) were offered.
Several necropolises are known at Aventicum. The most impressive and richest
of them seems to have been that at the west gate where the remains of several
small funerary chapels, a considerable number of tombstones and the burial place
of a young Christian girl were found. The port necropolis, situated near the lake
and containing approximately forty modest burials, may have been reserved for
the workers in the port. The En Chaplix necropolis, situated beside the road outside
the town at the northeast gate, contained approximately two hundred burials,
which, according to the offerings, must have belonged to people of a higher socioeconomic
standing.
1. Tombstone of Visellia Firma (1)
Erected by her parents. The little girl died aged one year and 50 days.
Limestone. En Chaplix necropolis.
2nd century AD. Catalogue of inscriptions no. 13.
2. Pinecones as tomb decorations
Placed on top of a little mound covering a tomb. Pinecones symbolised immortality.
Limestone. West gate necropolis.
3. Tombstone of Iulia Censorina
Erected by her father.
Limestone. Second quarter of the 1st century AD. Catalogue of inscriptions no. 15.
4. Tombstone of Marcus Alpinius Virilis (2)
Limestone. West gate necropolis.
1st – 3rd centuries AD. Catalogue of inscriptions no. 14.
1
2
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Ground Floor The Gallo-Roman Population of Switzerland and Their View of Death
Funerary Urns
5. Tombstone of Decimus Iulius Iunianus (1)
Erected by his wife.
Limestone. West gate necropolis.
1st – 3rd centuries AD. Catalogue of inscriptions no. 11.
6. Tombstone of Flavia Severilla
Erected by her husband. She passed away at the age of 36 (?).
Limestone. West gate necropolis.
Probably 3rd AD. Catalogue of inscriptions no. 12.
7. Tombstone fragment
Bust of a couple with only the head of the man preserved. The names of the deceased
were inscribed on the base, which, however, was lost.
According to the hairstyle and stylistic features of the head, the tombstone dates from
the beginning of the 2nd century AD.
Limestone. West gate necropolis.
8. Funerary monument of a family
Limestone block with sculptures. Originally the funerary monument of a family consisted
of three blocks placed on top of each other in a pilaster-framed niche. Only the badly
preserved top block still remains. The sculpture depicted a couple facing each other. This
type of representation is not rare and, a child was often placed between the man and the
woman. In this instance, only the top of the child’s head is still visible. The mother has put
her right hand on her son’s head while the father, in a similar gesture, is holding a scroll in
his left hand. The pose of the couple is reminiscent of the gesture of uniting right hands
(dextrarum iunctio) symbolising marriage. In a funerary context, this gesture symbolises
the couple being united in life and death.
Second half of the 2nd century AD.
Funerary Urns (2)
(Display case and drawer 1)
1. Urn with ceramic cover
Ceramic cooking pot covered with a mortarium and turned into an urn.
En Chaplix necropolis. AD 100/150 – 200.
2. Cover of a marble urn (?)
This probably came from a child burial. In fact, figurines of the child-like God Eros on
tombs for children symbolised their becoming god-like. Sleeping Amor or Somnus (the
god of sleep) on a lion skin are images of Hellenistic origin. Sleep, usually interrupted by
waking up, was set in close context with death and resurrection.
Late 1st century AD.
3. Lead urn
Hammered lead vessels are rather rare finds; most of them were made of several pieces.
West gate necropolis.
4. Glass urn
This bellied pot originally served as a storage vessel.
En Chaplix necropolis. AD 150 – 200/250.
5. Glass urn with lid
En Chaplix necropolis. AD 70 – 100/120?
1
2
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Ground Floor The Gallo-Roman Population of Switzerland and Their View of Death
Cremation Burials
Child Burials (1)
(Display case and drawer 2)
Inhumation burial of an infant aged four to six months
Port necropolis. Late 1st – 2nd centuries AD.
1. Ceramic feeding bottle as grave offering. The infant was buried in a wooden coffin.
Inhumation burial of a few month old infant
En Chaplix necropolis. AD 120 – 140.
2. The tableware, consisting of a glass jug and bottle and a small ceramic bowl was
deposited on the coffin.
Inhumation burial of a child aged one to two years
En Chaplix necropolis. Approximately AD 150.
3. The grave goods placed in the lead sarcophagus consisted of two bowls (only one of
which is exhibited) and a glass bead.
Cremation Burials
(Display case and drawer 3)
Cremation burial of a child aged three to four years (2)
En Chaplix necropolis. Approximately AD 125 – 130.
The urn, together with a ceramic pot (not burnt), was deposited in a grave as an
offering. Three coins and a silver pendant were found among the burnt and washed
human bone in the urn. Apart from charcoal the grave also contained the remains
of many other offerings, which were burnt on the pyre but only some of which are
exhibited.
1. Glass bottle with two handles, used as urn.
2. Silver pendant and three bronze sestertii (two of Hadrian and one of Domitian),
deposited in the urn with the ashes.
3. Locally produced ceramic pot, not burnt, deposited in the glass urn in the grave.
4. Ceramic tableware, imported from southern Gaul, partly or totally burnt, a bowl, a dish,
a plate and three cups).
5. Locally produced pottery, partially or totally burnt, comprising two jugs, two bowls and
a pot.
6. Several burnt glass vessels including a ribbed cup and a green vessel decorated with
small yellow and brown-red rosettes.
7. Two iron hinges and nails.
8. Penannular fibula, a handle and various other bronze items, all burnt.
9. Two burnt bronze dupondii of Hadrian.
Cremation burial of an adult male, perhaps a shipwright
Port necropolis. Early 2nd century AD.
A wooden box measuring about 35 by 35 cm (not preserved) was used as an urn.
Apart from the burnt bones it contained fragments of iron objects, some of which
may have belonged to the box, as well as three tools, which had not been burnt
1
2
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2
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Ground Floor The Gallo-Roman Population of Switzerland and Their View of Death
Christian Burial
with the deceased (1). The proximity to the port and the presence of two tools used
for woodworking gave the archaeologists reason to speculate that the deceased
may have been a shipwright buried in his ”tool box“. Numerous offerings burnt on
the pyre such as animal bones (mainly from pigs) were placed on top of the box.
10. Wooden box as container for the ashes. Only three iron hinges, four iron fittings with
nails, an iron clip and an iron hook have been preserved.
11. Bronze handle of the box (?).
12. Iron saw, folded so that it would fit into the box.
13. Iron adze.
14. Iron pliers with the spring reinforced by a bronze strip.
15. Iron key.
16. Numerous ceramic vessels, totally or partially burnt. Imported tableware (dish,
plates, cups, bowls), locally produced pottery (pots, goblets, jug, bowl), kitchen crockery
(mortarium).
17. Fragment of handle from glass bottle.
18. Glass paste bead.
19. Bronze coin, probably dating from the second half of the 1st century AD.
20. Iron nails.
Inhumation Burial (2)
(Display case and drawer 4)
Tomb of a man
En Chaplix necropolis. AD 150 – 180.
The deceased was buried in a nailed wooden coffin (180 by 60 cm). He wore shoes
with nailed soles. Two jugs, a small bowl and a goblet, all produced locally, as well
as an imported plate and two cups were placed beside his right leg. This tableware
was used for eating and drinking.
1-2. Ceramic jugs.
3. Ceramic goblet.
4. Ceramic bowl.
5-6. Ceramic cups.
7. Ceramic plate.
8-9. Iron nails from two soles.
10. Iron coffin nails.
Christian Burial
(Display case and drawer 5)
Inhumation burial of a young girl
West gate necropolis. Mid 4th century AD.
1
2
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4
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Ground Floor The Gallo-Roman Population of Switzerland and Their View of Death
The Extraordinary Finds at the Necropolis of En Chaplix
The deceased was buried in an oak trunk. The rich grave goods given to her (1)
consisted of a bronze jug, a glass bottle and two glass goblets, a pot or goblet made
of soapstone, a ceramic cup, a partly silver-plated bronze spoon, a necklace made of
glass and jet beads, a jet bracelet as well as four bone sticks (not exhibited).
The glass goblets bear engravings, which are among the earliest evidence of the
Christian faith found in western Switzerland. On the bigger vessel, the Latin inscription
Vivas in Deo
«May you live in God»
clearly refers to the hope of resurrection. The smaller goblet shows an inscription in
Greek, partly preserved, abbreviated and transcribed with Latin letters,
Pie zezes
«Drink that you may live»
which affirms that eternal life is obtained by holy communion.
1. Bronze jug.
2. Glass bottle.
3. Glass goblet with the inscription Vivas in Deo (“May you live in God”)
4. Glass goblet with the inscription pie zezes (“Drink that you may live”)
5. Bronze spoon.
6. Pot or goblet made of soapstone.
7. Ceramic cup.
8. Glass and jet bead necklace.
9. Jet bracelet
The Extraordinary Finds at the Necropolis of En Chaplix
During the construction of the motorway important archaeological remains were
discovered in En Chaplix (2), situated at a distance of approximately 150 m from the
north-east gate of Aventicum.
The first sanctuary was erected around 15/10 BC, during the reign of the
emperor Augustus (27 BC – AD 14). In the middle of an open square, bordered by
a ditch, a wooden aedicule (small wooden temple) sheltered the cremation burial
of a woman and probably her child. The discovery of two fibulae originating from
regions either along the Danube or in the eastern Alps indicate that the deceased
may have come from that area. The numerous coin offerings prove that this tomb
had become a place of veneration.
During the reign of Tiberius (AD 14 – 37) the En Chaplix site grew in a rapid
and spectacular way (3). The construction of a road leaving Aventicum in the
northeast was followed by the reconstruction and extension of the first sanctuary.
The aedicule was replaced by a small Gallo-Roman temple (fanum) and a chapel.
A similar complex was erected directly beside it. The timber walls were probably
inserted into masonry foundations. These sanctuaries were frequently visited in the
1st century in particular and remained intact well into the 4th century AD.
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2
3
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5

Ground Floor The Gallo-Roman Population of Switzerland and Their View of Death
The Extraordinary Finds at the Necropolis of En Chaplix
Between AD 23 and 28, a first funerary monument was erected on the other side
of the road.
Around AD 40, a second monument (1) was built on an adjacent fenced-in piece
of land.
From the second half of the 1st century AD onwards, a necropolis was set up and
enclosed by ditches in the immediate surroundings of the funerary monuments.
The graves date mainly from the 2nd century AD, but some were still being added at
the beginning of the 3rd century.
In the second half of the 2nd century AD, two capstones from the wall
surrounding the funerary monuments were used to mark the tombs of the
necropolis, a sign that the site began to fall into disuse and that the veneration of
the deceased may have been abandoned.
Towards the end of the 3rd century (?), the two monuments were dismantled in
order to recover the stones.
The Two Funerary Monuments of En Chaplix
Between AD 23 and 40, two funerary monuments (mausoleums), 23 and 25 m high,
were erected along the main road leaving Aventicum through the northeast gate.
Their architecture and decoration was inspired by Greco-Roman examples.
From these Jura limestone constructions, enclosed by brick walls, only the
foundations and a few hundred scattered elements are preserved. Towards the
end of the Roman Empire the monuments had probably already been dismantled
by people salvaging construction material. Architectural pieces and sculptures
considered unsuitable for reuse were left behind.
The mausoleums were of similar height and consisted of three tiers. The base
was a massive semicircular podium bearing an inscription, which is lost today. The
inscription contained the names of the deceased and the highpoints of their military,
political and professional careers. The identity of these noblemen will probably
remain a mystery forever. The main tier consisted of an aedicule with columns, which
sheltered three statues of the deceased and their families. The person in the middle
was always slightly taller than the other two. The top tier consisted of a pyramidshaped
spire decorated with scales carved into the stone. The image would have
been imposing to passers-by at the time. The harmonious lines cleverly drew the
attention of the onlookers towards the aedicule and the statues.
The decoration of the two monuments demonstrated strong Hellenistic
influence. Although no traces of colour have been found, it cannot be ruled out that
certain parts were painted, as this was the case with other similar monuments.
The enclosures guaranteed peace for the deceased and were perhaps arranged
as gardens and decorated with statues. They afforded families a place to carry out
commemorative ceremonies and funerary banquets. No grave for either of these
1
B. Gubler Zurich
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Ground Floor The Gallo-Roman Population of Switzerland and Their View of Death
The Extraordinary Finds at the Necropolis of En Chaplix
deceased has been discovered, but it is possible that the urns containing their ashes
stood on top of the monuments or that these were cenotaphs (empty tombs) and
that the remains were buried elsewhere.
The connection between these two monuments built at an interval of twelve
years is not known. However, it seems plausible that the deceased were related and
perhaps owned the suburban villa situated on the nearby site called Le Russalet.
The villa and the monuments may have belonged to a large native Helvetian family,
thus confirming the rapid integration of the local aristocracy into the new Roman
order. These two monuments reflected the prosperity of Avenches during the
Tiberian period.
The Northern Monument
During the construction of the first monument the unstable ground forced the
builders to set the foundations on a number of oak piles driven deep into the
ground. Thanks to the humidity of the ground the wood was preserved and it was
possible through dendrochronological analyses to establish that the felling dates of
the trees lay between AD 23 and 28.
The sculptures (1) decorating the upper part of the podium on both sides of
the exedra represented two symmetrical groups each consisting of a Triton seizing
a Nereid. The concave part was most probably decorated with friezes as proven by
three rather badly preserved male portraits, one of which was probably part of a
retinue.
Judging by the shape of the roof, the ground plan of the aedicule must have
been octagonal. Only a few fragments of the three statues are preserved. The
central figure was a woman – probably the owner and donator of the monument –
flanked by two men wearing togas.
The crown of the roof was decorated with a group consisting of a Satyr carrying
the Child Bacchus, thus symbolising the elevation of the deceased to higher spheres.
9. Satyr Carrying the Child Bacchus (2)
Satyrs, recognisable by their long horses’ ears and their scruffy hairstyles, belong to the
retinue of the wine god Bacchus. In this instance, Bacchus is depicted as a child and has
wings. This particular feature indicates that he is assimilated with Amor-Somnus who
personifies sleep.
In funerary symbolism groups comprising Satyrs and Bacchus represent the
exhilarating and carefree life in the hereafter. Placing such a group on the roof of the
monument implies that the deceased had achieved a divine existence and was enjoying
life after death. This is very important because it is one of the earliest examples of this
Hellenistic theme having been taken over by the Romans (3rd – 2nd centuries BC).
