In the early 21st century a tiny part of a villa, rich in finds however, was excavated in the centre of Rodersdorf (to the south-west of Basel, near the French border). Among the finds were a ring with a depiction of Mars Gradivus ("Mars marching out") and a terracotta beaker with a depiction of a human face. About 50 such beakers have emerged in Switzerland. They have been linked to the cult of Bacchus-Dionysus, but also to the military: they were found primarily in the border areas of the Empire, where troops were stationed. Perhaps we may deduce from the cup and the ring that the owner of the villa was a veteran.
The beaker with a human face. Photo: Wullschleger 2011, 24.
Some 700 fragments of paintings were found. Some of these imitated marble, others had garlands on a white background.
Suggested reconstructions for some of the fragments. Dubois 2011, Abb. 3-4.
Literature
Archäologie und Denkmalpflege im Kanton Solothurn 6 (2001), 76-77; 7 (2002), 68-72; Gutzwiller 2007; Gutzwiller 2008; Dubois 2011; Wullschleger 2011; Tortoli-Bösch-Gutzwiller 2019.
[7-Jan-2024]
