tombstone
- Museum number
- 1855,0804.21
- Description
-
Part of a tombstone carved in high relief. The upper part of the stone is dressed flat and carries an inscription commemorating the deceased. Some red colour remains in the lettering. Below the inscription 'is a deeply cut, round-topped niche which contains the head and neck of a slightly smaller than life-sized figure. The facial features have all been worn off, but the outline of the ears and hair is visible, and there seem to be traces of a beard. This is all that remains of what may originally have been a full length, niched effigy.
- Production date
- 100-150
- Dimensions
-
Diameter: 22.60 centimetres
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Height: 54.50 centimetres
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Width: 36.50 centimetres
- $Inscriptions
-
- Curator's comments
- 'Oolitic limestone (shelly); Middle Jurassic (Bathonian); south Cotswolds; identified in thin section (KH 34)' (CSIR I, 10, p. 46).
'The name of Valerius Celsus is given in full, so it would have been followed by his place of origin, abbreviated to three letters; for example LVG for Lug(duno). The name of his three executors cannot be restored so easily, but two at least were speculatores; Dardanus seems to have held a different post. The rise of Dis Manibus unabbreviated suggests a date no later than Trajan; the presence of speculatores in London shows that it was by now the provincial capital. Their duties are little known, but anecdotally they served as executioners and confidential emissaries' (Tomlin 2018, 266)
- Location
- On display (G49/wall)
- Department
- Britain, Europe and Prehistory
- Registration number
- 1855,0804.21