Group, in limestone, crowning the northern monument of En Chaplix. Around 30 AD.
10. Head of a Drunken Silenus (3)
Like the Satyrs, the Sileni belong to the retinue accompanying Bacchus. Their particular
features are horses’ ears, bald heads and bulbous noses. Comparisons with other known
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Ground Floor The Gallo-Roman Population of Switzerland and Their View of Death
The Extraordinary Finds at the Necropolis of En Chaplix
statues indicate that this Silenus was depicted in a resting pose with legs crossed and
his head turned to the right. He wears a crown of ivy leaves and flowers. Like in the case
of the Satyr carrying the Child Bacchus, the movement of the Silenus’ head and the
rapturous expression in his face point to an Hellenistic model (3rd – 2nd centuries BC). The
Silenus statue, which stood in the funerary garden of a necropolis, symbolises carefree
life after death.
Fragment of limestone statue, belonging to the northern En Chaplix monument. Around
AD 30.
11. Nereid Bust
The Nereids are sea deities, daughters of Nereus, the Old Man of the Sea. Of this group
only the bust of the Nereid from the upper block and a fragment of Triton’s fish tail
belonging to the lower part are preserved. Regarding the model and the symbolic
meaning, please refer to the group on the right (no. 12), which is better preserved.
Limestone. Group situated in the upper left-hand corner of the façade of the northern En
Chaplix monument. Around AD 30.
12. Triton Seizing a Nereid (1)
Tritons are sea deities. Their upper bodies have human form while they are fish-shaped
from the stomach down. They belong to the retinue of Neptune, the God of the Sea. In
this case, a Triton is using both his hands to pin down a terrified Nereid on his fish tail. Her
coat is billowing in the wind.
Models for the Triton and Nereid group can be found in the Hellenistic period
(3rd – 2nd centuries BC). The motif is often used for funerary decorations, in particular on
sarcophagi. The sea creature theme symbolises blissful and carefree life after death.
Made of limestone, this group was placed in the upper right-hand corner of the façade of
the northern En Chaplix monument. Around AD 30.
The Southern Monument
The second monument was modelled on the same pattern as the first. Built on more
stable ground it did not require the use of piles, so this monument cannot be dated
as precisely as the first one.
The very similar decoration is better preserved. In the upper part of the base,
the Nereids are carried by griffins instead of Tritons. On the pedestal, two so-called
”dancing“ Attis statues, followed by a clipeus (circular decorative motif), may have
once framed the lost inscription.
A man wearing a toga, flanked by a second man and a woman was depicted in
the middle of the square column-framed aedicule. The pointed, square shaped roof
ended in a pinecone symbolising immortality.
13. Male Portrait (2)
The preserved fragments allow for the restitution of the statue as depicting one of
the deceased, represented as a Roman citizen wearing a toga and holding a scroll
(volumen); at his feet lies a box (scrinium) containing other scrolls. Holes in his forehead
indicate that he wore a metal crown, which, however, was lost. The hairstyle with curls is
inspired by representations of emperor Tiberius (AD 14 – 37). The realistic features of his
face correspond to the concept of expressive art prevailing at the end of the Republic
(1st century BC). This very carefully executed effigy is one of only a small number of
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Ground Floor The Inscriptions
portraits of a private person found to date in Switzerland.
Limestone. Funerary statue situated left of the middle statue in the aedicule of the
southern En Chaplix monument. Around AD 40.
14. Head of Attis
Attis, the Phrygian god of vegetation and lover of Cybele, a goddess from Asia Minor, is
represented here in a pensive and sad mood. His usual attributes are the Phrygian cap
and Barbarian dress. In a funerary context he symbolises mourning caused by death
and the anticipation of resurrection. This statue and its counterpart, of which only a few
fragments were found, stood in the funerary garden.
Limestone. Statue belonging to the southern En Chaplix monument. Around AD 40.
15. Dancing Attis and Edge of a Clipeus (1)
The limestone block shows a relief depicting Attis as a dancer with his left arm in the air
and his right arm posed on his hip. He is wearing a Phrygian cap and Barbarian dress
consisting of a long-sleeved tunic held together by a double belt and trousers plus a coat.
The inside of the clipeus (round decorative motif) on the adjacent block (not preserved)
was decorated either with a floral motif or with a mask.
The presence of such a motif and the image of the dancing Attis, which appeared
from the 3rd century BC onwards, clearly show the influence from southern Gaul.
The clipeus motifs are widespread along the River Rhone. While, on the other hand,
representations of a dancing Attis are frequently found in Provence, they are not known
in the provinces along the Rivers Rhine and Danube.
In the Cybele cult Attis dies every winter to be reborn in spring and in the funerary
context he is a symbol for death followed by resurrection.
The reliefs with Attis and the clipeus were situated in the corners near the base,
probably framing the lost inscription.
Limestone. Relief from the lower corner of the podium of the southern En Chaplix
monument. Around AD 40.
16. Nereid Riding on a Sea Griffin (2)
A Nereid with her coat blowing in the wind is sitting on a bearded sea griffin and holding
a shell in her hand. Nereids often ride on sea griffins with eagle or lion heads. The latter
belong to the thiasus (retinue) of sea deities. Like in the case of the group of Triton and
Nereids, models for Roman representations can be found in the Hellenistic period (3rd –
2nd centuries BC). These groups symbolise blissful life after death.
Limestone. Group placed in the upper right-hand corner of the façade of the southern En
Chaplix monument. Around AD 40.
The Inscriptions
Among other sources, written messages have always been the most important
evidence on which to base our interpretation of the past.
Today, several hundred thousand inscriptions from all provinces of the Roman
Empire are known; they are preserved on various types of materials. The texts were
carved in stone or put together as mosaics, engraved on metal objects, stamped
or scratched onto pottery or tiles, written in ink on papyrus sheets or simply
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Ground Floor The Inscriptions
The Stone Inscriptions of Avenches / Aventicum
painted onto walls. Inscriptions offer various kinds of information; they may serve
as self-portraits or propaganda, but they also reflect the wealth or reputation of
corporations and individuals.
In the western part of the Roman Empire representative stone inscriptions were
mainly written in Latin and more rarely in Greek. They offer an excellent insight
into the different areas of social life in antiquity. According to their contents Roman
inscriptions can be grouped into building, honorific, funerary and dedicatory
inscriptions. The contents of a text may also refer to the original location of the
inscription. Dedicatory inscriptions were linked with the various districts of worship,
honorific inscriptions were located on the forum and could belong to statues in
public areas, building inscriptions adorned public buildings such as baths, theatres
or bridges and funerary inscriptions were found in the official cemeteries outside
the living quarters.
The 21 letters of the Latin alphabet, some of which were also used to express
numbers, were generally written in capitals. Decorative elements such as framing,
the use of colour or the addition of pictures were used to enhance the impact of the
text. The messages were often encoded and abbreviations were common. Although
a good knowledge of the many Roman abbreviations is useful for decoding certain
parts of the texts, there are still phrases, which cannot be deciphered precisely.
Considering that in those days many people were illiterate – hence the visual
presentation of a text being more important than its contents – it can be assumed
that the majority enjoyed looking at a lavishly presented public inscription without
understanding exactly the message it conveyed.
Carving inscriptions in stone was rather expensive. Apart from the costs incurred
by the choice of material and the size of the epigraph, the salaries of various
specialists usually had to be added as well. First a scribe (auctor) composed the
text, then, taking into account the dimensions of the stone, a designer (ordinator)
prepared the layout, which afterwards was transferred by a painter (pictor) onto the
future monument so that the stonemason (lapidarius) could do the sculpting. While
it is impossible today to identify exactly the various cost components, one can
assume that the donator or donators must have belonged to the wealthier section
of the population.
The Stone Inscriptions of Avenches / Aventicum
Approximately 150 stone inscriptions are known to date from the Roman town of
Aventicum. Some of them have such monumental dimensions that they cannot be
exhibited within the museum space presently available.
Honorific inscriptions for individual citizens referring to their professional careers
and their services to the Helvetian community or the Roman colony are frequent.
It becomes apparent that, at least at certain times, family clans played a dominant
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Ground Floor The Inscriptions
The Stone Inscriptions of Avenches / Aventicum
role in administrative and political positions. The influence and personal interests
of some families, therefore, determined the destiny of the town to a considerable
extent.
The numerous dedications show that, while the population took on the Roman
pantheon, they also maintained the Gallo-Celtic belief system. It is interesting that a
relatively large number of people held an office as priests within the imperial cult.
At least three roads leading into the town of Aventicum can be identified as socalled
funerary roads lined with tombstones.
Besides the fact that the design of the preserved tombstones was very varied,
it is also striking that the inscriptions were relatively brief and some of them were
engraved in a rather careless way. Some texts refer to the considerable financial
commitment of individual people regarding the maintenance or extension of public
buildings. It also stands out that the so-called scholae are mentioned rather often.
They may have been honorary halls or gathering places. It seems that outstanding
citizens of Aventicum were publicly honoured not only by erecting statues on
pedestals with inscriptions but also by granting them permission to erect a schola.
17. Architrave with dedication (1)
Donated by the navigators on the Aar and the Aramus in honour of the imperial family
Limestone. Discovered east of insula 33 at the edge of the forum.
Late 2nd century AD. Catalogue of inscriptions no. 9.
18. Base of a statue with dedication in honour of Quintus Cluvius Macer
Limestone. Discovered in the eastern section of insula 28, the eastern portico of the
forum.
Second quarter or mid 2nd century AD. Catalogue of inscriptions no. 7.
19. Capital of pilaster with dedication to the Lugoves (2)
Limestone. Lugoves are Celtic gods who can be equated with Mars and Mercury.
The capital served as a pedestal for several statues
Discovered between the enclosures of the Grange des Dîmes and the Cigognier temples.
Late 2nd or early 3rd century AD. Catalogue of inscriptions no. 2.
20. Architrave with inscription commemorating the construction of a hall for ball games
Limestone. Discovered between insula 19 and the enclosure of the Grange des Dîmes
temple.
First half of the 2nd century AD. Catalogue of inscriptions no. 10.
21. Altar with dedication to the goddess Aventia and to the genius of the townspeople
(incolae) of Avenches (3)
Limestone. Original location unknown.
2nd – 3rd centuries AD. Catalogue of inscriptions no. 18
22. Marble dedication to the goddess Aventia
Original location unknown.
2nd – 3rd centuries AD. Catalogue of inscriptions no. 17.
23. Altar with dedication offered to doctors and teachers
Limestone. Original location unknown.
Second half of the 2nd or early 3rd century AD. Catalogue of inscriptions no. 4.
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Ground Floor Miscellaneous
24. Marble inscription in honour of [---] dius Flavus
Discovered in insula 40, at the edge of the forum.
Last quarter of the 1st century AD. Catalogue of inscriptions no. 1.
25. Dedication in honour of Septimius Severus
Discovered in insula 40, at the edge of the forum.
AD 193-211. Catalogue of inscriptions no. 8.
27. Inscription on mosaic adorning a semi-public building (1)
Discovered in insula 29, next to the forum.
Early 3rd century AD. Catalogue of inscriptions no. 19. Catalogue of mosaics no. 2.
Miscellaneous
28. Mosaic depicting Hercules and Antaeus (2)
The tessellated floor consists of a series of pictures with the central laurel-framed image
representing the fight between Hercules and Antaeus. Hunting and animal fight scenes
are depicted in the centre, at each side of the main medallion.
Antaeus was an African king, who drew his enormous strength from the earth and had
to touch soil in order to be able to defeat his enemies. When Hercules was threatened by
Antaeus, they began to wrestle; Hercules grabbed his opponent by the shoulders and lifted
him up so that he could not renew his strength, and then he squashed and destroyed him.
Here, Hercules is wearing a wreath and is thus depicted as a triumphant athlete.
The corner squares show people that look like wrestlers because of their broad
shoulders, muscular chests and thick necks. They are wearing wreathes made of leaves
similar to that of Hercules. They are quite obviously victorious wrestlers.
All the figurative motifs combined convey an image of triumph of bodily strength.
Original dimensions: 5 m by 4.5 m. Private house situated in insula 59.
Second quarter of the 3rd century AD. Catalogue of mosaics no. 20.
29. Mosaic depicting gladiators
This almost square piece of tessellated floor decorated the centre of a room, perhaps
a dining room with three beds arranged in a U-shape (triclinium) along the walls.
The geometric design is conceived in such a way that ones attention is drawn to the
centrepiece. The badly damaged central scene depicts two fighting gladiators. While only
their legs are preserved, they are easily recognised as gladiators because of the coloured
bands tied around their knees indicating which troupe they were part of.
Original dimensions: 2 m by 2.5 m. Northern suburb, private house situated north of
insula 5.
Second half of the 2nd century AD. Catalogue of mosaics no. 5.
30. Limestone relief with head of the god Sol
The Roman representations of this god are inspired by the Hellenistic iconography of Helios.
This relief may have belonged to a large bust placed in the centre of the gable of a building.
Probably from insula 19. Late 1st century AD.
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Ground Floor Miscellaneous
31. Limestone statue of a lion (1)
The lion’s paw is resting on the head of an animal, maybe a bull or a horse. This is a
decoration of a fountain; the front base is hollow so that a water pipe could be inserted.
Discovered in the region of Derrière la Tour, originating probably from the western part
of insula 16.
First half of the 2nd century AD.
32. The so-called «Red Drawing Room» mural
This mural decorated the living room or dining room of a private house, located in the
northeastern part of the town. While the painting is relatively modest for a reception
room, the work was carried out by experienced artisans.
The dark red background colour, which is rarely found north of the Alps, takes up
a large area of the wall. The dividing decorative elements, placed at regular intervals,
consist of ornamental stands entwined by tendrils and ribbons, candelabra with crossed
thyrsi and pilaster-strips. These vertical motifs are surrounded by small pictures or
medallions containing female busts, a comedy mask and a bird. The lower part was
redesigned approximately 15 to 25 years later and is divided into yellow panes with tufts
of plants and narrower panels in flecked wine red marble imitation.
This mural is a good example of the Pompeian Third Style as it developed in Gaul with
certain characteristics of the Fourth Style already appearing. The Pompeian paintings
were classified into four styles in the late 19th century. The classification is still used
today as a basis for the chronology and typology of paintings throughout the Roman
Empire. The Pompeian Third Style appeared around 20 – 15 BC, during the reign of the
emperor Augustus. It is characterised by the rejection of the illusionist architecture of
the preceding Second Style and by large colour panels decorated with various motifs,
often miniatures. The Fourth Style, which began under Claudius (AD 41 – 54), preferably
consisted of symmetrically placed motifs and architectural dividing elements.
