Michael Alram The numismatic project - Carnuntum

Proceedings of the ICOMON meetings, held in conjunction with the ICOM Conference, Melbourne (Australia, 10-16 October, 1998), ed. by Peter Lane and John Sharples.

Melbourne, Numismatic Association of Australia, Inc, 2000. 117 p. (NAA Special publication, 2). (English). pp. 110-112

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THE NUMISMATIC PROJECT - CARNUNTUM By Michael Alram Kunthistorisches Museum, ,

Historical Background Carnuntum. A final political peak The Roman settlement of was reached in 308, when the Carnuntum is situated former emperors Diocletianus and approximately 40km to the east of Maximianus Herculius met in Vienna, on the River . Carnuntum for a conference with the Carnuntum was first mentioned in 6 ruling emperor of the Eastern Empire, AD when the future Emperor (293-311). During the (14-37) assembled his troops in conference, Licinius (308-324) was order to campaign against the installed as the new emperor of the . The exceptional Western Empire. However, already strategic significance of Carnuntum under on the Danube limes, within the (306-337) the economic and cultural framework of the Roman defence of decline of the border area along the the border, soon led to the middle Danube limes began. When construction of a fortified military Emperor Valentinanus I (364-375) camp, which is dated to the time of stayed in Carnuntum in 375, in Emperor (41 -54). This was order to fight, once again, the joined by a civil settlement which, rebellious , Carnuntum had due to its favourable position at the already been neglected and become crossing of the River Danube and completely run down. Later the the amber route, developed as a Germanic tribes, Huns and Avars flourishing trade and administration entered the country. In 791, centre of the Roman province of Charlemagne (768-814) struck his Upper . Emperor Hadrian camp in Carnuntum when he (117-138) raised the city to the campaigned against the Avars, an status of a municipium and event which is documented in the (193-211) coin finds. finally granted her the position of a . Archaeological Park Carnuntum Today, Carnuntum is the largest and Besides her special regional most important Roman site in Austria. significance as the capital of the The famous historian, Theodor province, world politics were also Mommsen, referred to Carnuntum, pursued in Carnuntum from time to not without good reason, as "the time: When Marcomanni and Quadi Pompeii outside Vienna." The penetrated the Danube limes in 171 archaeological exploration of and advanced as far as Upper , Carnuntum dates back to the 16th Emperor (161-180) century. Methodical archaeological took up quarters for three years in excavations were, however, only Carnuntum and wrote a part of his begun in the mid-19th century and famous "Meditations" there. In 193, are still in process today. the governor of Upper Pannonia, Septimius Severus (193-211), was In 1986, the project "Archaeological proclaimed emperor by the Park Carnuntum" was initiated by Pannonian legions in Carnuntum and the province of Lower Austria. from here he started his victorious Werner Jobst, head archaeologist in march to Rome. In 260, the the province of Lower Austria, is unsuccessful usurper Regalianus let responsible for the project. The aim himself be proclaimed as emperor of the project is to present the ruins and even minted coins in of Carnuntum to the general public in

