The Gladiator Jug from Ismant el-Kharab 291 The Gladiator Jug from Ismant el-Kharab Colin A. Hope and Helen V. Whitehouse The excavations at Ismant el-Kharab, ancient Kellis, since 1). The enclosure contains the West Church and its 1986 have produced a considerable quantity of glass of a adjacent complex dated to the mid-fourth century (Bowen wide variety of types,1 including plain and decorated 2002, 75–81, 83), to the east of which are the two West wares.2 On 2 February 2000, however, a quite exceptional Tombs (Hope and McKenzie 1999); slightly to the east of discovery of two adjacent deposits of glass was made these there is a two-roomed mud-brick structure (Hope within Enclosure 4 of Area D, amongst one of which were this volume, Figure 11). At various locations within the fragments from a jug painted with well-preserved scenes enclosure are east-west-oriented, single human burials of combatant gladiators (Hope 2000, 58–9). This vessel presumed to be those of Christians (Bowen this volume; forms the focus of the present contribution, which aims to Hope this volume). The West Tombs predate the place the piece within its broader context and to explore construction of the wall of Enclosure 4, which, in its north- the question of its place of manufacture.3 The vessels that western corner, is identical with the wall of the West comprise the two groups were all found in fragments, not Church. This indicates that the enclosure is contemporary all of which from each vessel were recovered. Surface with the West Church. deposits on the pieces, of sand and salt crusts,4 some over The two deposits of glass were found near to the inner the broken edges, indicate that the vessels were dropped face of the northern wall of the enclosure, Group 1 (Figure where they were found and broke upon impact with the 1) 8.4 m west of the north-eastern corner and Group 2 ground; that a considerable number of joinable pieces from (Figure 2) 0.6 m farther to the west, thus both to the each vessel was retrieved indicates that there was little immediate east of the two-roomed structure. They were subsequent disturbance following abandonment. This study found 20 cm and 30 cm respectively below the surface of is intended as an exploration of issues raised by the the site within a deposit of sand and mud brick eroded discovery of the painted jug and further refinement of many from the northern enclosure wall. The area in which they of these will undoubtedly be undertaken by authorities on were discovered was not excavated below the point of ancient glass. their discovery, but, from the excavations within the two- roomed building, it can be ascertained that they lay 1.3 and 1.2 m above the compact clay surface upon which this Find Context structure was constructed. Enclosure 4 lies at the north-eastern corner of the site, and It would appear that the glass vessels were deposited in is the last of a series of enclosures added on the northern their find spot after there had been considerable side of Enclosure 1, which contains the Main Temple of accumulation of material against the northern wall of the Tutu and its associated structures (Hope this volume, Figure enclosure subsequent to the construction of the two-roomed __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 1 This has been studied by Carla Marchini who, through illness, has unfortunately been prevented from contributing to the present study. This has resulted in a lack of the necessary technical data being included. 2 It is not possible to elaborate upon the range of material here, but it can be noted that examples of gold-sandwich glass, mosaic glass, both bichrome and polychrome, facet-cut glass, incised glass and painted glass have all been found; glass beads containing silver have also been recovered. A substantial part of a large colourless bowl in a shape resembling North African Red Slip ware bowls of the third-fourth centuries has also been recovered. 3 Helen Whitehouse has contributed the description of the vessel. 4 I wish to acknowledge the care and skill of Laurence Blondaux in cleaning the gladiator jug, and Michelle Berry in reconstructing the assemblage. 