Insula 18. Around AD 45.
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First Floor The Early Days of Aventicum
First Floor
The Early Days of Aventicum
(Display cases 1-2)
The name Aventicum derives from a local Celtic water deity, Aventia, tutelary of the
Roman city (display case 2, no. 1).
Because of its central position on the Swiss Plateau, the region of Aventicum has
been inhabited for a very long time; its easy access to the river and lake network
favoured the expansion of commerce and trade.
On several occasions, settlement traces dating from periods prior to the Roman
conquest have been found both inside and outside the city walls (Late Bronze
Age, Hallstatt and La Tène periods). In 58 BC, the Helvetii who had entrenched
themselves in the oppidum of the Mount Vully (1) left their homes and migrated
towards southeastern Gaul. After their defeat by Julius Caesar’s army at Bibracte
(present-day Mount Beuvray in Burgundy), they were forced to return. It is likely that
some of them settled on the heights of the Bois de Châtel hill south of Avenches.
The hill of Avenches may also have served as a refuge.
Only a small number of remains date from the period immediately preceding
the establishment of the first urban complex, namely from the 1st century BC. They
were discovered in religious contexts such as sanctuaries or tombs (display case 1,
no. 1) situated on the slopes of the Avenches hill. These early finds are indigenous
Celtic objects such as fibulae (display case 1, nos. 6-7), painted ware (display case 1,
no. 5) or fine grey ware (display case 1, no. 4) as well as coins (display case 1, nos. 9-12).
Some of them also provide evidence of trade relations with Italy (display case 1,
no. 2) and Gaul (display case 1, no. 3).
The Celtic coin punch (display case 1, no. 8) is of particular interest. A mere 30
such objects are known in the Celtic world including that discovered on Mount
Vully. It is a bronze punch, which was used to strike the obverse of a Celtic denarius.
A cremation burial, which was discovered in the area of the settlement,
dates from the beginnings of Aventicum, i.e. from the late 1st century BC or early
1st century AD (display case 1, no. 14). The urn, a small ceramic bowl, contained the
ashes of a woman and two bronze fibulae were deposited on top. The coin no. 13
(display case 1) dates from the same period.
Thanks to wood preserved in the ground (2) it is possible in several cases to
establish the exact felling dates of the trees used for the construction of the first known
buildings of Aventicum. In this instance, the assistance provided by dendrochronology
(dating of the tree rings of a piece of timber) is particularly efficient. Accordingly, the
construction of the port began in AD 5; the trees used to build the earliest houses
discovered to date were felled in autumn/winter AD 6/7. These houses were already
part of the orthogonal road network typical of Roman towns.
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First Floor
1
2

First Floor The Indigenous Population
Display case 1
Items 1 - 5 were found in the area of the Derrière La Tour sanctuary.
1. Ceramic urn containing cremated human bone. Early 1 st century BC.
2. Terra sigillata plate from Central Italy. The centre shows the potter’s stamp of L. Tetti
Crito. Late 1 st century BC. (1)
3. Ceramic plate from the region of Lyons. Late 1 st century BC.
4. Ceramic pot with vertical comb decoration. 1 st century BC.
5. Ceramic pot or bottle, decorated with painted bands. 1 st century BC.
6. Bronze fibula. Late 1 st century BC / early 1 st century AD.
7. Bronze fibula. 1 st century AD.
8. Celtic coin punch (2).
9. Celtic coin: Quinarius of Vatico. Second half of the 1 st century BC.
10. Celtic coin: Quinarius of Caletedu. Second half of the 1 st century BC.
11. Celtic coin: Büschel type Quinarius. Second half of the 1 st century BC.
12. Celtic coin: Sequanian potin. 1 st century BC.
13. Roman coin: Quadrans of Germanus Indutilli. After 15 BC.
14. Burnt ceramic bowl, signed Atei. It contained two bronze fibulae placed on tiny
fragments of cremated human bone. Late 1 st century BC / early 1 st century AD.
Display case 2
1. Dedication to the goddess Aventia (3) :
Deae /
Aventiae Cn(aeus)Iul(ius)
Marcellinus
Equester
d(e) s(ua) p(ecunia)
« To the goddess Aventia. (Monument erected and) paid for by Gnaeus Iulius Marcellinus
from the equestrian colony »
Limestone. 1 st – 3 rd century AD.
Catalogue of inscriptions : no. 16.
The Indigenous Population
(Display cases 3-5)
Most of the inhabitants of the Roman city of Aventicum were native Celtic Helvetii
already living in the region prior to the conquest; a smaller portion of the inhabitants,
however, were Romans sent by the emperor in order to advance the city’s
development (merchants, businessmen, civil servants). The indigenous population,
who outnumbered them by far, were Romanised within a few generations. Rome
granted citizenship to a considerable number of Celtic aristocratic families, perhaps
in exchange for certain services or land (display case 4, no. 1).
The population underwent a process of fast Romanisation and rapidly adopted
the customs and habits of the conquerors.
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3
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First Floor
1
2
3
4
5

First Floor Language and Writing
Nevertheless, Celtic culture and traditions survived. The Celtic heritage is apparent
in art (display case 3, no. 1; display case 5, nos. 1-2), religion, writing, craftsmanship
(display case 5, nos. 3-6), hairstyles and clothing (display case 3, no. 1).
Display case 3
1. Bust of woman (1) wearing a torque, a typical Celtic piece of jewellery, as well as a tunic
and a cloak fashionable among the native population. Limestone. Early 1st century AD at
the latest.
Display case 4
1. Dedication in honour of Caius Valerius Camillus:
C(aio) Valer(io) C(ai) f(ilio) Fab(ia)Ca
millo quoi publice
funus Haeduorum
civitas et Helvet(i)decre
verunt et civitas
Helvet(iorum)
qua pagatim qua publice
statuas decrevit
I[u]lia C(ai)Iuli Camilli f(ilia) Festilla
ex testamento
« To Caius Valerius Camillus, son of Caius, of the Fabia tribe, for whom the communities
of the Haedui and Helvetii ordered an official funeral; furthermore, the community of the
Helvetii dedicated statues to him, in the name of each pagus as well as in the name of
the entire civitas. Iulia Festilla, daughter of Caius Iulius Camillus, (erected this inscription)
according to the last will of the deceased »
Marble block, discovered near the forum. Second quarter of the 1st century AD.
Catalogue of inscriptions: no. 5.
Display case 5
1. Head of woman, limestone. Cigognier sanctuary. Second half of the 2nd century AD.
2. Gilt bronze head of a dead Helvetian (2). Cigognier sanctuary. 2nd century AD.
3. Ceramic pot, painted according to local tradition.
4-5. Ceramic goblets, with figurative decoration. Second half of the 2nd century AD.
6. Ceramic goblet with erotic scene. Second half of the 2nd century AD.
Language and Writing
(Display case 6)
The Helvetii spoke Gaulish, a Celtic language, which probably varied from one region
of Gaul to the next. It was mainly a spoken language. The rare evidence at our
disposal consists of written documents of lesser importance, which offer only limited
information about Celtic culture. In the beginning, the Celts used Greek letters to
transcribe their language. The arrival of the Romans led to the dissemination of Latin,
a new language, which, depending on the density of the Roman immigrants, was
more or less understood and adopted.
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First Floor Language and Writing
No inscriptions in Gaulish have been discovered in Aventicum. From time to time,
Celtic names are found, written in a mixture of Greek and Latin alphabets (display
case 6, no.9, display case 23, no. 1). It can be assumed that, from the 1st century
AD onwards, the inhabitants of Aventicum understood Latin. This is confirmed by
funerary, honorific and votive inscriptions dating from this period as well as graffiti
carved on various types of surfaces.
They used a stylus (stilus) for writing (display case 6, nos. 19-21) which had one
sharp end for incising the letters into a wax-covered wooden tablet. The other end
was spatula-shaped so that the text could be erased by smoothing out the wax.
Several tablets could be tied together with a string (display case 6, no. 18).
For writing on papyrus or parchment they used a calamus or quill with a
sharpened point, which was dipped into an inkwell (atramentarium). The latter
could be made of glass (display case 6, no. 10), pottery (display case 6, no. 11) or
bronze. The ink was diluted with water before its use and was either derived from
cuttlefish, from lees of wine or consisted of a mixture of soot and resin.
A book (volumen) consisted of several pages of papyrus or parchment glued
together, which were then rolled onto a wooden stick (display case 6, no. 1).
Capital letters were used for inscriptions on stone and for hallmarks on mortars
(display case 6, no. 8), vases (display case 6, no. 9), amphorae, tiles, and also on various
metal objects.
Engraved (display case 6, nos. 2-3) or painted inscriptions (display case 6, nos. 4-
5) were generally written in italics (small letters); the same applied to everyday
correspondence. Occasionally graffiti were written in capital letters (display case 6,
nos. 6-7).
Seal-boxes (display case 6, nos. 12-16) served as protection for seals used for
closing up writing tablets or parcels. In order to seal something, the intaglioengraved
signet ring was pressed into wax (display case 6, no. 17).
Display case 6
1. Marble statue of a sitting philosopher or poet holding a volumen in his left hand.
2. Fragment of a grey ceramic storage vessel bearing the inscription, in italics, ...icco
immallobrocus, the meaning of which is not clear.
3. Majuscule inscription on painted wall plaster.
4. Neck of amphora (1st century AD) with painted inscription indicating its contents (1):
Excel(lens) / flos... « Excellent flower » ... (referring to the quality of garum, a sauce
containing pieces of fish pickled in salt).
5. Amphora neck bearing a painted inscription indicating its capacity (LXX probably
70 Roman pounds or the equivalent of approximately 32.8 litres) as well as the merchant’s
name in genitive case: Felicionis (Felicio). 2nd century AD.
6. Jug fragments (2) with a graffito in capital letters:
LAGO(NA) NICOMIIDIIS QVI ILLA IIMIIRIT
« The (wine)jug of Nicomedes who really deserves it »
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First Floor The Division of Time
It is worth noting that two vertical bars were used to transcribe the letter E, which had
been a frequently used sign in the former Celtic region. The name Nicomedes points to
Greek origin and he was probably a slave.
7. Goblet bearing an engraved graffito in capital letters: SIIXTVS. According to Celtic
tradition, the letter E is written with two vertical bars in this rather typical Latin name.
2nd century AD.
8. Mortar (mortarium) manufactured in Aventicum and bearing the stamp of the potter
Ruscus. 2nd century AD.
9. Fragment of plate manufactured in Aventicum and bearing the stamp of the potter
Cinced. It is worth noting that the name is written with a barred D as used in the very rare
Celtic inscriptions. Second half of the 1st century AD.
10. Glass inkwell (1).
11. Ceramic inkwell.
12-16. Bronze seal-boxes (2).
17. Bronze ring with intaglio depicting a dolphin.
18. Facsimile wooden tablets, filled with wax.
19-21. Iron styli (writing implements).
The Division of Time
(Display cases 7-8)
With the exception of a few minor changes, the Roman calendar introduced by
Julius Caesar in 46 BC, is still in use today and continues to regulate our lives. The
Roman year began on January 1st and was divided into twelve months, the names
and sequence of which have remained unchanged. Determining the day of a
month was complicated because, unlike in present times, this was not achieved by
counting from 1 to 31; instead, the Romans counted backwards from one of the
three fixed points within a month: the calends (first day of the month), the nones
(5th or 7th day depending on the month) (display case 8, no. 2) and the ides (13th or
15th day, again depending on the month).
Every day had 24 hours. The day, from sunrise to sunset, comprised twelve
hours, as did the night. Therefore, the length of an hour varied depending on the
time of year and one’s geographical position. Only noon, the sixth hour (sexta hora),
remained the same.
In several modern languages directly derived from Latin like Italian or French,
some weekdays still reflect the Roman influence such as the days named after the
gods Mars (Tuesday - mardi) or Mercury (Wednesday - mercredi).
In general, an hour was determined according to brightness. In order to measure
time more exactly, three instruments were used: the sundial (display case 8, no. 1,
drawing), which was either fixed or portable, the hourglass or the water clock
(clepsydra).
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First Floor Weights and Measures
The Zodiac is the celestial sphere divided into twelve equal sections. In linking
astronomy with astrology, they are named after their nearest star constellations. The
zodiac was imported from the Orient and became popular in Rome in the 1st century
BC. From then on it soon spread across the whole of Italy and the provinces and it
is often found on reliefs, mosaics (display case 7, no. 1) or jewellery.
Display case 7
1. Fragment of mosaic representing the twelve signs of the zodiac. Only Pisces,
Capricornus and Taurus are original, the sign of Gemini is reconstructed.
Around AD 200, Derrière La Tour Palace. Loan from the Historical Museum in Bern.
Display case 8
1. Inscription, in italics, engraved on a wall fresco (1):
IIII nonas / Apriles / die / Martis
« Fourth day before the April nones, the day of Mars », referring to Tuesday April 2nd AD....
Between AD 35 and 80.
2. Limestone sundial (2).
Weights and Measures
(Display case 9)
The Roman measuring unit for length was the foot (pes); it varied over time
and from one region to the next. At the beginning of our time it measured
approximately 29.6 cm. A foot was subdivided into twelve ounces (unciae); three
ounces were a palm (palmes), the equivalent of the breadth of the palm of a
hand. Two and a half feet were a pace (gradus) and one thousand double-paces
(passus) were a mile (mille passus) or the equivalent of approximately 1478.5 m.
The distances between towns were calculated in miles and indicated on big stone
pillars, the so-called milestones. The league (leuca), a Gaulish measure, never
completely disappeared in this region.
Short distances were measured using rulers (regula) and dividers (circinus)
(display case 9, nos. 1-2). The latter were not only used to draw circles, but also
to measure or transcribe distances. Together with the protractor, the plumb
line (perpendiculum) (display case 9, nos. 3-4) was used to mark out vertical and
horizontal surfaces.
The basic measuring unit for weight was the pound (libra), which corresponds
to 327.45 g (display case 9, no. 7); it was subdivided into twelve ounces (unciae) of
27.3 g each (display case 9, nos. 16-17). Sometimes it is possible to identify the value
of a weight thanks to a letter or sign inscribed on it. “I” was the abbreviation for a
pound (display case 9, no 7) and “S” (semis) for half a pound (display case 9, no. 5).
