DOMESTIC LIGHTING IN ROMAN NAPOCA (II). LAMPS DISCOVERED ON VARIOUS SITES IN AND AROUND THE ROMAN CITY (CLUJ-NAPOCA, ROMANIA)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14795/jaha.12.3.2025.1296Keywords:
Roman Dacia, urban archaeology, Napoca, lamps, lightingAbstract
The present paper is intended to be the follow-up to a previous study on the Roman period lighting devices from Napoca, specifically the much-discussed residential area from Deleu Street in the northern area of the Roman city.[1] Hence the partial reuse of the title: Domestic lighting in Roman Napoca. As stated in said paper, it is ‘part of wider effort intended to deal with the unpublished lighting devices from the Roman city of Napoca.’ This is true of the current paper as well. The spatial horizon of the present lighting material comprised of 17 unpublished pottery and bronze oil lamps was widened to include some finds from a possible villa rustica in the northern hinterland of the Roman city, i.e. on Dealul Lombului, as well as an almost intact pottery lamp discovered in an incineration grave from the city’s southern necropolis (Avram Iancu Street). We believe that in every aspect these artefacts belong to the finds of Roman Napoca. The term ‘domestic lighting’ was kept in the title notwithstanding the funerary character of the previously mentioned find, as it clearly is a device produced for domestic use, rather than purposely being made for funerary ritual and deposition. The rest of the finds come from various Roman buildings investigated within the confines of the Roman city. Despite our best efforts towards a comprehensive analysis of the Deleu Street assemblage, 5 pieces were unfortunately overlooked for the previous paper and consequently included here. The focus points of the analysis are the same as before: classification, chronology, origin and use.
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