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Date: 27 May , 2021

Time: 18:00 - 19:30

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1st century AD dog-headed relief cavalry harness fitting, found in Lincoln. Image copyright Christopher Carswell, Allen Archaeology.

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A RFG Member only seminar (18.00 – 19.15).

An introduction to Roman phallic imagery: magic, morphology, and materials
Adam Parker, Yorkshire Museum Trust

Adam will introduce the theme of phallic imagery in Roman art and archaeology, based on his ongoing PhD research into the materiality of magic in Roman Britain. He will discuss the apotropaic nature of this image in the ancient world and highlight the key types and forms of phallic objects and, where possible, discuss their distributions and dating.

Phallic imagery on Romano-British millstones: four examples from sites in modern-day England
Ruth Shaffrey, Oxford Archaeology South

Ruth will discuss her research into phallic imagery on millstones from Roman Britain with a focus on the most recent find from the A14 in Cambridgeshire. In her paper, Ruth will show some parallels from the continent but will focus on the four examples from Roman Britain and the sites and contexts in which they were found. She will consider who might have seen the images at the various stages in a millstone’s life and how the imagery might be interpreted

New Finds of Phallic Decorated Antler Roundel pendants
Stephen Greep, Roman Finds Group

Stephen will discuss unpublished antler roundel pendants with phallic decoration since his 1994 Britannia paper, concentrating on unpublished examples from Gloucester, including two new examples from Kingsholm. He will discuss why are antler roundel pendants relatively common, how were they worn and place them in their British and European context.

Touch wood? A wood-carved phallus from Vindolanda
Rob Collins, University of Newcastle and  Rob Sands, University College,  Dublin

Recent reassessment of Vindolanda’s extensive archive prompted close examination of a curious wooden object, unambiguously carved to represent a phallus – believed to be the first wooden phallus found in Britain. Preliminary results of on-going research are presented here.

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