Merchants used two types of scales. The most common was the steelyard
(statera) with one balance pan (display case 9, nos. 10 and 12). It is still known today
as ”Roman scales“. An object was weighed by moving the suspended steelyard
weight along a balance arm with engraved markings (sketch 1). The counterweights
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First Floor Weights and Measures
The Dodecahedron, a Measuring Instrument ?
were of different shapes; the more simple ones looked like an acorn or sphere
(display case 9, nos. 10, 13-14), the more elaborate ones were human busts. The
second type of scales (libra) had two parallel, equidistant scale pans (display case 9,
no. 11). An object was weighed by choosing weights of different sizes (display case 9,
nos. 5-9, 16-20) (sketch 2).
The measuring unit used for capacity was the quadrantal which was the
equivalent of an amphora containing 26.2 litres. Half an amphora was an urn (urna)
or 13.1 litres and a third was a modius or 8.7 litres. Small quantities were measured
with a spoon (cochlear) containing 0.0011 litres (display case 9, no. 21).
Display case 9
1-2. Iron dividers.
3. Bronze plump.
4. Iron plump or steelyard weight.
5. Bronze weight, stamped IIS which is two and a half pounds (librae), i.e. 818.6 g.
6. Bronze weight, stamped II which is two pounds, i.e. 654.9 g (1).
7. Bronze weight, stamped I which is one pound, i.e. 327.4 g.
8. Stone weight of almost one pound and a third, i.e. 436.6 g.
9. Bronze weight, stamped :: indicating one third of a pound (triens), i.e. 109.1 g.
10. Iron steelyard (2) with a counterweight made of iron filled with lead and weighing
close to two and two third pounds, i.e. 873.2 g.
11. Bronze scales with two arms and two scale pans.
12. Bronze steelyard with engraved graduated scale.
13. Lead-filled bronze counterweight with chain weighing close to five ounces (quincunx),
i.e. 136,4 g.
14. Lead counterweight with chain weighing close to seven pounds, i.e. 2292.1 g.
15. Bronze scale pan, stamped BANAIV.
16-17. Stamped bronze weight of close to one ounce (uncia), i.e. 27.3 g.
18. Bronze weight of close to half an ounce (semuncia), i.e. 13.6 g.
19. Bronze weight of close to a quarter pound (quadrans), i.e. 81.9 g.
20. Bronze weight of close to a sixth of a pound (sextans), i.e. 54.6 g.
21. Bronze spoon (cochlear) holding about 0.011 litres. This quantity represents the
smallest measuring unit.
The Dodecahedron, a Measuring Instrument?
(Display case 10)
Bronze dodecahedron (3) found in a house in Aventicum.
The dodecahedron is a geometrical, three-dimensional solid, i.e. a regular
polyhedron with twelve equal pentagonal faces. The object is hollow; each face is
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3
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First Floor Theatre, Games and Music
perforated and has a round opening of varying dimension (0.9 cm to 2.6 cm). Ten
openings are surrounded by concentric circles. The two largest openings, located
on opposite faces, do not show any decoration. According to present knowledge,
all recorded dodecahedra were found on Gallo-Roman sites, mainly north of the Alps
and in particular in central and northeastern Gaul. More than sixty examples are
known to date. While dodecahedra are not rare objects they are not very common
either, which explains the exceptional interest they attract.
Generations of intrigued archaeologists have been trying to discover the possible
use of dodecahedra. They are often classified as decorative objects, games or
measuring instruments. It has also been suggested that they were used for religious
purposes, but so far, no dodecahedron has been found inside or near a sanctuary.
Nowadays, archaeologists think that they might be have been astronomical
instruments. Thus, the twelve faces would have represented the twelve months
and the thirty edges the days of the month. According to one recent theory, the
dodecahedron served to determine a range of dates in relation to the spring and
autumn equinoxes.
Theatre, Games and Music
(Display cases 11-14)
Panem et circenses - ”bread and games” - were what the people wanted; this
demand was met by the emperor and the local officials who, by means of donations
and other generous gestures, contributed to the organisation of games and other
entertainment with the aim of keeping the masses quiet, suppressing protest and
revolt and ensuring the support and sympathy of the people.
Tragedies and, above all, comedies were performed in the theatre. The actors
(display case 12, no. 5; 1) recited verses accompanied by music and were called
histriones or cantores. Usually they were slaves or freedmen. They wore tragic or
comic masks, which we are familiar with because they were often reproduced in
marble or terra-cotta decorations (display case 12, no. 3), and also on ceramic vases,
terra-cotta oil lamps (display case 12, nos. 6-9), ivory objects (display case 12, no. 4),
wall paintings, mosaics (display case 11, no. 1) or stone monuments (display case 12,
nos. 1-2). According to ancient written sources there were as many as 28 types of
tragic and 46 types of comic masks.
The Romans also loved mime and pantomime. The latter was a kind of dance
and most of it was based on Greek mythology. The actors wore richly embroidered
tunics and some of them represented five different characters. The narrative part
was sung by a choir accompanied by musicians playing flutes (display case 14,
no. 10), lyres (display case 14, nos. 3 and 9), citharas (display case 14, nos. 4-6) or
cymbals (display case 14, nos. 1-2).
In mime the musical accompaniment resembled that of the pantomime but
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First Floor Theatre, Games and Music
the dancers did not wear any masks and sang the verses themselves. Instead of
referring to Greek mythology, the subjects presented were based on real events
and were inspired by everyday life. In general, the performances were comic and
sometimes even vulgar.
Display case 11
1. Mosaic depicting the scene of a play, with two actors, one of whom is wearing a comic
mask representing a young girl.
Display case 12
1. Funerary mask of a tragic heroine, limestone. Early 2nd century AD.
2. Satyr mask on a marble relief. Last quarter of the 1st century AD.
3. Terra-cotta antefix decorated with a mask.
4. Ivory box in the shape of a comic mask. 1st – 2nd centuries AD.
5. Bronze statuette of tragic actor (p. 28, 1); his belt shows an inscription, probably
Dovecus which might be his name. Early 3rd century AD. Catalogue of inscriptions: no. 22.
6-9. Medallions of various terra-cotta oil lamps decorated with comic masks (1).
In the amphitheatre one watched gladiatorial combat (munera) where two men
fought to the death (display case 13, nos. 1-9) to the sound of horns or organs
(display case 14, no. 7). As a rule, gladiators were slaves, prisoners of war, criminals
sentenced to death or young men from noble families who had fallen from grace
and had been attracted by fame and easy money. They were trained in barracks
specifically built for that purpose (ludi).
Hunting scenes (venationes) (display case 13, no. 11) were also staged in sets
representing wilderness. Wild animals were set on each other, for instance large
game on dear, lions (display case 13, no. 12) on tigers, bears on bulls (display case 13,
no. 10), or men on animals such as bulls, bears, panthers, tigers or lions.
The circus was another form of entertainment, but so far no such structure has
been discovered at Aventicum. A circus was mainly used for chariot races, but also
for sports competitions such as boxing, wrestling or running.
Display case 13
1. Fighting gladiator (2). Lead glazed pottery decoration, originally part of a vessel.
Mid 1st century AD.
2. Ivory handle of a flick knife decorated with two gladiators (p. 30, 1). 3rd century AD.
3. Gladiator. Bronze statuette. 2nd – 3rd centuries AD.
4. Gladiator. Bronze fitting.
5. Fragment of glass goblet, depicting scenes of gladiatorial combat. Two names of
gladiators are partly preserved: (Colu)mbus and (Calam)us.
6. Fragment of glass goblet, depicting scenes of gladiatorial combat. Three names are
partly preserved (Calam)us, Orie(n)s and Petr(aites).
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First Floor Trade and Money
The Monetary System from the 1 st to the 3 rd Century
7. Gladiator armed with a trident and a knife. Terra-cotta oil lamp.
8. Two gladiators fighting each other. Terra-cotta oil lamp.
9. Bowl in terra sigillata, with gladiator scene. Late 1st century AD.
10. Ceramic drinking vessel decorated with a bull. Second half of the 2nd century AD.
11. Hunting scene. Terra-cotta oil lamp.
12. Ceramic pottery bowl, decorated with a lion. Second half of the 2nd century AD.
Music was ever-present in everyday Roman life. It not only accompanied plays
and combat, but also public and private festivities, banquets, weddings, funerals,
triumphal parades, processions and religious sacrifices.
The organ fragments (display case 14, no. 7) discovered in Aventicum are
particularly important since, to date, only three instruments of this type have been
found within the boundaries of the Roman Empire.
Display case 14
1-2. Small bronze cymbals.
3. Arm of a lyre (?) made of antler. Early 1st century AD.
4. Sitting Cupid, playing the cithara. Ivory medallion.
5. Sitting Cupid, playing the cithara. Terra-cotta oil lamp (2).
6. Ivory cithara. This object may have served as a decorative element on a piece of
furniture.
7. Bronze parts of a water organ (3). Chest and bronze key showing the figure VIIII, which
identifies it as the ninth key. Derrière la Tour Palace.
8. Plectrum, probably made of tortoise shell, used for playing the strings of a lyre or
cithara.
9. Right arm of a bronze statue. The thumb and index finger are holding a plectrum in the
shape of a lion’s paw.
10. Right hand of a bronze statue representing a flute player; found in the refuse dump of
a bronze smith.
Trade and Money
(Display case 15)
The Monetary System from the 1 st to the 3 rd Century
Reorganised by Augustus, the monetary system of the Roman Empire was
comprised of gold, silver, brass and copper coins. The relationships between
these metals and the coin weights were clearly defined (display case 15, no. 1).
Therefore, the different values of the coins could easily be distinguished (display
case 15, nos. 2-8) by the colour of the metal. The brass coins (sesterces and semis),
for instance, were worth twice as much as the copper coins (as and quadrans).
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First Floor Trade and Money
Genuine Coins and Counterfeits
The Augustan monetary system was quite stable and was still used well into the
3rd century. During the first two centuries, slight reductions in weight and precious
metal content brought about some minor changes. The accelerating devaluation
from the late 2nd century onwards prompted Caracalla in AD 214 to introduce the
antoninianus, a new coin, which was worth two denarii. With increasing inflation the
antoninianus rapidly lost its value in the 3rd century and, under Claudius II the Goth
(AD 268 – 270), it contained little more than 2% silver. A series of antoniniani reflect
this evolution (display case 15, nos. 9-12).
The emperor Marcus Aurelius (AD 270 – 275) tried to slow down devaluation by
creating a new antoninianus (display case 15, no. 13). However, this monetary reform
was not successful and Diocletian (AD 284 – 305) introduced fundamental changes.
The new system (display case 15, no. 14) remained in use for several centuries but
also suffered devaluation (see 4th century AD coins (display case 25, nos. 20-39).
Prices and Remuneration
Not many written documents contain information on prices and salaries in Roman
times and only a very small number refer to the regions situated within the
present-day Swiss borders. However, in Pompeii, which was totally destroyed by the
eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79, graffiti found on house walls do give some
indication of prices (display case 15, nos. 15-20):
Food
oil 1/3 litre 1 sesterce
bread (small) 1/2 kg ¼ sesterce = 1 as (display case 15, no. 15)
table wine 1 measure ¼ sesterce = 1 as
wine from Falerne 1 measure 1 sesterce
Pottery
oil lamp ½ sesterce = 2 as (display case 15, nos. 16-18)
a simple plate ¼ sesterce = 1 as
small drinking vessel ¼ sesterce = 1 as (display case 15, nos. 19-20)
Clothes
tunic 15 sesterces
washing of tunic 4 sesterces
Miscellaneous
mule 520 sesterces
slave 2524 sesterces
Genuine Coins and Counterfeits
The value of a coin was guaranteed by the portrait and the name of the emperor
on it. Imperial money was personified in MONETA AVGVSTA (the imperial coin) who
1
Aureus of Hadrian
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First Floor Trade and Money
Money Saving and Spending Reflected in Coin Finds
was depicted with scales, symbolising both the imperial power and the concern to
exercise a rigorous control over monetary value (display case 15, no. 21).
An extraordinary find during the excavations of the temple at Derrière la Tour in
1996 was a coin balance with a predetermined weight (display case 15, no. 22), which
confirmed that the weight of coins was monitored in Avenches itself. By means of
such a balance, denarii that were too light could be identified and subsequently
withdrawn from circulation. However, it was impossible with these scales to
distinguish a good silver denarius (display case 15, nos. 23-24) from a counterfeit
denarius made of silver-plated copper (display case 15, nos. 25-26) or from a cast
denarius with far too little silver content (display case 15, no. 27). After all, these types
of counterfeits could indeed have the official weight. Like everywhere within the
Roman Provinces, numerous counterfeit denarii were in circulation in Avenches.
There were even counterfeits that contained no precious metals at all, such as
copper-plated iron coins (display case 15, nos. 28-29).
Money Saving and Spending Reflected in Coin Finds
Just like people nowadays, the inhabitants of a Roman town would have used their
money in various ways. They would have had to spend money on their everyday
needs such as food, household utensils or clothes; those who could afford to tried
to save money.
The most frequent coin finds during excavations are those made of copper, brass
or bronze (display case 15, nos. 30-36). They reflect the daily monetary exchange.
Together with other archaeological finds, these often badly corroded coins offer
precious information, for instance, for the purpose of dating a layer. However,
archaeologists are sometimes lucky enough to find a coin hoard (display case 15, no.
43), a collection of coins, which are still in a purse (display case 15, nos. 37-42), or a
moneybox (display case 15, no. 44).
Display case 15
1. The monetary system of the Roman Empire from the 1st – 3rd centuries AD.
2. Aureus, gold, Augustus (27 BC – AD 14) (1).
3. Denarius, silver, Antoninus Pius (AD 141 – 161), for his wife Faustina the Elder.
4. Sestertius, brass, Marcus Aurelius (AD 161 – 180), for the deified Faustina the Younger.
5. Dupondius, brass, Domitian (AD 81 – 96).
6. As, copper, Augustus (27 BC – AD 14), for Tiberius
7. Semis, brass, Augustus (27 BC – AD 14), for Tiberius.
8. Quadrans, copper, Domitian (AD 81 – 96).
9. Antoninianus, Gordianus III (AD 238 – 244).
10. Antoninianus, Valerian I (AD 253 – 260).
11. Antoninianus, Claudius II the Gothic (AD 268 – 270).
1
Aureus of Augustus
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First Floor Rome and Aventicum
The Emperor, the Imperial Family and the Province
12. Antoninianus, Tetricus I (AD 271 – 274).
13. Antoninianus, Aurelian (AD 270 – 275).
14. Follis, Diocletianus (AD 284 – 305).
15. A loaf of bread costs 1 as.
16-18. An oil lamp costs 2 as ( = 1 dupondius = 1/2 sestertius).
