We studied the corrosion of Roman copper alloy coins that experienced alternations or progressive changes in their burial environment. We used coins that were still embedded in soil or in a... Show moreWe studied the corrosion of Roman copper alloy coins that experienced alternations or progressive changes in their burial environment. We used coins that were still embedded in soil or in a concretion selected from three professional excataved sites - Berlicum and Krommenie in the Netherlands and Kempraten in Switserland. mCT scanning and neutron scanning were used to record the 3-D properties of these coins prior to (destructive) analyses. It proved possible to tentatively identify the coins. Microscope observations and SEM-EDX analyses revealed complex corrosion processes, related to changing burial environments. In soil horizon with fluctuating groundwater levels in a region with upwelling reducing, iron-rich groundwater, the copper in a gunmetal coin is essentially replaced by iron oxides while tin remains and forms tin-oxide bands. Fluctuating redox conditions in marine-influenced environments was shown to transform a copper-alloy coin into strongly laminated copper sulphides with embedded gypsum crystals, with an outer surface of copper and copper-iron sulphides. Burial of bronze in a charcoal rich layer probably caused temporary highly alkaline soil conditions. This caused most of the copper to leach from this coin, leaving behind a laminated tin-dominated mass, with only a limited amount of (malachite) corrosion products remaining in the surrounding groundmass. In all three cases, corrosion processes tend to be anisotropic, probably because of cold-hammering of the coins during their manufacture. Such corrosion processes on massive copper alloy coins may produce features that may lead to their incorrect classification as subferrati, i.e. copper alloy coins with an iron core. Our results may help in future to distinguish strongly corroded massive coins from subferrati. Show less
This paper focuses on the various roles the ancient road between Boulogne-sur-Mer and Cologne has played beyond Roman times. From the sixteenth century onward, the changing motives and goals for... Show moreThis paper focuses on the various roles the ancient road between Boulogne-sur-Mer and Cologne has played beyond Roman times. From the sixteenth century onward, the changing motives and goals for the preservation of this road ensured that it has served multiple purposes (nostalgia, transportation, legitimation, and tourism), often directly linked to regional or national interests of the territories or nations the road crosses. In these preservations, the Roman past was mostly perceived as the supreme civilisation shaping the identity of several groups and regions, although the trajectory of (parts of) the road most likely originated from Celtic times and also played an important role for Medieval trade. The paper concludes with recommendations for the ways the road could be preserved, conserved and explored in the future, addressing various groups of audiences and with a transregional focus. Show less
Tacoma, L.E.; Claes, L.M.G.F.E.; Huliselan, I. 2022
This article aims at re-evaluating the Classical (Eutropius, Historia Augusta, Ammianus),Byzantine (Orosius, Zosimus, Zonaras) and Iranian (the trilingual Kaʿba-ye Zardošt inscription) sources on... Show moreThis article aims at re-evaluating the Classical (Eutropius, Historia Augusta, Ammianus),Byzantine (Orosius, Zosimus, Zonaras) and Iranian (the trilingual Kaʿba-ye Zardošt inscription) sources on thedeath of the Roman emperor Gordian III during his campaign against the Sasanid king Shapur I in AD 244. In thecurrent scholarly debate, two groups of scholars can be distinguished: the first group, following the Classical andByzantine sources, argues that Gordian III was killed by his own peers, attributing a vicious role to his imperialsuccessor Philip the Arab. Basing themselves on the Iranian sources, the second group believes that Shapur Iclaimed to have killed Gordian III in a military confrontation. The study will use historical and linguistic arguments,focussing on the trilingual Kaʿba-ye Zardošt inscription, to come to a new historical interpretation about the endof the life of Gordian III. Show less
