Miniature Mirrors from Apulum-Dealul Furcilor Cemetery

MUSTEAȚĂ, MARINA>
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EPHEMERIS NAPOCENSIS 31 (XXXI/2021)

Miniature Mirrors from Apulum-Dealul Furcilor Cemetery

(pages 165-186)

DOI: https://www.doi.org/10.33993/ephnap.2021.31.165

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Authors:
MARINA MUSTEAȚĂ
Institutul de Arheologie și Istoria Artei Cluj‑Napoca, Str. M. Kogălniceanu, nr. 12–14, Cluj‑Napoca, marinamusteata@yahoo.com

ADRIAN COSMIN BOLOG
Muzeul Național al Unirii Alba Iulia, Str. Mihai Viteazul 12–14, Alba Iulia, adrian_bolog@yahoo.com

Keywords: miniature mirrors, graves, social identities, burial practices, Roman Dacia.

Abstract
Apulum, one of the largest urban settlements of Roman Dacia, housed a population with many ties around the empire. This could be observed in the city’s cemeteries, including the one situated on Dealul Furcilor. Thus, studies of the funerary treatment of the deceased individuals are necessary for the archaeolo- gists and historians to uncover the ways in which the individual and collective identities were expressed. Two graves included in the cemetery’s monograph, initially published as M612 and M670, have both among their grave goods a miniature lead mirror. The miniature mirrors are a type of artefact with a disputed function. One reason for this situation is the small size that could question their practical function as objects used to reflect someone’s image. The second reason is related to their many contexts of discovery, such mirrors being found in funerary, votive and also domestic contexts.

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Miniature Mirrors from Apulum-Dealul Furcilor Cemetery