19-20. A goblet costs 1 as.
21. As, reverse depicting the personification of Money holding scales.
22. Coin balance with predetermined weight, Julio-Claudian period.
23. Denarius, silver, Augustus (27 BC – AD 14).
24. Official denarius, silver (with a Z-shaped mint mark), Tiberius.
25. Denarius, counterfeit, silver-plated copper, Nero (1).
26. Denarius, counterfeit, silver-plated copper, Domitian.
27. Denarius, cast counterfeit, alloy with low silver content.
28. Sesterce, counterfeit, copper (?)-plated iron, Marcus Aurelius.
29. Dupondius or as, counterfeit, copper (?)-plated iron, Marcus Aurelius for Faustina the
Younger.
30-36. Isolated finds from archaeological excavations.
37-42. Contents of a purse: 6 sesterces.
43. Hoard (?) of denarii.
44. Moneybox, 2nd century AD (2).
Rome and Aventicum
(Display cases 16-18)
The Emperor, the Imperial Family and the Province
Rome exercised its power and influence over its territory in various ways. A rigorous
organisation ensured the administration of the provinces. In general, the official
language (Latin in the West, Greek in the East), legislation, monetary and fiscal
systems as well as standard measures and weights were imposed upon the
provinces. Loyalty and obedience towards Rome and the emperor were expected.
The Latin term urbs, originally just the Latin word for “town”, was synonymous
for Rome, the capital of the Empire. It is often represented by the she-wolf feeding
the twins Romulus and Remus, the emblem illustrating the myth of the foundation
of the capital.
The power of the emperor and his family became very apparent in the imperial
cult (display case 17, no. 6), introduced by Augustus. The living emperor was
considered to be divine. At Aventicum the imperial cult was probably celebrated in
the Cigognier sanctuary where the gold bust of Marcus Aurelius was found. Images
of the emperor and of members of his family were present in the form of statues
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First Floor Rome and Aventicum
The Emperor, the Imperial Family and the Province
and busts throughout the town. However, only a few examples have survived.
While certain portraits can clearly be identified (Marcus Aurelius, Agrippina the
Elder), this is not the case for others (display case 17, nos. 1-5). The emperor could be
represented naked like a god, wearing a toga like a philosopher or in armour as the
most senior general in the army.
The image of the emperor was omnipresent on coins and medallions thus
guaranteeing their authenticity (display case 17, nos. 11-23). Coins were a means
of propaganda not only to convey the portrait of the ruler, but also to remind the
population of political or family events as well as to spread moral and political
values (display case 17, nos. 24-33).
The imperial family also played a role in the economy. They owned quarries,
vineyards and estates producing olive oil, for instance. The lead medallion bearing
the portrait of Antonia the Younger (display case 17, no. 7), mother of the emperor
Claudius, probably belonged to a seal from a shipment of goods that was under
imperial protection.
Display case 16
1. Dedication to the educator of an emperor:
[D(is)] M(anibus)
Pomp(eiae)Gemell[(ae)
Pomp(eia) Dic[a]ea l(iberta)
et Primu[l]ia s(erva)
educat(ricis) [A]ug(usti)n(ostri)
« To the Manes Gods. The manumitted Pompeia Diacaea and slave Primulia (erected this
monument) to Pompeia Gemella, educator of our Emperor »
This is probably a funerary inscription for the educator of the emperor Titus (AD 70 – 81).
Second half of the 1st century AD. Catalogue of inscriptions: no. 3.
Display case 17
1-5. Fragments of a bronze statue probably representing the emperor Hadrian (AD 117 –
138) wearing armour. First half 2nd century AD.
6. Votive bronze plaque dedicated to Mars Caisivus:
Mart[i] Caisiv[o]
Pomp(onius or -eius ? ) Optatus
fl(amen)Aug(usti) {e}x stip(e)
« To Mars Caisivus. Pomponius (?), Optatus, priest of the imperial cult, had this (statuette?)
made after having collected funds »
This plaque was certainly linked to an offering dedicated to Mars Caisivus by a priest of
the imperial cult. 1st – 3rd centuries AD. Catalogue of inscriptions: no. 23.
7. Portrait of Antonia the Younger (36 BC – AD 37), mother of the emperor Claudius
(AD 41 – 54). Lead plaque.
8. Portrait of the emperor Hadrian (AD 117 – 138). Roman period reworking of a bronze
coin into a medallion (1).
9. Portrait of the emperor Commodus (AD 180 – 192). Bronze medallion (2).
10. Portrait of a princess? Medallion in cast glass (3).
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First Floor Rome and Aventicum
The Emperor, the Imperial Family and the Province
11-33. Coins
Top row, from left to right :
11. Augustus (27 BC – AD 14).
12. Tiberius (AD 14 – 37).
13. Antonia the Younger. Mother of the emperor Claudius. Dupondius.
14. Claudius I (AD 41 – 54) (1).
15. Vespasian (AD 69 – 79).
16. Domitian (AD 81 – 96).
17. Antoninus Pius (AD 138 – 161).
18. Marcus Aurelius (AD 161 – 180).
19. Faustina the Younger (approximately AD 130 – 176), wife of Marcus Aurelius.
20. Septimius Severus (AD 193 – 211).
21. Julia Domna (approximately AD 170 – 217), wife of Septimius Severus.
22. Maximinus Thrax (AD 235 – 238).
23. Philip the Arab (AD 244 – 249).
Bottom row, from left to right:
24. Altar of Lyons. Augustus.
25. Templum Divi Augusti restitutum. Issued by Antoninus Pius on the occasion of the
renovation of the temple of Augustus.
26. Virtuti Augusti. Domitian.
27. Concordia: clasped hands symbolising harmony. Nerva.
28. Concordia Augustorum. Marcus Aurelius and his brother Lucius Verus announce their
intention to rule together in harmony. Sesterce (2).
29. Adlocutio: Marcus Aurelius addressing the troops.
30. Stack of arms; memorial to Marcus Aurelius’ victory over Germanic tribes (3).
31. Faustina the Younger, wife of Marcus Aurelius, with six of their thirteen children.
32. One of the pairs of twins of Marcus Aurelius and Faustina: the future emperor
Commodus and his brother.
33. The funeral of Antonia the Younger, the mother of the emperor Claudius.
Display case 18
13. Dedication to Britannicus (AD 41 – 54), son of the emperor Claudius and his wife
Messalina.
Ti(berio) Claud(io) Caesari
Ti(beri) Claudi Caesaris
[Aug(usti)Germanici] p(atris) p(atriae)f(ilio)
[Britannico]
[Helveti public]e
« To Tiberius Claudius Caesar Britannicus, son of the emperor Tiberius Claudius bearing
the title the German and father of our country. The Helvetii (erected this monument)
upon public decision »
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First Floor Rome and Aventicum
The Emperor, the Imperial Family and the Province
This is one of the rare dedications to the young Britannicus murdered at the age of 14
by his stepbrother Nero who became emperor in AD 54. This inscription was found on a
block, which probably served as the plinth for a statue.
Catalogue of inscriptions: no. 6.
Freestanding objects at the back and in the centre of the hall
Back, from left to right :
Capitoline She-Wolf Feeding the Twin Brothers Romulus and Remus (1)
The limestone low relief was discovered in the courtyard of the Derrière la Tour palace.
2nd century AD.
This relief depicts the symbol of the Roman Empire, the myth of the miraculous rescue of
the founder of Rome and his brother. This motif was very popular and was still used on
Late Antique coins (display case 25, no. 20).
Portrait of a Princess (2)
Marble bust, discovered in the Roman theatre of Aventicum in 1847. Copy; the original is
exhibited in the Archaeological Museum of Neuchâtel.
The face, hair and clothes of the princess were painted. Remnants of red colour still
visible in her hair were undercoat for the original gold plating. The features of the
princess were enhanced by careful colour modelling. She was wearing a blue-green
dress.
The identification of this high quality portrait remains controversial. It could be Julia,
the daughter of Drusus the Younger and Livilla. In AD 21 at the age of 15, she married
Nero Julius Caesar, the son of Germanicus, designated crown prince in AD 23, but then
declared a public enemy and exiled by the Senate.
According to another interpretation this portrait represents the mother of emperor
Claudius, Antonia the Younger, who lived from 36 BC to AD 37.
The presence of this bust underlines the close relations that existed between Rome and
Aventicum at the time of the emperor Tiberius.
Agrippina the Elder
Marble statue, discovered in the northern part of the forum of Aventicum. Second quarter
of the 1st century AD.
Monumental statue, approximately 2.75 m high and probably showing the features of
Agrippina the Elder, the wife of Germanicus. She was the mother of the emperor Caligula
(AD 37 – 41) and of Agrippina the Younger, who would later have a son, the emperor
Nero (AD 54 – 68). Agrippina the Elder is represented here as the goddess Fortuna. She
is wearing a chiton (woman’s garment of Greek origin) and Roman shoes and is holding
a cornucopia. Despite the poor state of preservation of the statue, the high quality
craftsmanship of the sculptor is apparent.
This sculpture belongs to a group of statues representing three or four members of the
imperial family. The public display of images of the emperor and his family was part of
Rome’s political propaganda.
Male Statue
Marble foot discovered in the northern part of the forum of Aventicum. Second quarter of
the 1st century AD.
This foot comes from the same group of statues as the sculpture of Agrippina the
Elder. The type of shoe indicates that the person represented was a member of the
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First Floor Religion
Oriental Cults
imperial family and that he was wearing armour. The original height of the statue was
approximately 3 metres.
Equestrian Statue (1)
Gilt bronze leg, discovered in the area of the Derrière La Tour Palace. 2nd – 3rd centuries AD.
Only the right leg of the horseman is preserved. He is wearing shoes called calcei patricii,
which were reserved for Roman patricians. The equestrian statue type follows a wellknown
pattern. The best-preserved example is the equestrian statue of the emperor
Marcus Aurelius from the Capitol in Rome, which was the model for our reconstruction.
Gilt equestrian statues, of normal or monumental size, often decorated public places.
Emperor Statues?
Fragments of three or four monumental statues in gilt bronze. 1st – 3rd centuries AD.
The dimensions indicate that the statues represented emperors or high dignitaries of the
Empire.
The reconstruction of the statues, however, has to date proved impossible. The fragments
probably belonged to one or the other type of statue presented here.
Display case in the central part of the hall :
Marcus Aurelius (2)
Gold bust, discovered in a sewer underneath the Cigognier sanctuary in 1939 (3).
Hammered object. Around AD 180.
The identification of this statue as a portrait of the emperor Marcus Aurelius (AD 161–180)
was, for a long time, viewed as controversial.
His face, known from a great number of representations, generally shows more slender
proportions. The forehead is far too low, the cheeks are very broad and the hair at the
back of the head is straight. While none of these features correspond with the known
portraits of Marcus Aurelius, the Avenches portrait, from the eyebrows downwards, is
consistent with the official image of the emperor during the later years of his life. Marcus
Aurelius never came to Aventicum. He spent approximately 17 of his 19 years of reign
along the Danube, which, at that time, was the most threatened border of the Empire.
The imperial portrait, symbol of divine power, was used in religious services dedicated to
the emperor; in court, it represented his presence and supreme justice.
Religion
(Display cases 19-24)
Oriental Cults
(Display case 19)
From the mid 2nd century AD onwards, the Gallo-Roman religion began to lose its
appeal and no longer satisfied the profound spiritual needs of the faithful. This
explains the success enjoyed by new cults arriving from the East; they managed to
appease the anguish of people by offering the prospect of eternal life even to the
most deprived.
While the cults of the Egyptian deities Isis and Serapis or that devoted to Jupiter
Amon (display case 19, nos. 1-2) or to Sabazius (display case 19, nos. 3-4) seem to
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3
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First Floor Religion
Roman Religion
have enjoyed limited success in Gaul, the mystery cults of Cybele, Attis and Mithra
attracted a great number of followers.
Display case 19
1. Jupiter Amon. Terra cotta oil lamp.
2. Jupiter Amon, recognizable thanks to his ram’s horns. Decorative piece, bronze.
3. Bronze votive hand dedicated to Sabazius (1). The hand shows a pinecone on the
thumb, the bust of Sabazius on the inside of the hand between the index finger and the
middle finger, and a bust of Mercury between the bent ring finger and the little finger.
A twig is draped along the right outer side of the hand and the wrist is decorated with a
small bell and a snake. On the exterior of the hand there is a bust of Cybele between the
thumb and the index finger, a bust of Bacchus between the index finger and the middle
finger and a ram’s head between the ring finger and the little finger. The back of the hand
shows a lizard, a cantharos, a tortoise and a frog. A reclining woman holding a child is
depicted at the lower end of the wrist. 1st – 2nd centuries AD.
4. Ceramic vessel, probably from the cults of Sabazius or Mithra. There is a snake wrapped
around each handle while lizards and tortoises are depicted on the body of the vessel.
Roman Religion
(Display cases 20-21)
The Romans worshipped many gods in public life as well as in private. Their religion
was rather complicated, as it contained the old Roman cults as well as Greek and
Etruscan elements, which are sometimes difficult to tell apart. Besides a multitude
of secondary deities the main gods were Jupiter, Juno and Minerva, the Capitoline
triad. Other popular gods were Mars, Venus, Apollo, Mercury and Bacchus.
Religion and mythology in the provinces were not practised in the pure Roman
form. In fact, Roman and native deities merged. It is difficult to tell whether it was
the Romans who blended the native gods they encountered with their own deities,
as did Julius Caesar in Gaul, or whether it was the vice versa.
Some of the best examples of such blending can be found on inscriptions,
which associate the name of a Roman god with that of a Gaulish deity like Mercury
Cissonius (display case 24, no. 13), Mars Gradivus (display case 20, no. 13) or Mars
Caisivus (display case 17, no. 6).
Jupiter (display case 20, nos. 1-3 and display case 21) was the supreme deity.
Caesar mentioned him as one of the five main gods of the Gauls. The Jupiter cult
is well documented in this region thanks to inscriptions and numerous depictions.
