images from the past: fibulae as evidence for the architectural appearance of roman fort gates

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Images from the Past: Fibulae as Evidence for the Architectural Appearance of Roman Fort Gates

Christof Flügel and Jürgen Obmann

Introduction

This chapter explores the use of designs found on fibulae as evidence of the architectural appearance (design, features, scale, dimensions, proportions) of Roman fort gates. The

evidence suggests that the gateways were higher and grander in scale than previously thought. This conclusion has important implications both for our understanding of the role of gateways as monumental architecture expressing the power of the Roman Empire and for reconstructions of these gateways for public presentation. Many existing reconstructions are too low and convey a misleading impression to visitors.

The Evidence

In 1990 a fibula (Fig 4.1) showing a three-storey gateway building with arched windows was discovered (Flügel 2007; Flügel and Obmann 2009) during the excavation of a villa rustica at Chieming in the district of Traunstein in Bavaria. In Roman times this area was part of the province of Noricum. The different storeys over the rounded gateway are separated by clearly marked quarter-round dividing cornices, as is often the case in Roman architecture (eg Trier, Porta Nigra). The fact that this real-world feature was depicted as a key visual element on a small-scale reproduction leads to the conclusion that the producer of our fibula had a clear picture in mind of how a Roman gateway looked. Using this symbolic citation (Zanker 1987), the fibula’s designer wanted to convey this idea to the potential user of his product.

The Chieming fibula yields no clear indications as to whether a military or civilian gateway is depicted. This is not the case for a second fibula (Fig 4.2) from Vukomericke Gorice, south of Zagreb in Croatia (Flügel and Obmann 2009, 149) which clearly depicts a military gateway. This unfinished specimen reveals two gateways with an inscription as well as dividing cornices and merlons. The realistic depiction of the gate pillars, which can be compared to Roman military architecture (Bidwell, forthcoming) as at Birdoswald, the stylised reproduction of the inscrip-tion, the arched windows and the quarter-round cornices separating the storeys are comparable to the famous architectural clay model from the legionary fortress of Intercisa in Hungary. We therefore have a clear indication of what the Vukomericke fibula, which uses the same visual key elements as the clay model by the Pannonian potter Ilarius, depicts: the central gateway of a Roman military porta cum turribus, as it is often named in Roman inscriptions. The conclu-sion, that the architectural fibulae can be interpreted as evidence for Roman military reality, is

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42 Presenting the Romans

supported by a large number of Roman brooches showing items of everyday military life used by the individual bearers of the fibula like cornua, spathae with peltiform scabbard-chapes and helmets (Flügel 2007, pl 4, 5–7, 10–12). Similarly, the strongly symbolic picture language of Roman military propaganda is used as motifs for fibulae, as evidenced by a silver brooch in opus interrasile from Töging in Bavaria. This shows Victoria crowning a legionary eagle with a laurel wreath (Flügel 2007, pl 4, 9). Another example is the hitherto unpublished fibula depicting an attacking Roman cavalryman with a fallen barbarian beneath his horse, which recalls the trium-phant rider on Romano-British tombstones (Bull 2007).

A gate fibula (Fig 4.3) from an unknown find-spot, seen in a London auction (Christie’s sale 2058/2009, lot 292), indicates that singular elements could be combined in an unrealistic manner without losing their function as key stimuli for transmitting messages with military content. In this example the head of Sol, which is probably a displaced augmented depiction of the keystone of the entrance arch, seems to indicate that the motif should be interpreted as the front elevation of a Roman gate. The three-storey roofed towers with a central window and a tympanon show painted opus rusticum as well as plain stucco. Both treatments of the surface are evident in Roman military architecture (cf. a reconstructed section of Hadrian’s Wall with various possibilities of Wall design at Wallsend). It cannot be ruled out however, that the detailed depiction of the dressed blocks is merely an artistic visual feature to communicate the message

Fig 4.1. Chieming (Bavaria). Architectural fibula.

Fig 4.2. Vukomericke gorice (Croatia). Architectural fibula.


Images from the Past: Fibulae as Evidence 43

of a fortified and solid wall, as is common on Roman mosaics (eg in Orbe, Switzerland). The most intriguing feature on the London fibula is the archway into the two towers which clearly does not make sense if we assume that what we see is the front elevation of a fort gate. However, if we interpret the London fibula as representing a gate seen from the reverse side, this would contradict the impression of the front elevation given by all other architectural fibulae and the head of Sol on the London specimen.

Whilst we can accept the idea that fibulae may be used as contemporary evidence for the appearance of Roman military architecture, we must also bear in mind that due to the small size of the objects, their designers had to confine their depiction to certain key visual elements in order to make their final product understandable to the military public. The representations cannot therefore be interpreted simply as if they were photographs from the past; we also have to consider that key visual elements served purely as ornamental decoration. For example, two belt-plates in opus interasile from a second/third century grave of a beneficiarius consularis (as evidenced by the beneficiary lance on the larger belt-plate) from Abritus (on display in the Museum of Rasgrad, north-eastern Bulgaria) show two- and three-vaulted gateways with clearly marked imposts, two storeys with arched windows and an ornamentally stylised row of merlons above. The hinges are used for the depiction of the four-level roofed towers, reaching approxi-mately the same height as the central gateway block. The Abritus belt-plates indicate that the

Fig 4.3. Unknown findspot. Gilded architectural fibula. (Christie’s London Sale 2057, Lot 292)



beneficiarius consularis using this equipment simply wanted to convey the idea of being respon-sible for a fortified location, using the same ornamental elements for a two- and a three-vaulted gateway. The possibility that he intended to illustrate a specific gate can therefore be ruled out.

