11–16 Sept 2022
University of Warsaw
Europe/Warsaw timezone

Multidisciplinary studies of counterfeit Roman Imperial denarii from Belarus

13 Sept 2022, 14:00
1h
University of Warsaw

University of Warsaw

Krakowskie Przedmieście 26/28 Warsaw

Speaker

Vital Sidarovich (Faculty of Archaeology, Warsaw University)

Description

The territory of Belarus is one of the peripheral zones of the distribution of cast barbarian copies of Roman Imperial denarii. Most Belarusian finds of these coins should be identified with the Wielbark culture whose sites are known in the south-west of Belarus. Then again, the population of the Wielbark culture received cast coins from the related Chernyakhiv culture.
The study of the metallurgical composition of cast coins made using laser atomic emission spectroscopy showed that it can be very diverse – ranging from specimens made of base metals (copper, tin and lead) to coins with a very high silver content. It can be assumed that the functions of these barbarian forgeries within the barbarian society differed from the functions of the original Roman coins or that of struck barbarian imitations, as evidenced by the absence of cast copies in hoards of Imperial denarii.

Primary author

Vital Sidarovich (Faculty of Archaeology, Warsaw University)

Presentation materials

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