THE REFLECTİON OF MORTALİTY İN GLASS: AN EVALUATİON OF GLASS URNS FROM THE ROMAN IMPERİAL PERİOD

Öz

The urns possess considerable significance in ancient Roman funerary practices and, more broadly, in Roman culture. They function not only as containers for preserving the ashes of the deceased but also as essential symbols in the commemoration of the dead. It is noteworthy, however, that glass, one of the most prevalent materials utilized during the Roman Imperial period, is rarely identified in urn production, whereas terracotta urns are ubiquitous. This scarcity complicates efforts to ascertain the demographic distinctions associated with these vessels, including factors such as gender, age, and social status, as well as variations in the geographical distribution of finds. Furthermore, most glass urns documented in contemporary literature originate from museum and private collections, where their provenance and chronological context remain ambiguous. Additionally, anthropological and archaeometric studies have not been conducted on these artifacts, leaving their origins largely indeterminate. This study aims to evaluate the role of these urns within the context of funerary practices by examining existing literature on Roman Imperial glass urns and addressing the aforementioned questions.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Glass
• Roman Imperial Period
• Cinerary Urn
• Necropolis
• Cremation

ÖLÜMÜN CAMDAN YANSIMASI: ROMA İMPARATORLUK DÖNEMİ CAM URRÜNLER ÜZERİNE BİR DEĞERLENDİRME

Öz

Antik Roma cenaze uygulamalarında ve daha da geniş anlamıyla Roma kültüründe önemli yeri olan urneler ölünün küllerinin saklandığı kaplar olmanın yanı sıra ölüyü anmada önemli bir semboldür. Ancak özellikle pişmiş toprak malzemeden sıklıkla karşımıza çıkan urnelerin, Roma İmparatorluk döneminin en yaygın kullanım gören malzemelerinden olan cam söz konusu olduğundaki nadirliği dikkate değerdir. Bu nadirlik, bu tip kapların kimler için kullanıldığı, kullanımda cinsiyet, yaş, sosyal statü gibi ayrımlar olup olmadığı, buluntuların coğrafi dağılımında bir farklılık gözlenip gözlemlenmediği gibi saptamaların yapılmasını zorlaştırmaktadır. Dahası modern literatüre geçmiş cam urnelerin pek çoğu kökeni ve dönemi saptanamayan, antropolojik ve arkeometrik incelemeleri yapılmamış müze ve özel koleksiyon buluntularıdır ve dolayısyla buluntu kaynakları çoğunlukla bilinmemektedir. Bu çalışma, mevcut literatürde karşımıza çıkan Roma İmparatorluk dönemi cam urnelerini odak noktaya alarak, bu urnelerin cenaze uygulamaları bağlamındaki konumunu, yukarıda bahsi geçen soruların cevapları kapsamında değerlendirmeyi amaçlamaktadır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Cam
• Roma İmparatorluk Dönemi
• Mezar Urnesi
• Nekropol
• Kremasyon

Kaynakça

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