One of the most common representations shows him on horseback tearing across a
defeated giant holding a flash of lightening in his hand. Such a statue, perched high
up on a column, existed in Aventicum. Jupiter symbolised the victory of the sky god
over the powers of the underworld.
Mercury (display case 20, nos. 4-9, 14) was the patron of travellers and merchants
and, for the Gauls, the inventor of all the arts. According to Julius Caesar he was
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First Floor Religion
Roman Religion
the most important god in Gaul. Mercury can be recognised by his traveller’s hat
(petasus) and the little wings attached to either side of the hat or in his hair, his staff
(caduceus) and the moneybag, which he always grasps tightly.
Bacchus (display case 20, no. 10) was the god of wine; he was accompanied
by Sileni, Satyrs and Maenads (display case 20, nos. 11-12, 15-16). His cult does not
seem to have enjoyed much success in this region, but he was quite popular as
an iconographic subject. He can be recognised by the grapes and vine-leaves
decorating his hair.
Minerva (display case 20, nos. 17-22) was the goddess of justice and wisdom.
According to Julius Caesar, the Gauls considered her to be the protectress of crafts.
She is always represented according to the original Greek pattern, wearing a helmet
and the aegis adorned with the head of Medusa and she always carries a lance and
a shield.
Apollo (display case 20, no. 23), god of the arts and music, was a healing deity
with both the Romans and the Gauls. He was often linked to spas and public
baths. At Aventicum his name is mentioned in an inscription dedicated to doctors
(catalogue of inscriptions: no. 4).
Mars (display case 20, no. 13) was the god of war. He belonged to the five great
deities of the Gauls, but is less frequently represented than Mercury; he is, however,
mentioned in many inscriptions, and his name was often associated with different
bynames of Celtic origin.
Display case 20
1. Bronze eagle associated with Jupiter. 2nd century AD.
2-3. Jupiter. Bronze statuettes. 2nd – 3rd centuries AD.
4. Dedication to Mercury, engraved on a sheet of bronze. 2nd century AD.
Deo Mer[curio Iu[lius Sextus
v(otum) s(oluit) [l(ibens)
m(erito)
« To God Mercury deservedly, Iulius Sextus freely fulfilled his vow »
5. Silver caduceus (Mercury’s staff) (1). Grange des Dîmes sanctuary.
6-8. Mercury. Bronze statuettes.
9. Mercury accompanied by a cock and a goat. Bronze statuette.
10. Bacchus. Bronze statuette. 2nd century AD.
11. Silenus. Bronze statuette (2). Late 2nd century AD.
12. Silenus carrying a goatskin bottle. Bronze statuette.
13. Dedication to Mars Gradivus, engraved on a silver-plated bronze plaque.
Mars Gradive pate[r--hanc
patriam civ[esque---]
inclute bellator[-imperio
monitus m[erito---?]
Sex(tus) Tetricius donum [dedit---?]
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2
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First Floor Religion
Roman Religion
« Mars Gradivus, father ... my mother country and its citizens, ... glorious warrior; as he was
rightly so ordered (?) in his dream, Sextus Tetricius offers you this donation »
Late 2nd or early 3rd century AD.
Catalogue of inscriptions: no. 24.
14. Jasper intaglio. Head of Mercury and two letters: TI, standing for Tiberius?
Early 1st century AD.
15. Nicolo intaglio. Satyr holding a flute in his left hand and a crook (pedum) in his right,
and wearing a fawn skin (nebris). There is a star at the bottom on the right.
Early 1st century AD.
16. Garnet intaglio. Dancer in the retinue of Bacchus. In his right hand, he is holding a
cantharos and he has a fawn skin (nebris) draped over his arm. With his left hand, he is
waving a staff embellished with ribbons (thyrsus). A tipped over wine crater is lying on the
floor on the right-hand side. Early 1st century AD.
17. Cornelian intaglio. Minerva holding a lance in her left hand and the sheath of a sword
in her right. Her shield is placed on the ground in front of her. 2nd century AD.
18. Bronze owl; bird associated with Minerva.
19. Bone pin with bust of Minerva.
20-22. Three bronze coins with Minerva depictions. 1st century AD.
23. Apollo. Bronze statuette. 2nd century AD.
Statue of the Goddess Minerva (1)
Head, right forearm, feet and fingers of the left hand; marble. Original height of statue:
2.8 m.
So-called acrolith statue. Only the visible parts of the statue are sculpted in marble.
Remnants of wood in the groove at the neck and an iron hook on the forearm of the
statue indicate that the rest of the body was probably made of wood and was hidden
under a dress made of cloth. Minerva is wearing armour decorated with a marble head of
Medusa. The helmet on Minerva’s head bears a face with closed eyes.
The fragments of the statue had been carefully buried in a so-called favissa, a type of
ritual ditch inside a building right beside the forum. This building might have been a
library or a meetinghouse. As the goddess of wisdom, of the arts and of science, Minerva
was often placed in that kind of location. 2nd century AD?
The two mosaic glass discs, found nearby, may have been used to decorate a wooden
chest.
Display case 21
Fragment of sitting statuette, limestone. 2nd – 3rd centuries AD.
This representation of Jupiter resembles the cult statue of Jupiter Optimus Maximus,
which stood in the temple of the Capitol in Rome.
This statuette may have adorned a column similar to the one found in Mayence (see
drawing on the other side). Should this assumption be correct, the original height of the
column would have been 3.9 metres approximately.
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First Floor Religion
The Local Gods
Mythology and Heroes
(Display case 22)
Hercules (display case 22, nos. 1-3) is the equivalent of the Celtic god Ogmios. His
attributes – a lion skin and a club – were identical to those of Hercules, but he was
depicted as an older man.
The Dioscuri (Display case 22, no. 4), as the twins Castor and Pollux are also
called, were particularly venerated in Gaul as astral gods and the protectors of
navigators and horsemen.
Display case 22
1. Head of Hercules, limestone.
2. Hercules, with a lion skin draped over his arm. Bronze statuette (1).
3. Gilt bronze lion skin, belonging to a statue of Hercules. Late 2nd / early 3rd century AD.
4. Dioscurus. Bronze piece of chariot. 2nd century AD.
The Local Gods
(Display cases 23-24)
Celtic religion, like Roman religion, was polytheistic. Due to the lack of written
sources, our knowledge of this religion is based mainly on a text by Julius Caesar
(Gallic Wars Book VI, 17) listing and briefly describing the five great gods of the
Gauls. However, Caesar gave them the names of those Roman gods who had
the most similar attributes, so he mentioned Mercury, Apollo, Mars, Jupiter and
Minerva.
There were numerous other Gaulish deities, who survived Romanisation. In
some cases we do not know their names or functions (display case 23, no. 3). Some
were known everywhere in the Romanised Celtic world like Sucellus (display case 23,
no. 16), Epona (display case 23, nos. 8-9) or Lug (catalogue of inscriptions: no. 2); others
seem to have been more local gods such as Anextlomara (display case 23, no. 1) or
Aventia who gave her name to Aventicum (display case 2, no. 1).
Anextlomara (display case 23, no. 1) means “the great protectress”. She was
associated with the deities of prosperity (display case 23, nos. 10-11 and 13-14).
The Hooded Genius (genius cucullatus) (display case 23, no. 2) was dressed in
traditional Gaulish garments. Fertility and healing were his specialities; he also
accompanied the dead to the hereafter.
Epona (display case 23, nos. 8-9), the equestrian goddess, was extremely popular
with horsemen and, in particular, with soldiers. She was not associated with any
other Roman deity. Epona is always represented as an Amazon sitting on her horse.
Female deities of prosperity and fertility. They are represented in various
ways, either as naked young women, whose iconography resembles that of Venus
(display case 23, nos. 10-11), as more mature women holding a cornucopia, which
corresponds with the attributes of Fortuna (display case 23, no. 13), or as mothers or
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24

First Floor Religion
The Local Gods
wet-nurses feeding a child (display case 23, no. 14).
The three-horned bull (display case 23, no. 12) was widely known in Gaul; the
third horn symbolises the power of reproduction.
Sucellus (display case 23, no. 16) whose name means ”he who hits hard“ is
holding a mallet in one hand and a vessel in the other; a dog is at his side. Certain
depictions also show him with a barrel or an amphora. Sucellus was the forest god.
In certain regions he was associated with Silvanus. He also seems to have been the
patron of craftsmen.
Display case 23
1. Inscription dedicated to Anextlomara, Celtic deity (1). The use of the Greek letter X
illustrates the Celtic origin of this name.
Anextlomarae / et
Aug(usto) / Public(ius) Aunus
« To Anextlomara and the emperor. Publicius Aunus (erected this monument) »
Limestone. 1st – 3rd centuries AD. Catalogue of inscriptions: no. 25.
2. Limestone head of a genius cucullatus (hooded genius).
3. Bronze bust of a local deity (2). 2nd – 3rd centuries AD.
4-5. Iron miniature votive axes (3).
6. Iron miniature votive axe with an engraved X.
7. Bronze miniature votive axe, engraved with Δ.
8. Bronze horse wearing a charm around its neck, probably linked to the goddess Epona.
9. Double-faced terra cotta statuette representing the goddess Epona on her horse (4).
10-11. Female deities linked to Venus. White earthenware statuettes.
12. Three-horned bull in bronze. 1st – 2nd centuries AD.
13. Deity of prosperity, linked to the goddess Fortuna. Bronze statuette.
14. Mother goddess. White earthenware statuette.
15. Bull and genius, limestone.
16. Libation scene probably dedicated to the god Sucellus. The upright figure is holding a
bowl; he is wearing a torque, a typical Celtic piece of jewellery around his neck. A second,
kneeling, figure is holding a barrel and a pail closely to his chest. A dog is lying at their
feet. Limestone.
Display case 24
17. Votive deposit consisting of approximately 120 ceramic artefacts (jugs, drinking
cups, stands, lamps) and a limestone altar bearing an inscription dedicated to Mercury
Cissonius.
Deo
Mercur(io) Cisso(nio) L(ucius) C.
Patern(us)
ex voto
« To Mercury Cissonius. Lucius C. Paternus, (erected this monument) after a vow »
Catalogue of inscriptions: no. 26.
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2
4
3
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24

First Floor The Sanctuaries of Aventicum
Housegods and Their Cult: Lararia and Housechapels
The Lares and Penates were of great importance to the Romans as protectors of
house and home. The family altar, lararium, was normally placed in the centre of
the house, in the atrium. Once a day, during the main meal, the head of the family
prayed in front of the statues of various deities. Usually, the god Lar was amongst
these and sometimes also the portrait of an ancestor. A rich lararium (1), discovered
in a private house in Aventicum, is exhibited on the second floor, next to the
entrance to the exhibition room.
The Sanctuaries of Aventicum
As many as seven temples were
located in the area between the hill
of Avenches and the theatre (2).
Another temple was situated on the
forum, while two further temples and
a shrine were discovered near the
northeastern exit of the town, opposite
the necropolis of En Chaplix.
The imperial cult was most probably
celebrated in the Cigognier sanctuary
where the gold bust of Marcus Aurelius
was found. To date, it is still unknown
which gods the other temples were
dedicated to.
1 Derrière la Tour Temple
2 Round Temple
3 Grange des Dîmes Temple
4 Cigognier Sanctuary
5 Northern Temple En Lavoëx
6 Southern Temple En Lavoëx
7 Sanctuary ?
8 Amphitheatre
9 Theatre
2
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First Floor From Late Antiquity to the Early Middle Ages
From Late Antiquity to the Early Middle Ages
(Display case 25)
Around the mid 3rd century, the Roman Empire began to show signs of a general
weakening. The incursions of the Alamanni in the Swiss midlands from AD 260
onwards, stopped Aventicum from prospering, but did not totally destroy the town.
In our region the Roman reign officially ended in AD 455 when Rome gave up its
Germanic provinces. The town retained a certain regional importance and was a
bishop’s see until AD 594.
From the late 3rd century onwards, the inhabited area of Aventicum shrank
to the section between the western gate, the theatre and the amphitheatre.
Archaeological finds dating from the 4th , 5th and 6th centuries are rare. Only a small
number of architectural structures have been found. The fragments of a wall coating
(display case 25, nos. 1-4) show a marble decoration, which may have belonged to a
church or an official building dating from the late 4th or from the 5th century AD.
Everyday life is illustrated by numerous objects (1). The pottery of the
4th century AD (display case 25, nos. 14-19) still included imports while 6th and
7th century pottery seems to have been of local origin (display case 25, nos. 5-6).
Glassware (display case 25, nos. 40-47) was still available. Other objects such as a
comb (display case 25, no. 11), a pin (display case 25, no. 10) and a knife (display case
25, no. 13) were made of bone. Unlike the fibulae exhibited on the second floor of
the museum, which date from the 1st – 3rd centuries AD and which were part of the
female wardrobe, the two fibulae (display case 25, nos. 8-9) were garment fasteners
worn exclusively by members of the authorities. A 4th century bronze buckle
(display case 25, no. 12) reflects Frankish culture. Coin finds from that period were
particularly abundant (display case 25, nos. 20-39).
Display case 25
1-4. Marble pilasters. Interior mural decoration. 4th – 5th centuries AD.
5-6. Pottery, 6th – 7th centuries AD.
7. Fragment of a marble relief depicting a person wearing a coat. 5th century AD ?.
8-9. Bronze fibulae. Late 3rd to 4th centuries AD.
10. Bone pin.
11. Bone comb (2). 4th to 5th centuries AD.
12. Bronze belt buckle with inlaid decoration (3). Frankish. 6th century AD.
13. Knife with bone handle. 4th – 5th centuries AD.
14-19. 4th century pottery.
20-39. Coins. Late 3rd – 4th centuries AD.
20. Coin depicting she-wolf feeding Romulus and Remus.
40-47. Fragments of glass vessels. 3rd – 4th centuries AD.
1
2
3
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25

Second Floor A Typical Roman Town House
Second Floor
A Typical Roman Town House
(Display case 1)
This model (1-2) represents an upper-class house of the Mediterranean type
(domus) as is found in Pompeii. This domus covers a quarter of an insula (37 by 55 m)
and is two storeys high. Although it does not exactly correspond to the layout of a
house from Aventicum, it still displays the main elements.
