David Meadows alerts us to the reports of a newly discovered Roman altar from the archaeological work at Dalheim in Luxembourg:
Following previous archaelogical discoveries at the Dalheim dig (see http://www.station.lu/newsDetails.cfm?id=21601, another artefact has been discovered. The site of the former Gallo-Roman baths has now produced what is described as an “exceptional archaeological discovery”. The National Museum of History and Art (MNHA), led by the young German archaeologist Heike Posch and overseen by the curator John Krier, has uncovered fragments of a large 1.3m high limestone altar. The discovery dates from the 3rd century AD and has a Latin inscription showing that the altar was dedicated to the goddess Fortuna. The text over 10 lines mentions not only the people of Ricciacum vicus, but it also describes the return of the portico of the building baths, destroyed ‘by violent barbarians’, probably during an incursion by Germans. The curator of the work undertaken at that time was a soldier of the 8th Augusta legion stationed in Strasbourg. The fragments have been transferred to the MNHA workshop in Bertrange where they will be restored. Other major surprises are not excluded in further excavation work at the site.
(Larger photograph on the original site. Obviously we should leave the preliminary transcription to whoever plans to publish this, but does anyone have any more epigraphic information on this find?)
The name of the archaeologist is Heike Pösche, the name of the curator is Dr. Jean Krier.
The inscription will be published by the archaeologists in charge of the excavation. Scientific kleptomania is not allowed!!
I’m sorry that the photo ended up all over the internets. Over-enthusiastic public relations at MNHA? Perhaps the solution is to publish a transcription as soon as possible, on the same internet.
The altar now has been published by Jean Krier in Gallia 68.2, 2011, pp. 313-340
Guess having that photo all over the internets didn’t encourage much scientific kleptomania, huh?
Oh, and of course the original item has gone 404.