Avenches – Roman Museum – Permanent Exhibition
Avenches – Roman Museum – Permanent Exhibition Avenches – Roman Museum – Permanent Exhibition
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 1 43 First Floor
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 44 First Floor 25
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- Page 3 and 4: Religion . . . . . . . . . . . . .
- Page 5 and 6: Ground Floor - Introduction Switzer
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- Page 9 and 10: Ground Floor The Gallo-Roman Popula
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- Page 21 and 22: Ground Floor Miscellaneous 31. Lime
- Page 23 and 24: First Floor The Indigenous Populati
- Page 25 and 26: First Floor Language and Writing No
- Page 27 and 28: First Floor Weights and Measures Th
- Page 29 and 30: First Floor Theatre, Games and Musi
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- Page 39 and 40: First Floor Religion Roman Religion
- Page 41 and 42: First Floor Religion Roman Religion
- Page 43: First Floor Religion The Local Gods
- Page 47 and 48: Second Floor Clothes and Jewellery
- Page 49 and 50: Second Floor Body and Health Care A
- Page 51 and 52: Second Floor Textile Production 3.
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- Page 55 and 56: Second Floor Protective Gods of the
- Page 57 and 58: Second Floor Kitchen and Tableware
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- Page 61: Second Floor Food Types of Tablewar
First Floor The Sanctuaries of Aventicum<br />
Housegods and Their Cult: Lararia and Housechapels<br />
The Lares and Penates were of great importance to the <strong>Roman</strong>s as protectors of<br />
house and home. The family altar, lararium, was normally placed in the centre of<br />
the house, in the atrium. Once a day, during the main meal, the head of the family<br />
prayed in front of the statues of various deities. Usually, the god Lar was amongst<br />
these and sometimes also the portrait of an ancestor. A rich lararium (1), discovered<br />
in a private house in Aventicum, is exhibited on the second floor, next to the<br />
entrance to the exhibition room.<br />
The Sanctuaries of Aventicum<br />
As many as seven temples were<br />
located in the area between the hill<br />
of <strong>Avenches</strong> and the theatre (2).<br />
Another temple was situated on the<br />
forum, while two further temples and<br />
a shrine were discovered near the<br />
northeastern exit of the town, opposite<br />
the necropolis of En Chaplix.<br />
The imperial cult was most probably<br />
celebrated in the Cigognier sanctuary<br />
where the gold bust of Marcus Aurelius<br />
was found. To date, it is still unknown<br />
which gods the other temples were<br />
dedicated to.<br />
1 Derrière la Tour Temple<br />
2 Round Temple<br />
3 Grange des Dîmes Temple<br />
4 Cigognier Sanctuary<br />
5 Northern Temple En Lavoëx<br />
6 Southern Temple En Lavoëx<br />
7 Sanctuary ?<br />
8 Amphitheatre<br />
9 Theatre<br />
2<br />
1<br />
43<br />
First Floor
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