292 Colin A. Hope and Helen W. Whitehouse Figure 1 Area D/7 glass vessels in Group 1 (drawings by C. Marchini and B. Parr). Scale 1:3; object registration numbers provided. The Gladiator Jug from Ismant el-Kharab 293 structure. Whilst the exact date at which this building was Stern (1995, 204–15) has outlined the evolution of mould- erected cannot be determined, this must have been during blown head-shaped vessels during the first to fourth the second half of the fourth century. The glass vessels centuries CE based upon dated examples from excavations. cannot be related with any certainty to the use of this Those with chubby child-like faces she identifies as structure. There is currently no evidence for occupation representing Dionysos or Eros and notes that they were at Kellis after the early 390s (Hope 1999; 2002, 204-6). most common in the eastern Mediterranean. The largest It is therefore probable that the glass vessels were dropped number of head-shaped vessels was manufactured in that during the course of the abandonment of the site at the region during the second and third centuries, and end of the fourth century or possibly very early in the fifth production ceased during the mid-fourth century. Vessels century, although why in the spot where they were found, with single heads were made predominantly in the first– given that it is not an obvious point of exiting the village, second and fourth centuries. Of those detailed in her survey cannot be determined. The find context does not, therefore, an early fourth century vessel from Worms in Germany assist in the dating of the manufacture of the vessels, but has a foot similar in external shape to Figure 1a, though does indicate generally the period until which they the stem is not beaded, and also a tall neck with an continued in use. unaccentuated rim; however, the neck is funnel-shaped and the vessel has two faces (see also Harden et al. 1987, number 95). The shape of the eyes resembles those of Description of the Vessels Figure 1a. No other piece in both Stern’s survey and In the descriptions the dimensions are given in centimetres catalogue has a similar foot; a single-head vessel of the and the following abbreviations are employed: H height, first half of the third century (Stern 1995, number 148) possesses a similar neck and rim type, but has the usual D diameter, W width, Th thickness. flat base. Jennifer Price (personal communication, 2003) has pointed Group 1: Figure 1 out that parallels to the bead stem and foot of this piece Figure 1a: 31/420-D6-1/D/7/0/35 occur in the late second and third century in the west (for Form: single head-shaped bottle with tall cylindrical neck, example Isings’ 1957 forms 91b–c), which might indicate unaccentuated rim, applied bead stem and foot with fire- a slightly earlier date for this vessel than is indicated by rounded edge; the face is of the chubby child-like type reference to Stern’s study. These features occur on two with blurred details.6 flutes from Sedeinga assigned a date in the third century Colour: pale green. CE (see below; pointed out by J. Price personal Technique: head mould-blown; neck, foot and stem free- communication, 2003). blown.7 Plates 1 and 3. Dimensions: Ht 19.8; D of head 9; H of head 10.2; D of Figure 1b: 31/420-D6-1/D/7/0/7 head at base 5.7; H of neck 6.9; D of rim 2.1; H of foot/ Form: flask with a diagonal rim, fire-rounded edge, funnel stem 3; D of foot 6.6; Th of wall at head and neck 0.2– mouth with applied trail, wide neck, convex body and a 0.3. concave base. Contents: residue of pine, cedar or fir resin (Ross and Colour: pale green. Stern, this volume). Technique: blown. Stopper: String wound around top of stem of the foot and Dimensions: H estimated 12.9; D of rim 5.85; D of body at the base of the neck; the two sections may once have 8.1; H of neck 3.6; Th of wall 0.2–0.3. joined thus forming a means of raising the vessel, or they Date: fourth century. could have been attached to a stopper used to close the The rim type occurs frequently at Kellis on flasks of various vessel, on which see Stern 1995, 31 footnote 64. sizes and shapes, and jugs: see Marchini 1999, Figures Date:8 Provisionally the piece may be assigned to the late 1c, 3h. A fragment preserving the rim to upper body from third or early fourth century; this date is confirmed by the a similar flask was found at Alexandria in Gabbari Tomb use of pale green glass (Price and Cottam 1998, 16), which B3 and ascribed to the fourth to fifth centuries (Nenna is the colour of all of the pieces in both deposits.9 2001a, 508 number 6). __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 5 This is the object registration catalogue number. 6 In the descriptions I have provided details following suggestions made by Jennifer Price. 7 I follow the terminology and data on manufacture and morphology provided in Price and Cottam 1998, 22–9.