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LOT 0855
Romano-Scottish Legion XX Valeria Victrix 'Inchtuthil Fort' Boxed Educational Roman Iron Nail Hoard Display
CIRCA 83-87 A.D.
5 1/4 x 3 1/4 in. (185 grams, 13.3 x 8.3 mm).
Group of three iron clout-nails mounted in a terracotta display with information panel 'ROMAN LEGION NAILS / circa 2000 years old'. [No Reserve]
ProvenanceFrom excavations started by Richmond in Perthshire, Scotland, from the 1950s, and discovered in the summer of 1960.
Selected and displayed by David Colville & Sons by 1963.
Acquired on the UK art market before 2000.
Property of an Essex, UK, gentleman.
Cf. Mapelli, C., Nicodemi, W., Riva, R.F., Vedani, M., Gariboldi, E., ‘Nails of the Roman legionary at Inchtuthil’ in La Metallurgia Italiana, January 2009, pp.51-58; fog nails used for crucifixion Connolly, P., Living in the time of Jesus of Nazareth, Oxford, 1983, pp.50-51.
FootnotesThe fortress at Inchtuthil was a fortified headquarters and forward supply depot for the forces led by the Roman governor, Gnaeus Julius Agricola, when he undertook a lengthy campaign against the Caledonian tribes in the north of Britain. The campaign is mentioned in the biographical work written by his son-in-law, the historian Tacitus, which has been studied in order to understand the Roman plan for the subjugation of the island. The troops chosen for the campaign were drawn from the 20th Legion (Legio XX Valeria Victrix). While the construction of Inchtuthil and other strongholds took place, the troops lived in temporary encampments, which were also fortified and formed a chain of defensive sites from which domination of the surrounding territory could be achieved. Subsequently, once the site was abandoned late in the 1st century A.D. (around 86 A.D.), no further building took place there or in the area. Excavation in the 20th century by Sir Ian Richmond (begun in 1952) revealed a pristine site with its complete plan recoverable, unique in the Roman Empire. The defences were a broad ditch and turf wall with stone facing, with watchtowers and gatehouses. The site was thought to have been abandoned due to the relocation of troops to counter an invasion from Eastern Europe into the province of Dacia, although this is no longer certain. A huge quantity of iron nails (more than 875,000) was recovered from a pit in the fort as well as other ironware; the goods had been buried in order not to let them fall into the hands of the Caledonians. The excavated nails and other items were sorted and sold in small parcels, which was completed by 1963. The nails range in size from small nails between thirty-eight and seventy millimetres long, up to the massive spikes three hundred and seventy-two millimetres long. These kinds of long nails were also used for crucifixions.
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LOT 0855
Romano-Scottish Legion XX Valeria Victrix 'Inchtuthil Fort' Boxed Educational Roman Iron Nail Hoard Display
Sold for (Inc. bp): £33
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Romano-Scottish Legion XX Valeria Victrix 'Inchtuthil Fort' Boxed Educational Roman Iron Nail Hoard Display
Circa 83-87 A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £33
Group of three iron clout-nails mounted in a terracotta display with information panel 'ROMAN LEGION NAILS / circa 2000 years old'. 185 grams, 13.3 x 8.3 mm
From excavations started by Richmond in Perthshire, Scotland, from the 1950s, and discovered in the summer of 1960. Selected and displayed by David Colville & Sons by 1963. Acquired on the UK art market before 2000. Property of an Essex, UK, gentleman.
The fortress at Inchtuthil was a fortified headquarters and forward supply depot for the forces led by the Roman governor, Gnaeus Julius Agricola, when he undertook a lengthy campaign against the Caledonian tribes in the north of Britain. The campaign is mentioned in the biographical work written by his son-in-law, the historian Tacitus, which has been studied in order to understand the Roman plan for the subjugation of the island. The troops chosen for the campaign were drawn from the 20th Legion (Legio XX Valeria Victrix). While the construction of Inchtuthil and other strongholds took place, the troops lived in temporary encampments, which were also fortified and formed a chain of defensive sites from which domination of the surrounding territory could be achieved. Subsequently, once the site was abandoned late in the 1st century A.D. (around 86 A.D.), no further building took place there or in the area. Excavation in the 20th century by Sir Ian Richmond (begun in 1952) revealed a pristine site with its complete plan recoverable, unique in the Roman Empire. The defences were a broad ditch and turf wall with stone facing, with watchtowers and gatehouses. The site was thought to have been abandoned due to the relocation of troops to counter an invasion from Eastern Europe into the province of Dacia, although this is no longer certain. A huge quantity of iron nails (more than 875,000) was recovered from a pit in the fort as well as other ironware; the goods had been buried in order not to let them fall into the hands of the Caledonians. The excavated nails and other items were sorted and sold in small parcels, which was completed by 1963. The nails range in size from small nails between thirty-eight and seventy millimetres long, up to the massive spikes three hundred and seventy-two millimetres long. These kinds of long nails were also used for crucifixions. -
Historic Roman Cut and Polished Roman Imperial Purple Porphyry Section
Sold for (Inc. bp): £1,170
Comprising a triangular piece, cut and polished on several sides, probably recycled material mined in ancient Roman times between the 1st and 5th centuries A.D.; mounted on a custom-made metal display stand. 5.97 kg total, 38 cm including stand
Acquired on the UK art market since the 1990s. From the private collection of a Somerset gentleman.
Mons Porphyrites (today Jabal Abu Dukhkhan) is the mountainous site of a group of ancient quarries in the Red Sea Hills of the inhospitable eastern desert in Egypt, a five-day trip from the Nile during Roman times. They were discovered by Caius Cominus Leugas in 18 A.D., and during the Roman Empire, the mines officially belonged to the emperor and were the only known source of the Imperial Porphyry, Mons Porphyrites. This dark purple stone was associated with royalty and used for prestigious sculpture and architecture. The location of the mines was lost sometime in the 5th century and rediscovered in the early 19th century. Excavations in the area have revealed the well-preserved quarries and the dwelling places of the quarrymen, and also thousands of ostraca have been discovered containing messages that provide details of how the quarrying took place, and of how the highly skilled quarrymen ordered their food. -
Roman Bronze Ring with Corn Stalks
1st-4th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £52
Featuring a D-section hoop with substantial angled shoulders, a small circular bezel with a pair of corn stalks(?). 6.84 grams, 29.26 mm overall, 13.90 x 17.39 mm internal diameter (approximate size British H 1/2, USA 4, Europe 6.81, Japan 6)
From the private collection of a European gentleman (1942-2024), formed since the 1970s.