From the open portico (2) facing the street (1), and in the case of merchants’
houses (3-4), containing small shops (tabernae), a passageway leads to the atrium
(5), characterised by an opening in the roof. This central courtyard could be used
for receiving visitors. From there, one had access to the reception rooms (6), some
of which were equipped with floor heating (hypocaustum), or to the private living
quarters of the house (10-14). The area reserved for the family surrounded a garden
(13) bordered by a peristyle (14). The upper storey (9) contained several rooms.
Depending on the importance of the rooms, the walls were decorated with
more or less elaborate wall paintings and the floors were decorated with mosaics or
terrazzo (tessellated flooring).
The roof, which was covered with tiles, had no chimney because the smoke of
the hypocaust could escape through special perforated tiles or directly through the
roof.
Layout of a Roman House (3):
1. Street
2. Portico (covered porch)
3. Shop (taberna)
4. Tavern (thermopolium)
5. Interior courtyard (atrium)
6. Heated reception room
7. Heating room (praefurnium)
8. Latrines
9. Staircase leading to the second floor
10. Kitchen
11. Living room
12. Bedroom (cubiculum)
13. Garden
14. Peristyle
15. Partition wall
3
1
2
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Second Floor
1

Second Floor Clothes and Jewellery
Clothes and Jewellery
(Display case 2)
Just like today, the inhabitants of Roman Switzerland adapted their clothes and
shoes to the season, the region and to types of activities as well as their social
environment.
The basic outfit was the tunic, which was worn by men, women and children.
The length of this T-shaped garment could vary; it consisted of two rectangular
pieces of cloth, which covered the body and it had either long or short sleeves.
Clothes were mainly made of linen or wool; leather or fur coats were also worn.
Women’s tunics reached down to the ankles, while young girls and servants wore
them down to their calves. To protect themselves against the cold they wore a cloak
or a shawl and woollen stockings.
Some women held on to traditional Celtic clothing: a dress was worn over a
shirt-like undergarment and held together at the shoulders by fibulae.
Men’s tunics were shorter and stopped at the knee or just below. To protect
themselves against bad weather they had different types of cloaks made of wool
such as the cucullus, a type of short cape with a hood. They protected their legs by
wrapping them in puttees. The toga, a long draped cloth, was reserved for Roman
citizens; it was used in town during official ceremonies. Craftsmen mainly wore
a short sleeveless tunic, sown together only at the left shoulder so that the arms
could move freely; it was held together with a belt. Children’s tunics reached down
to their knees.
The shoes, made of leather, were open or closed; they could be quite high or
were combined with gaiters. Some shoe soles were studded with hobnails.
Men, women and children liked to wear jewellery, most of which was made of
bronze or gold coloured brass. However, jewellery could also be made of iron, glass,
bone or – less frequently – silver or gold and it could be decorated with precious
stones.
Fibulae were widely used. They are a type of brooch of Celtic origin, and were
used to pin clothes together at the shoulders and to fasten coats. When sewing
clothes together became more common, the fibulae took on a purely decorative
function (1). Since their shapes evolved during the course of time, fibulae can be
dated rather precisely and represent precious chronological evidence.
The inhabitants of Roman Switzerland were fond of beads and pendants.
The latter were not only adornments but may sometimes also have had a special
function as talismans (nos. 98-101). Rings were usually worn on the left hand; rings
with intaglios were used for sealing documents and others were a token of love
(nos. 114-116). Women liked to wear necklaces and bracelets, often in pairs. Unlike
Mediterranean fashion, earrings only became popular from the 3rd century AD
onwards. Hairpins were generally made of bone and held together women’s hair.
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Second Floor Body and Health Care
1-52. Fibulae (brooches) in bronze and silver.
53. Man’s coat; fragment of a bronze statuette.
54-55. Ivory box (copy) with bronze ring.
56. Ivory jewellery (?) box.
57-63. Boxwood bowl with faience beads and a bronze fibula.
64-83. Bronze and bone hairpins.
84. Gold earrings.
85. Bronze necklace with small glass plaques.
86-97. Amber, glass, crystal and jet beads.
98-99. Bronze phallic charms.
100. Silver pendant.
101. Bronze coin, turned into a pendant.
102. Gold necklace with blue glass beads.
102-107. Jet and bronze bracelets.
108-120. Silver, gold, iron, bronze and glass rings (1-2).
121. Bronze statuette of a female dancer.
Body and Health Care (3)
(Display case 3)
Gallo-Romans liked to take care of their bodies. Since houses with running water
were very rare, personal hygiene at home was kept to a minimum. More thorough
personal hygiene was taken care of at public baths where one bathed, had
unwanted hair removed, got a massage or took exercises. Aventicum had at least
three public baths, the oldest dating from AD 29.
Bad body odour was easily camouflaged by perfumes, which were preserved
in small pottery, bronze or glass vessels (nos. 9-19). While the most expensive
perfumes contained exotic products such as cinnamon or myrrh, rose and honey
scents were much more common. Women liked to use make-up according to the
fashion decreed by Rome: pale face, red lips, black eyebrows and painted eyelids.
Various instruments were used to prepare, mix and apply the make-up (nos. 33 and
34, 42-54).
Throughout the entire Roman Empire, including Gaul, women always wore
their hair long. Young girls tied it at the neck or plaited it while married women had
more elaborate hairdos. Some even coloured their hair. Men often had their hair,
beard and moustache styled the same as the reigning emperor. Most men went to a
barber for a shave.
Make-up and hairdos were checked with the help of small mirrors consisting
of a polished bronze or silver plaque attached to a handle (nos. 5-7) or placed in a
wooden frame (no. 55).
1
2
3
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Second Floor Body and Health Care
Ancient medicine was developed in Greece, where Hippocrates (460 – 370 BC)
was the most famous physician. Both in Rome itself and in the provinces doctors
were often of Greek origin. A great number of practitioners were itinerant; some
worked close to sanctuaries, military hospitals (valetudinarium) or in private
practices (taberna medica). In some towns – amongst them Aventicum – the doctors’
guild owned a meeting place (schola) (inscription no. 23 on the ground floor; 1). The
profession was also open to women.
Medical training was obtained by working with a renowned doctor for several
years. At the end of this apprenticeship the new doctor knew how to reset a
fracture, amputate a foot or a hand and then cauterize the wound with a red-hot
iron, ligature a blood vessel and operate on a cataract. To carry out these various
operations he would have used scalpels with interchangeable blades (nos. 21-23),
hooks to lift or separate flesh, sounds (tubes) to cauterize or probe wounds (nos. 42-
46), spatulas for scooping out or spreading a product, removing a cyst or even the
whole eye (nos. 42-51).
The best-known medications were eye creams. In fact, the eye doctors in Gaul
even used seals (no. 30; 3), which they pressed into the solid substances. These
stamps usually contained the name of the doctor, the composition of the cream, the
type of medical condition it was to heal and its expected effect. These medicines
were based on plant, metal and animal substances and had to be diluted before
use; some of the components had therapeutic properties, which are still recognised
today.
1-2. Bronze heads.
3. Stone male head (Pan).
4. Iron razor or knife with bone handle.
5-6. Fragments of bronze mirror.
7. Lead back of a mirror depicting the three Graces (2).
8. Bone comb (copy).
9-19. Glass, bronze and ceramic perfume flasks.
20. Bronze ointment mortar.
21-23. Bronze scalpel handles.
24. Bronze medical hook.
25. Bronze needle, used for treating cataract (?).
26. Silver probe with eyelet hole for inserting a thread.
27. Bronze forceps.
28-29. Bronze tweezers.
30-31. Oculist’s stamp (3) with the inscription COE[N?] used for sealing cakes of eye
ointment to identify the type of medicine; small stone grinding plate.
32. Mosaic depicting the face of a woman (personification of summer).
1
2
3
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Second Floor Games
33-34. Finger-shaped pestle and stone tablet.
35-37. Blue pigment balls from Egypt, amongst other things, used as make-up.
38-39. Glass perfume flasks.
40-41. Glass stirring sticks.
42-51. Bronze sounding rods, used for various purposes.
52-54. Bone toiletries.
55-56. Bronze mirror and stone tablet, found in a grave.
Games
(Display case 4)
In Roman times games were widespread. One can distinguish games of chance,
strategy and skill. These three categories were popular with both children and adults.
Games of Chance
Single or multiple dice offered many occasions to defy chance and pass time. Some
dice were manipulated or loaded so that they fell right more often. People have
always tried to cheat in order to win.
Playing knucklebones was very popular (no. 33). Each side of the small bone
from the hind leg of a sheep had a particular shape, which corresponded to a
specific value. The bones were placed on the back of the hand and then thrown off:
The player obtained the points shown on the visible side facing up.
Strategic Games
The Romans particularly appreciated strategic games. They sharpened the mind
and required reflection, foresight and concentration.
Nine Men’s Morris games are regularly found. Just like today it was played by
two players with nine counters each.
The game of twelve lines combined chance and strategy. Two players threw two
or three dice and advanced their 12 or 15 counters across the game board. Discover
the reconstructed game in our museum!
Games of Skill
Many of the games of skill involved items made from organic material, which are
rarely found: spinning tops, hoops and wooden pins, ropes and even nuts, all these
objects are often known only from depictions.
Nuts were omnipresent in children’s games: they built piles, which they had to
hit with another nut, they tried to aim for an amphora, or they painted a triangle on
the ground and divided it into different sections with different values (delta game).
1. Marble head of a child (Amor).
2. Marble head of a girl.
1
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Second Floor Textile Production
3. Limestone head of a girl.
4-6. Bone counters.
7-9. Glass counters.
10-12. Counters made from pottery or glass sherds; coin turned into counter.
13-27. Glass, bone and ceramic counters, coin turned into counter (1).
28-30. Bone and bronze dice.
31. Ceramic beaker.
32. Fragment of stone game board used for playing ”Twelve Lines” (p. 49, 1).
33. Five lamb bones for playing knucklebones.
Textile Production (2)
(Display case 5)
In Roman times, textiles were used to make clothes, tents, blankets, cushions, sails
for boats, sacks, etc.
Wool and linen were the most widely used materials. Silk was very costly as it
was imported from the Orient and it did not appear before the end of the Roman
Empire. Hemp was mainly used to make ropes, while cotton from the Orient was a
rare commodity.
First, the raw material was prepared for spinning. The plant fibres were obtained
by soaking, beating and drying processes. Then they were combed like wool; it is
possible that carding combs (no. 37), used to disentangle wool, were also used in
linen production. Once the fibres were organised in strands they were wrapped
around distaffs.
For spinning, the strands placed on the distaff were pulled and twisted in order
to obtain a thread wound around a spindle, which was weighted with a spindle
whorl (nos. 1-9).
Weaving was done on a vertical loom where the warp threads were attached at
the top, and straightened by loom-weights usually made of earthenware (nos. 10-12).
Sometimes, patterns such as squares were woven into the cloth or it was
embroidered or painted.
Various items of clothing were made from the cloth. The clothes were sewn
with iron, bronze or bone needles (nos. 13-36). Thimbles protected the dressmakers’
fingers (no. 38).
1-9. Bone spindles; stone and ceramic spindle whorls, two of which were cut from pottery
sherds.
10-12. Terra cotta loom weights used for tightening the warp threads.
13-36. Iron, bronze and bone needles.
37. Iron carding comb.
38. Bronze thimble (3).
1
2
3
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5

Second Floor Furniture
Lighting (1)
(Display case 6)
A Gallo-Roman house was naturally lit through its doors and only a few windows,
which were closed at night with wooden shutters. Glass windowpanes were only
found in rich private houses and in the public baths. These windowpanes (nos. 3-5)
with side lengths of 20 to 40 cm were fitted into the openings either in wooden
frames or directly with mortar.
For artificial lighting they used lamps made of pottery, bronze or iron with oil or
tallow being used as a burning agent.
Pottery lamps of Mediterranean origin (nos. 13-20) were often decorated and
bore the maker’s stamp (no. 18). The wick was inserted through a closed nozzle
into the oil chamber, where it was soaked in poor quality olive oil. Some metal
lamps had fittings for suspension so that they could be hung from the ceiling or a
candelabrum. Local types of lamps (nos. 8-12, 24) included open bowls with a wick
swimming in tallow protruding from a lip. Candles, placed in ceramic or, sometimes,
metal candlesticks (nos. 9 and 11), were also used to light the interior of the house.
Those who dared to leave the house at night used torches or lanterns.
Drawing of a lantern and a candelabrum
(Not true to scale)
1-2. Legs of a bronze lantern.
3-5. Windowpane fragments.
6-7. Shaft and foot of bronze candelabrum.
8. Iron tallow lamp.
9-12. Ceramic tallow lamps.
13-20. Ceramic oil lamps (2).
21. Arm of bronze lamp in the shape of a panther.
22-23. Bronze oil lamps.
24. Bronze tallow lamp.
25. Bronze candleholder (?) in the shape of a peacock.
Furniture (p. 52, 1)
(Display case 7)
Roman furniture included seats, tables, beds, chests and cupboards mainly made of
wood or wickerwork. Practically nothing has survived, with the exception of metal
fittings such as hinges (nos. 25-27), locks (nos. 13 and 14, 19, 36 and 38) or decorative
elements (nos. 1- 6, 15), sometimes made of bone (nos. 29 – 32), ivory (nos. 39-42)
or glass (no. 28). Some pieces of furniture could be directly built into the walls
(benches, dining room couches or shelves).
2
1
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Second Floor Gardens
There were various types of seats: stools, benches, chairs and armchairs,
sometimes made more comfortable by adding cushions.
The tables placed next to the dining room couches in Mediterranean style were
round and low, while rectangular and high tables, around which one could sit,
represent local custom.
The couches, on which one lay down for meals, were often quite elaborately
decorated with bronze or – less frequently – bone or ivory fittings and were covered
with mattresses and cushions.
For stowing away ones belongings, one mainly used different sizes of chests, which
were often decorated. In certain houses precious objects or family archives were
placed in a cupboard, the upper part of which could be used as a lararium (small
house altar). Chests and cupboards were closed with locks, some of which had
rather complicated mechanisms (no. 38).
1-5. Bronze busts attached to furniture or doors.
6. Bronze bust, decorating an armrest.
7-12. Iron and bronze keys (2).
13-14. Bolts from iron and bronze locks.
15. Iron decorative element inlaid with gold and copper.
16-18. Bronze handles.
19. Box of silver-plated bronze lock with niello decoration.
20-24. Bronze key rings.
25-27. Bronze, iron and bone furniture hinges.