110 the form of an open-air museum. An They are then lost forever for archaeological park is to be made further analysis. which gives the visitor the chance to learn about the historical and The Numismatic Project Carnuntum cultural development of the Roman has set itself the goal of restructuring city of Carnuntum, based on the the extensive collection of coins of results of the archaeological the Museum Carnuntinum, which research. Its primary concern is the contains coins only found in renovation and restoration of the Carnuntum, both by recording all exposed ruins and, further, the study, the finds and by preparing them for as well as finally the presentation, or display in the museum. The rather transposure, of the results collection will be open to the public within the framework of the and will be accessible for further open-air museum. research. Finally, the results of the research are to be presented to the The Archaeological Museum interested visitor to the museum. Carnuntinum, which was opened in The museum's collection of coins 1904 by Emperor Franz Joseph, is currently comprises around 50,000 integrated into the concept of the pieces and is therefore the largest of Archaeological Park, and houses the its kind in Austria. It is therefore a impressive collection of source material of exceptional archaeological finds from importance for research into the Carnuntum. The museum was circulation of money in Roman completely renovated within the Austria. course of the project and the collection was redisplayed and Numismatics has, for a long time, reopened in 1992. Part of the only reacted insufficiently. Robert exhibition is dedicated to the coins Göbl, former chairman of the Institut which have been found in particularly für Numismatik (Department of high numbers at Carnuntum. Numismatics at the University of Vienna) first called to life the Numismatic Project Carnuntum venture: "The coins of the Roman Carnuntum is, without doubt, the Period in Austria" ("Die most important place in Austria Fundmünzen der römischen Zeit in where Roman coins have been Österreich" = FMRÖ) in 1971, which found. When a group of English since then has been carried out by travellers visited Carnuntum in the the Numismatische Kommission of 17th century they were very the Österreichische Akademie der surprised to find Roman coins Wissenschaften, which was founded wherever they went whilst walking by Göbl himself. The aim of this through the ruins. long-term research project is to record all the coins from the Roman Nowadays, modern metal detectors Period found in Austria - ordered by are used, with the help of which province - and to publish them, and vast amounts of Roman coins are hence to make the material available still being found. Unfortunately, both for further historical research these machines are not always used and for the analysis of monetary by authorized people. The group of history. The first volume of the self-styled hobby archaeologists has series FMRÖ, published in 1976, was also grown considerably in Austria dedicated to the coin finds of and, especially in Carnuntum, has Carnuntum, which shows the caused great damage, time and time particular significance of Carnuntum. again. Archaeological contexts are At that time the author, Wolfgang thoughtlessly destroyed by those Hahn, was able to record 11,628 looking for treasure and the coins coins. These coins, however, did found are, in part, exported and not come from the collection of the sold on the international art market. Museum Carnuntinum alone, but 111 also from other public and private as the research of the currency in collections. circulation is in the foreground. Only in this way are the objectives and The systematic search through the old results of Roman money politics excavation rubble from the last illuminated and hence comments century, carried out over the past about the economic, social and years with the help of metal settlement history can be made. detectors, has suddenly made the One phenomenon worth mentioning number of coins in the Museum is the numerous ancient forgeries in Carnuntinum increase to over 50,000. Carnuntum, which were - at least This induced Robert Göbl, in 1993, to partly - tolerated by the Roman put the main emphasis of the central administration. They commission's work, within the represent a further framework of the FMRÖ, on to the highly-interesting aspect of coin project of Carnuntum and, in monetary history. his words, "to make of Carnuntum the numismatically best researched Besides the purely scholarly aim, limes camp of the Roman world". this project also has a very important further component in connection with Since Göbl's death in 1997, I have museum work and the preservation now taken over the responsibility for of national heritage. As the Museum this project and hope to be able to Carnuntinum currently does not bring it to a successful end. The new have either an adequate inventory or FMRÖ volume ‘Carnuntum’, which is its own numismatic specialist, the to be prepared, is to record all the Numismatische Kommission has to coins in the Museum Carnuntinum look after the inventory, ordering and according to the well-established storage of the coins in the museum. guidelines of the FMRÖ and to In this connection, it has been replace the old publication from planned to record all of the coins 1976. As a result, this unique with an adequate description, complex, supported by an classification and illustration in a extensive illustrated section, will be data bank. This data bank is - made accessible to scholars all over besides a printed catalogue - to the world. Deviating from the old serve as a means for safeguarding concept of the FMRÖ, an analysis the collection, and furthermore to regarding the monetary history of give the opportunity, quickly to add the material will also be included as, new coins as well as efficiently to seen from today's point of view, it answer any questions and requests would be seemingly meaningless to for photos sent to the museum. This publish such extensive as well as data bank, in an adapted form, in all-encompassing material without which finally the results of the including such a section. evaluation with regards to the monetary history are to be Roman coins in themselves are an integrated, is to be made available to important source material and, the interested visitor to the museum furthermore, the study of such a and to serve as a source of unique find-complex leads to information. In connection with the various further insights and exemplary exhibition as arranged by realizations. Whereas, in the past it Robert Göbl this study may bring to was the individual coins taken out life Roman monetary policy, based of context which were of on the example of the coin significance - as valuable and circulation of a Roman provincial unknown types were primarily capital. looked for – today the reconstruction of ancient minting systems as well

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