Roman stone fountain pedestal - Collections Online | Museum Wales
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Roman stone fountain pedestal

Both the front face and right-hand side of the block are decorated, while the back and left-hand side remain plain. The front face is carved with what is probably a cornucopiae at the centre, but only a faint outline of the fruit surmounting the top of the horn survives. Acanthus-foliage fills the space to either side of the cornucopiae, and above there is a series of mouldings rising to a small plinth embellished with leaf-ornament. The right-hand face is also carved with acanthus-foliage from the base to the level of the projecting plinth. A slight rounded foot protrudes from the front face, presumably part of the lower plinth on which it would have stood. Surmounting the top of this piece is a rounded projection. This represents the lower part of a bust, with slight indications of the arms and chest muscles; a rough circular area on top marks the broken base of the neck. A neat hole [6cm in diam.] pierces the pedestal from front to back, close to the top. This hole provides a clue to the function of the piece as part of a fountain, for it would have been fitted with a lead pipe. The Roughly flattened back may indicate that the pedestal stood against a wall or some other structure. The plain left-hand side may also have been hidden from view, perhaps by another element of sculpture as the asymmetrical elevation suggests, so forming part of a group. Pedestals serving such a purpose are to be found elsewhere, and it would appear they were frequently surmounted by a bust of figure, either carved in one with the base or as a seperate piece. This is the second fountain identified within the fortress, the other being at the Fortress Baths. This example shows that a piped water-supply was laid on to other buildings besides the baths. Late first or second century AD.

Roman stone fountain pedestal
Image: By permission of Amgueddfa Cymru — Museum Wales
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Collection Area

Archaeology & Numismatics

Item Number

35.118/30.3

Find Information

Site Name: School Field, Caerleon

Date: 1860

Notes: From the site of the so-called basilica exercitatoria where it was found incorporated in a rough stone plinth on the uppermost floor of one of the rooms.

Measurements

height / m:0.55
width / m:0.28
diameter / m:0.22

Categories

information from location files
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