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Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales
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Roman intaglio (Ceres)
Chips lost from the top and bottom left. Ceres stands facing right, wearing peplos and chiton. With her left hand she holds up a bowl or dish. Her right hand trails behind and, though lost with a chip, would have held ears of corn. Fresh condition, with only the slightest wear.
This is one of 88 engraved gemstones retrieved in 1979, mostly from the filling of a large drain beneath the cold hall of the fortress baths. The gemstones would originally have been set in finger-rings, and served as signets and charms or talismans for their owners. They were products of extremely skilled craftsman who worked on a minute scale without the aid of magnification. The gems are engraved with a wide range of deities, personification and symbols.
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Site Name: Caerleon Fortress Baths, Caerleon
Notes: from the site of the frigidarium at the baths
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