[Roman] Coins in Context Nathan Elkins
[email protected] Why are “coins in context” important? • *Chronology (of a feature, site, or of coins themselves) • Economic Conditions, Coin Circulation and Supply • Demographic Movement and Military Dispositions • Iconography • Object Biography Chronology (Close contexts vs find series) • Coin finds in the 1950s/1960s vs today • Example of Vindonissa: (list 1) and (list 2) • Close contexts (von Kaenel, CIC pp. 9-15) • Find series (Wigg-Wolf, CIC pp. 109-125) Site chronology: the example of the Roman auxiliary fort at Yotvata, Israel • Foundation of the site: inscription vs coins • Abandonment of the site and (numismatic, archaeological and comparative evidence) • Implications for ceramic chronologies Coin Circulation and Coin Supply/ Mobility and Immobility of Coin • Richard Duncan-Jones • F. Kemmers • Movement of Denominations • Supply Mechanisms Demographic Movement/ Military Dispositions • Syrian coins at Bath: D.R. Walker. 1988. “The Roman Coins,” in B. Cunliffe (ed.), The Temple of Sulis Minerva at Bath II: The Finds from the Sacred Spring. (Monograph No. 16). Oxford: Oxford University Committee for Archaeology. 281-358. • Imperial court on the Rhine: F. Kemmers. 2003. “Quadrantes from Nijmegen: Small Change in a Frontier Province,” SNR 82: 17-34; id. 2006. Coins for a Legion: An Analysis of the Coin Finds from the Augustan Legionary Fortress and Flavian canabae legionis at Nijmegen. (Mainz: Von Zabern, SFMA 21). In the same vein: N.T. Elkins. 2009. “What are they doing here? Flavian Colosseum Sestertii from Archaeological Contexts in Hessen and the Taunus- Wetterau Limes (with an Addendum to NC 2006),” NC 169: 199-204. • The movement of Constantinian bronze coinage from West to East, but not East to West.