Galles: trovato piccolo tesoretto

[ARES III]

Roman Ligula or “Toilet Spoon” Unearthed in Wales

The Roman ligula or "toilet spoon" discovered | photo Amgueddfa Cymru

A metal detectorist found a Roman silver “ligula” in the municipality of St. Nicholas and Bonvilston in Wales, commonly known as a “toilet spoon”. The discovery, made in June 2020, has now been declared a treasure by Welsh authorities, along with other items.

Immediately after the discovery, Mark Lodwick, Coordinator of the Portable Antiquities Scheme for Wales (PAS Cymru), was notified. Evan Chapman, Chief Archaeology Curator at the National Museum Wales, identified the treasure and reported on it.

The small silver spoon has a circular bowl and a thin, sharp handle. Both the handle and the spoon’s bowl were straight, but it was found bent in two parts.

Fragments of Bronze Age swords and axes discovered | photo Amgueddfa Cymru

 

Various uses for Roman “ligulae” have been suggested, such as extracting cosmetics and perfumes from long-necked bottles and applying them to the face or body, extracting and applying medicines, and use during medical procedures.

Silver “ligulae”, unlike more common copper alloy examples, are more frequently associated with these medical applications, possibly due to the antimicrobial properties of silver. This spoon provides valuable archaeological evidence of medical knowledge and personal hygiene practices in Roman Western Britain.

The Cowbridge and District Museum has expressed interest in acquiring this treasure find after it has been independently assessed by the Treasure Valuation Committee.

A 16th century ring discovered in Wales | photo Amgueddfa Cymru

 

 

Other finds were also declared treasures at the same time by authorities, including a set of Bronze Age pieces consisting of fragments from two swords and five axes, two of which are decorated, dating back to around 1000-800 B.C.

According to specialists, this treasure is unusual as it contains fragments from two swords, one of which is a decorative blade tip fragment made in northwest France. Therefore, this small sword fragment is part of a much broader story connecting the people living in the Pendoylan community with those in northwest France around 3,000 years ago.

Additionally, a gold-silver ring, probably from the early 16th century, decorated with eight bead panels divided by diagonal bands arranged in a zigzag pattern.

https://www.labrujulaverde.com/en/2024/01/roman-ligula-or-toilet-spoon-found-in-wales/

 

A metal detectorist unearthed a Roman silver “ligula” or “Toilet Spoon” in Wales

A metal detectorist in Wales unearthed a Roman silver “ligula”, commonly known as a “toilet spoon”. The discovery, made in June 2020, has now been declared a treasure by Welsh authorities, along with other items.

In June 2020, while metal detecting in St Nicholas and Bonvilston Community, Vale of Glamorgan, Mr. Valentinas Avdejevas discovered a Roman ligula, or toilet spoon.

 

The museum said it has a very long handle with a small “circular bowl” on one end. The spoon was originally straight but was “bent out of shape in two places.”

A variety of uses have been suggested for Roman ligulae, including the extraction of cosmetics and perfumes from long-necked bottles and their application to the face or body, the extraction and application of medicines, and their use during medical procedures.

Silver ligulae, as opposed to the more common examples of copper alloy, are more frequently associated with these medical applications – possibly due to silver’s antimicrobial properties. This spoon contributes valuable archaeological evidence of medical knowledge and personal hygiene practices in Roman western Britain.

Bronze Age hoard of seven bronze artifacts. Photo: Amgueddfa Cymru

The 1996 Treasure Act designates the ligula as Treasure because it is over 300 years old and contains more than 10% precious metal. It will now be evaluated by the Treasure Valuation Committee to ascertain a fair market value. The toilet spoon will then be available for purchase by nearby museums for the determined value.

The Cowbridge and District Museum has expressed interest in acquiring this treasure find after it has been independently assessed by the Treasure Valuation Committee.

Authorities also deemed other discoveries, including a collection of Bronze Age artifacts comprising pieces from two swords and five axes—two of which have decorations—to be treasures at the same time. The artifacts date to between 1000 and 800 B.C.

https://arkeonews.net/a-metal-detectorist-unearthed-a-roman-silver-ligula-or-toilet-spoon-in-wales/

[ARES III]

 

Trovata in un campo. Una ligula romana d’argento è stata dichiarata tesoro. A cosa serviva e come veniva utilizzata

Sei reperti, tra cui una ligula romana, un deposito dell’età del bronzo e un anello da dito in argento dorato post-medievale, sono stati dichiarati tesoro giovedì 25 gennaio 2024 dal coroner regionale per l’area del Galles meridionale centrale, Patricia Morgan. Il museo gallese Amgueddfa Cymru ha espresso l’intenzione di acquistare gli oggetti, proprio a partire dalla ligula romana (cucchiaio da toilette) (Treasure Case 21.39) trovata da Valentinas Avdejevas durante il rilevamento di metalli nella comunità di St Nicholas e Bonvilston, Vale of Glamorgan. È stata segnalata per la prima volta a Mark Lodwick, coordinatore delle antichità portatili, Schema per il Galles (PAS Cymru). Come ritrovamento di un tesoro, è stato identificato e segnalato da Evan Chapman, curatore senior di archeologia presso Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales.

Il piccolo cucchiaio d’argento ha una linguetta concava e un manico sottile e affusolato. L’asta del cucchiaio e la cavità una volta erano dritte, ma nel tempo – forse nel corso di lavori agricoli – state piegate e deformate in due punti. Sono stati suggeriti diversi usi per le ligulae romane, tra cui l’estrazione di cosmetici e profumi da bottiglie a collo lungo e la loro applicazione sul viso o sul corpo, l’estrazione e l’applicazione di medicinali e il loro utilizzo durante le procedure mediche.
Le ligulae d’argento, a differenza degli esempi più comuni di leghe di rame, sono più frequentemente associate a queste applicazioni mediche, probabilmente a causa delle proprietà antimicrobiche dell’argento. Ma è possibile, comunque, che il manufatto sia stato realizzato in argento in quanto doveva finire nella casa di una ricca signora romana. Perchè una forma così allungata? La ligula per cosmetici e medicinali serviva ad estrarre e dosare preventivamente dai balsamari gli unguenti profumati o medicamentosi.

 

I balsamari erano, in genere, contenitori di vetro stretti e allungati per diminuire al massimo il contatto del prodotto con l’aria e conservarne più a lungo la fragranza, diminuendo dispersione e processi ossidativi. Per recuperare il balsamo – e dosarlo, al momento del prelievo, considerato il fatto che esso era cremoso – era necessario questo utensile, che era anche in grado di ripulire bene il contenitore, quando il balsamo stesso era stato quasi del tutto consumato. Il nome lìgula deriva da lingĕre «leccare» e già presso i Latini era confuso, sia per la forma sia per il senso, con lingŭla intesa come linguetta. Questo uno dei due tipi di cucchiaio da essi adoperati, simile a quello moderno, con la cavità allungata, ovale, più o meno appuntita all’estremità e il manico diritto o curvo terminante in un ornamento.

Cowbridge e il District Museum hanno espresso interesse ad acquisire questo tesoro ritrovato dopo che è stato valutato in modo indipendente tramite il Comitato di valutazione del tesoro

https://stilearte.it/trovata-in-un-campo-una-ligula-romana-dargento-dichiarata-tesoro-a-cosa-serviva-e-come-veniva-usata/