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Plymouth Museum Displays Rare Roman Figurine

Monday, 01 February 2010

A small but fascinating figurine of a Roman God discovered in the South Hams has gone on display in the 'Uncovered' gallery at Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery.

The copper alloy figure, which is seven centimetres long and an extremely rare find, is a scaled-down version of a well-known image of Jupiter, Roman King of the Gods and also the God of sky and thunder.

Keeper of Natural History, Fiona Pitt, said: "The surface of the figurine has been worn away over the years by weathering and the acid in the soil leaving very little detail visible; the base is missing as are parts of the arms and legs. Despite these things this is still an amazing find which gives us a real insight into one of the most interesting eras in our past history.

"In Roman times, people deposited small metal representations of body parts at sacred places. Usually, they were asking for divine help to cure medical problems concerning the afflicted parts. It's possible that the missing parts of the figurine's arms and legs could have been deliberately removed and used as votive offerings like these."

The main significance of the figure is its age – it is around 1,700 to 1,900 years old.

"The figure dates from the Roman period, around AD 100-300," added Fiona. "Although it’s well-known that places such as Exeter were Roman settlements, such finds are extremely rare in Devon. In fact, in the area near Loddiswell, where the figure was discovered by a local metal detectorist, we do not know of any other finds like this."

The Uncovered gallery highlights how archaeology can open a window on the past and help us understand the place we live in today. The Roman God figurine will remain on display in the gallery until the end of July.

Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery is open from 10am to 5.30pm Tuesday to Friday and 10am to 5pm on Saturdays and Bank Holiday Mondays. Admission is free. Call 01752 304774 for more information.

Plymouth City Council, 28/1/2010