Avenches – Roman Museum – Permanent Exhibition

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
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