28-32. Fragments with glass and bone inlay.
33-35. Bronze nails with figurative heads.
36. Bronze lock back plate.
37. Bronze leg of a piece of furniture or a brazier.
38. Lock with bronze and iron key.
39-42. Ivory plates (copies).
Gardens (3)
A great number of the houses in Aventicum included a green space, for instance a
vegetable patch or an ornamental garden. The latter were often situated where they
could be enjoyed from the reception rooms. Decorated round discs (oscilla) (no. 1),
which swung in the wind, were sometimes suspended between the columns of
the portico surrounding the garden. Statues, fountains, stone benches and tables,
water basins or arbours, which could be used as dining rooms in the summer, were
all part of the usual fittings of these gardens. A variety of plants were used to form
geometric patterns.
1
2
3
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Second Floor Life in Town
Houses
1. Marble disc with mask of river god (p. 52, 3).
2. Alabaster cantharos (p. 52, 3).
Life in Town
The inhabitants of Aventicum, most of whom belonged to the tribe of the Helvetii,
were strongly influenced by Roman lifestyle. This became apparent at an early stage
in all areas of everyday life, particularly from the mid 1st century AD onwards.
Houses, construction techniques, interior and exterior decorations as well as
gardens all mirror the infatuation of the local population with Roman style.
Town Layout
Like all Roman towns, Aventicum was organized into residential quarters of
regulated size, which fitted into an orthogonal grid of streets (1). Each of these
quarters contained approximately 40 regular blocks (lat. insulae) on average
measuring 110 by 75 m. Two main perpendicular roads – the cardo (running northsouth)
and the decumanus (running east -west) – ran through these quarters. The
forum, which was the civic and religious centre, was situated at their intersection.
Although it is difficult to estimate the density of the population in these “blocks”,
it can, nevertheless, be assumed that approximately 20,000 inhabitants lived in the
ancient city.
In general, a “block” contained between two and six houses; in rare cases one
house could extend over a whole insula.
Houses
In the beginning, the houses were timber-framed constructions with mud
bricks. The foundations consisted of timber sill beams on corner stones and the
roofs were usually thatched.
Towards the mid 1st century AD, houses began to appear, which showed the
influence of the Roman style (2) in as much as they were built entirely of stone,
had tiled roofs and plastered or painted walls.
It was only when Aventicum was elevated to the rank of a colony in
the 70s AD, that masonry was commonly used. The traditional indigenous
construction techniques, however, were not entirely replaced.
The size of a house, its amenities, decorations and furniture were determined
by the wealth of its owners. To date, more modest houses have not been very
well researched, because, so far, none have been completely excavated. Most
would have definitely been rather small; they would have included a kitchen,
perhaps a shop facing the street plus perhaps a workshop and a few bedrooms
upstairs. There may have been a vegetable patch in the backyard.
1
2
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Second Floor Protective Gods of the Household
It is difficult to estimate the number of people that would have lived in one
house. It can be assumed that there would have been at least three generations:
grandparents, parents and children, but also aunts and uncles, and, of course, all the
servants.
The Interior Decoration of a Room Situated on insula 10 East
Reconstruction of the “White Room” (1)
The walls inside most houses in Aventicum were decorated with either simple or rich
ornaments depending on the function of the rooms and the wealth of the owner.
These murals were found in a room heated by a hypocaust (floor heating). The backs
of the fragments still show traces of the heating system in the walls and the framework of
the vaulted ceiling.
Since limited space in the museum does not permit the reconstruction of the room in
its original height of 3.75 m, the bottom 1.6 m of the wall are not represented.
The floating couple Amor and Psyche are depicted above a window in the back
wall of the room. The long walls are decorated with female heads representing the four
seasons – here spring and summer – framing a still life consisting of pears and an apple,
which are attributes of the summer. Further still lifes were painted on the vaulted ceiling:
a lemon on the left, a pomegranate and figs on the right, and between them a woman
holding a torch, placed in the centre of a veil draped over a bed of roses.
The style, the artistic technique and the archaeological context date this room, which
was part of a house owned by a wealthy person, to the first third of the 3rd century AD.
Model of the Murals in the “White Room”
The model illustrates how fresco wall paintings were made in a workshop of the
3 rd century AD: A worker is covering the wall with the first layers of mortar, a painter is
applying the colours while the master is discussing the design. The painting is applied on
the topmost and finest layer of mortar, while it is still wet.
This room would have been heated by a hypocaust, a system heating the floor and
the walls. The hot air emanating from a furnace (praefurnium) circulated between two
layers of tile flooring. The lower layer rested on pillars (pilae) between 50 and 70 cm in
height and set at original intervals. The hot air could also move up through the walls in
vertical flue tiles (tubuli) fitted into the walls.
Scale 1:10.
Protective Gods of the Household
The six bronze statuettes (2) belong to a small domestic altar (lararium) from
insula 27. Such altars were usually placed either in the atrium (inner courtyard), in
the peristyle garden or sometimes in the kitchen.
These statuettes of Roman deities represent (from top to bottom and left to right)
Fortuna, Minerva, Juno, another Minerva, Mercury and Lar to ensure the protection
of the family members during their daily routine. This group was assembled
between the 1 st and 2 nd centuries AD.
1
2
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Second Floor Pottery
Pottery
An indispensable tool for archaeologists as regards ...
... Quantities
Hundreds and even thousands of sherds come to light in every excavation. The
palace Derrière La Tour for instance extended over an area of approximately
7,000 m 2 and provided more than 80,000 sherds representing approximately
20,000 vessels.
... a Means for Dating Other Finds
Pottery has several traits that make it one of the most reliable chronological tools.
It does not really decay and is often found in a good state of preservation by the
archaeologists; even after having been buried for several thousands of years it
generally shows very little change.
Pottery is very susceptible to fashion trends. Since the material is fragile, the
objects break easily and must, therefore, be frequently replaced. Thus, it is easy
to observe the evolution of shapes and decorations over the years. Unlike objects
made of glass or metal, pottery was not recycled.
... its Various Uses
Pottery provides us with information about many sectors of everyday life: eating
habits (kitchen and tableware), storage (storage vessels), transportation of food
(amphorae), lighting (lamps), cosmetics and hygiene (perfume and ointment
bottles), writing (inkwell), crafts (paint pots, crucibles, moulds and other potter’s
accessories), games and toys (counters, dolls, small animals), construction (tiles,
pipes, hearths, floors).
An Important Contribution Towards the Understanding of Local History
In the study of imported tableware on the one hand and of amphorae on the other,
pottery gives us indications as regards commercial trends. Amphorae served as
containers for transporting all kinds of goods (olive oil, wine, exotic fruit, fish sauce)
from the Mediterranean area (Italy, Greece, North Africa, Near East).
The study of pottery produced in local workshops informs us about the needs of the
population, fashion trends and technological progress.
Pottery tells us about the preparation of meals and eating habits, hygiene and body
care, lighting and all sorts of aspects of everyday life (piggy-banks, inkwells, etc.).
Sometimes pottery even supplies the names of the potters who produced it or
those of the workshop owners.
Graffiti found on certain vessels tell us about their contents, about writing and they
give us names of the local inhabitants who marked their crockery.
The study of the shapes and decorations also offers information on regional
predilections and trends, which the local people were exposed to.
1
2
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Second Floor Kitchen and Tableware
Kitchen and Tableware
(Display case 8)
Upon the arrival of the Romans, the local population – while continuing to use their
traditional kitchen and tableware – began to adopt new types of vessels, which
were either imported or inspired by Mediterranean customs: mortaria, jugs, terra
sigillata pottery. It seems that wooden vessels were not very popular and were
mainly used by poorer people. Pottery, most abundant and best known thanks to
numerous discoveries made practically all over Roman Switzerland, was used by
everybody and at all times. Coarser tableware was mainly used by people from the
lower and middle classes, while imported fine ware like terra sigillata, was rather
expensive and probably bought only by the middle and upper classes. The same
applies to bronze and brass objects. There is no doubt that besides gold, silver was
the most valuable material. During certain periods, glass was also highly sought
after and certain objects were traded at the price of silver items.
1-3. Bronze serving platters.
4-16. Silver, bronze and bone spoons.
17. Combined foldable spoon and knife with a bronze handle in the shape of a lion; the
blade of the knife is missing.
18-20. Pewter, bronze and ceramic serving bowls.
21-23. Silver, glass and ceramic bowls.
24. Glass serving bowl.
25-26. Glass and ceramic serving bowls.
27-28. Glass storage vessels.
29. Glass goblet.
30. Ash wood plate.
31. Iron ladle.
32-35. Iron kitchen knives (?) with bone and bronze handles.
36-38. Handle fittings of bronze vessels.
39. Handles of a bronze pail.
40-43. Glass beakers and cup.
44-45. Earthenware and glass folded beakers.
46. Silver beaker decorated with two scenes: ship builders at work and fishermen (2).
1st century AD.
47-49. Bronze and glass perfume flasks.
48. Flask decorated with two scenes linked to the Dionysos myth (p. 57, 1).
2nd-1st centuries BC.
50-54. Glass drinking cups.
55-62. Mosaic glass vessel fragments.
63-67. Handles from bronze jugs.
1
2
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Second Floor Food
Drinking and Eating
68. Bunch of grapes made of bronze.
69. Bronze authepsa, used to keep liquids warm by putting hot coal into its interior
compartment.
70-72. Square glass bottles.
73-75. Neck and handle of glass bottle.
Food
The Roman period differed from previous times because of the abundance and
diversity of foods available. North of the Alps, however, the staple diet was still
cereals, vegetables and legumes.
A Big Market
With the Roman conquest, new types of food, which were rare and unknown to
the indigenous population, appeared on the local markets. These were mainly
luxury products coming from distant regions. Oysters were imported from the
Mediterranean or Atlantic coasts; olive oil, olives, fish and shellfish-based sauces,
mackerel, figs, dates, pine kernels, and pomegranates originated from different
Mediterranean countries as well as nuts and grapes, which were grown locally
probably from the 1 st century AD onwards. Cinnamon, pepper, ginger, cardamom,
aniseed, oriental caraway, sesame, and rice – all these products were imported from
India, Arabia or Ethiopia.
Drinking and Eating
The main cereals grown locally were barley, spelt, millet and wheat. These provided
flour for baking wafers and bread or for preparing porridge (puls).
Most people cooked with animal fat (lard) or, less frequently, with butter. Olive oil,
imported in large quantities from southern Spain, was mainly used by wealthy people.
However, oil produced locally from linseed or poppy seed was still used as well.
Honey was used to sweeten food, especially for baking cakes and pastry as well
as for preparing various sauces. The dishes were often spiced with aromatic sauces
(garum) based on fish and shellfish pickled in salt. Salt came from saline springs or
rock salt mines; along the coastlines sea salt was used.
Coriander, aniseed, celery and indigenous caraway were the most frequently
used spices and aromatic plants in this region. There is little evidence of fennel, pine
kernels, wild basil, mustard, poppies and garlic as well as marjoram / oregano, wild
thyme, verbena and mint.
With the arrival of the Romans wine quickly became popular, but beer, the
traditional Gaulish beverage, remained much appreciated in this region. The most
widespread and renowned type was barley ale based on spelt. They also drank mead,
a beverage made of fermented wheat, water and honey.
1
2
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Second Floor Food
The Table of the Poorer People
The Table of the Poorer People
The staple diet of poor people consisted of puls, a porridge based on cereals, bread
and legumes especially beans and lentils. In addition, they used various aromatic
herbs and vegetables such as carrots, cabbage, amaranth, mountain spinach, celery,
sorrel, lamb’s lettuce, turnips and beetroot.
Types of fruit that were eaten by people of all classes included apples, pears,
cherries, plums, nuts, hazelnuts, wild strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and
elderberries. Mushrooms were also much appreciated.
Places of production of the major
foodstuffs in Roman times
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Second Floor Food
Eating Habits
The consumption of cheese was widespread if one chooses to believe the
ancient texts, which particularly praise alpine cheese. Earthenware cheese moulds
found during excavations provide evidence of cheese production.
Meat such as pork, mutton, goat and less frequently poultry and fish were added
to the menu as a treat on festive days.
The Table of the Wealthy
The best pieces of meat were reserved for the richest, who liked to eat lamb, poultry
and venison. They also appreciated luxury food such as oysters and mackerel from
the Mediterranean as well as “exotic” products such as pepper, melons, dates,
almonds, pine kernels, garlic, bottle gourds and olives. It is certain that peaches,
grapes and figs were also on the menu of the middle classes. In this region there is
evidence of fishing from the 1 st century AD onwards.
The Kitchen
The kitchens discovered in the area were very simple. In most cases they were
situated in a room at ground level with a hearth in the centre. Food was cooked in
different types of vessels, which were either placed directly on the embers or on a
tripod. Food was sometimes also prepared in a cauldron suspended above the fire
on a hook attached to a wooden stand that could be rotated.
Small supplies of honey, fruit, vegetables or dried herbs as well as certain spices
and condiments were kept in storage vessels in the kitchen. More substantial
supplies for the winter months were stored in amphorae or dolia (large earthenware
jars) in appropriate storage rooms.
Eating Habits
The living quarters of poorer families were usually so cramped that the meals could
not be eaten lying down; as a rule, there was no separation between the kitchen
and the room where the meals were eaten.
On the other hand, the villae and town houses of the rich had separate dining
rooms (triclinium), which usually contained three couches arranged in a U shape
(lectus triclinaris). Each couch provided room for three people.
The dining room floors were often covered with mosaics and the walls were
decorated with different types of murals.
Women generally sat on a chair next to the couches while children and servants
ate elsewhere.
The different dishes were put on a small table in the middle. People usually ate
with their fingers. They did not use forks or knives, but some used small spoons with
pointed handles.
1
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Second Floor

Second Floor Food
Types of Tableware
Types of Tableware
Vegetables and stews as well as the various sauces accompanying Roman dishes
were served in bowls of different sizes. Different types of small dishes were used
for spices, herbs, salt and condiments. Meat, poultry, venison, fish, vegetables, fruit
or cakes were served on boards or plates. Wine and water was served in ceramic or
glass bottles or jugs. The latter were occasionally made of bronze or silver. Beakers
of various sizes were used for drinking water, wine, cider, milk or beer. Cups and
small casks were widely used; they often bore inscriptions referring to wine such as
“Fill the glass, landlord, pour!” or “I am the king of drinkers”.
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Second Floor