However, the selective use of key architectural elements in the motifs can give us an indica-tion of what was important to the contemporary users of these brooches in their perception of architecture. Naturally, a reconstruction of the appearance of fort gates has first of all to be based on the local archaeological evidence and should also take account of the different geographic regions; fort gates in the Libyan desert (Mackensen 2010; 2011) may differ from those along the Northern frontier of the Roman Empire. Another point of uncertainty is that we do not know for sure if auxiliary or legionary architecture is shown.

Conclusion

Through assessment of the key architectural elements represented in the ornamental motifs we can try to draw the following picture of an ideal Roman fort gate: a central gateway with vaulted arches and an inscription (Vukomericke Gorice) or tympanon (London fibula) above is followed by two storeys, completed by a shed roof (Intercisa model) or merlons, indicating a parapet walk between the two towers. The different storeys are divided by double quarter-round profiles. The three- or four-storey towers themselves are roofed (London fibula; Abritus belt plates) and show a central window below the tympanon (London fibula).

If we compare this ideal Roman gate to known architectural elements we can roughly calculate the approximate original height of the central block:

Fig 4.4. Pförring (Bavaria). Simulation of side gate of auxiliary fortress (2012).


Images from the Past: Fibulae as Evidence 45

Crown height of entrance arch 3.70mHeight of inscription or tympanon 1.00–1.50m(Minimum three) double quarter-round profiles @ 0.30m 0.90mHeight of two storeys @ 4.20m (according to Regensburg

legionary fortress, porta praetoria) 8.40mMerlons (according to Wörth auxiliary fortress; Steidl 2008) 1.60m

(or, alternatively, a shed roof )TOTAL HEIGHT (for the version with merlons) 16.10m

It immediately becomes clear that existing 1:1 reconstructions of Roman fort gates, mainly from the 1980s and especially along the German Limes (eg Weißenburg or Pfünz), can generally be considered as too low. Roman architecture clearly has a tendency to enormous heights, in civilian contexts also: a total height of 12m can be reconstructed for an annex building in the villa rustica of Oberndorf-Bochingen (south-west Germany), which collapsed during an earthquake (Sommer 2005).

To convey this new perspective on Roman monumental military architecture in the north-western provinces to the general public, the erection is planned of an iron and steel simulation of a side gate of the Roman auxiliary fortress of Pförring in Bavaria on the original site of the gate. The construction is reversible and stands above the concrete-sealed original Roman foun-dations in accordance with UNESCO standards (Fig 4.4). The complete documentation of the excavation results and the considerations leading to this simulation will be published in the periodic publication series of the Bavarian State Conservation Office (Schriftenreihe Bayerisches Landesamt für Denkmalpflege; Flügel and Obmann, forthcoming).

Bibliography and References

Bidwell, P, forthcoming ‘The Height of Gate-Pillars (Imposts) at Forts on Hadrian’s Wall and Elsewhere’, in Excelsae turres quater divisae – Rekonstruktion römischer Lagertore und Wehrbauten, proceedings of conference held in Munich on 5 July 2010 (eds C Flügel and J Obmann), to be published in the series Schriftenreihe Bayerisches Landesamt für Denkmalpflege, MunichBull, S, 2007 Triumphant Rider: The Lancaster Roman Cavalry Tombstone, Lancashire Museums, LancasterFlügel, C, 2007 ‘Eine Scheibenfibel mit Architekturdarstellung aus Chieming, Lkr. Traunstein. Zu mittelkai-serzeitlichen Fibeln mit militärischen Motiven’, Bayerische Vorgeschichtsblätter 72, 327–40Flügel, C, and Obmann, J, 2009 ‘Römische Architekturfibeln – Ein Beitrag zur römischen Militärarchitektur’, in Nuove richerche sulle fibule romane / Neue Forschungen zu römischen Fibeln (ed M Buora), Atti Convegno, Udine, 21–22 April 2008, Quaderni Friulani di Archeologia 18,145–53— forthcoming ‘Visualisierung römischer Kastelltore: Das Beispiel der porta principalis dextra des Alen-kastlles Celeusum/Pförring’, in Excelsae turres quater divisae – Rekonstruktion römischer Lagertore und Wehr-bauten, proceedings of conference held in Munich on 5 July 2010 (eds C Flügel and J Obmann), to be published in the series Schriftenreihe Bayerisches Landesamt für Denkmalpflege, MunichMackensen, M, 2010 ‘Das severische Vexillationskastell Gheriat el-Garbia am limes Tripolitanus (Libyen), Vorbericht über die erste Kampagne 2009’, Römische Mitteilungen 116, 363–458



— 2011 ‘Das severische Vexillationskastell Myd (---) und die spätantike Besiedlung in Gheriat el-Garbia (Libyen), Bericht über die Kampagne im Frühjahr 2010’, Römische Mitteilungen 117, 247–375Sommer, C S, 2005 ‘12 m bis zum First. Die villa rustica von Oberndorf-Bochingen’, in Imperium Romanum. Roms Provinzen an Neckar, Rhein und Donau, Exhibition Catalogue Stuttgart 2005, 282–5Steidl, B, 2008 Welterbe Limes, Roms Grenze am Main, Exhibition Catalogue Munich 2008, Logo Verlag, Obernburg am MainZanker, P, 1987 Augustus und die Macht der Bilder, Beck Verlag, Munich


images from the past: fibulae as evidence for the architectural appearance of roman fort gates

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