(2/ )
Upper Paleolithic [- 400000/ - 10000]
archaeology; mesolithic; lithic industry
(3/ )
Modern period [1492 / 1789]
"Loudly"
This atypical object made of blue glass decorated with a spiral cord was discovered in the 1990s during the excavation of the site of the Nancy Museum of Fine Arts. The preventive excavation was carried out on a part of the modern fortifications of the city. Amongst a large quantity of furniture of all kinds, the object was found in the filling of the defensive ditches. Although fragmentary, its shape allows it to be interpreted as a calling horn or a hunting horn. Music is omnipresent, whether in hunting or in warfare. It allows to transcend the troops, accompanies the military pomp, transmits orders and signals to the men during the fights or the hunting. In modern times, hunting has not been a means of subsistence for many centuries; on the contrary, it is a privilege and a prestigious activity reserved for the ruling elite. Its practice becomes ritualized and is gradually surrounded by a pageantry of which music is an essential component.
(4/ )
2nd Iron Age [- 480/ - 50]
Ritualized violence
Camong the Gallic peoples, as in many other civilizations, animal sacrifice was an integral part of religious practices. This spit, discovered during the excavation of a Latin sanctuary (between the 5th and 1st centuries BC) near Niort, attests to this. The discovery of this object near a deposit of animal bones allows us to assume its role in the ritual cooking of the sacrificial meat, shared between the participants in the rite and the deity or deities whose favor is sought. If the sacrifice can today be assimilated to an act of pure violence, it was then considered essential to obtain the benevolence of the deities and thus to maintain the balance of the community and the world. In Gaul, this rite remained practiced throughout the Roman period and then gradually disappeared during the last centuries of antiquity, as part of profound religious mutations.
(5/ )
Bas-Empire [235/ 476]
Shelter!
Rassembling various objects, the Vaise treasure [Lyon 9th arrondissement] consists of two deposits discovered on the edge of the ancient city, in the remains of a suburban Gallo-Roman villa. The term "treasure" is defined not by its preciousness, but rather by a desire to store goods, keeping them safe from threat. Also, the Vaise treasure, including elements of statuettes, silver tableware and coins, as well as gold jewelry, can be associated with an episode of crises. According to the analysis of the coins, one of the possible hypotheses is that of a treasure amassed by a Roman soldier dating from shortly after the year 268. This date would then be in the middle of the "Cyprian plague", but also in a context of barbarian invasions and military anarchy. Beyond its value, this treasure is therefore above all a witness to a period of rare violence.
This set combines objects of various kinds: statuettes, crockery, coins and jewelry. Two distinct deposits were found under the floor of a house. One contained three statuettes of divinities in gilded silver plate (Apollo, Fortune and a bird goddess), a small male bust (emperor?), various fragments of statuettes and two silver bracelets. The other, three silver dishes, a batch of 14 spoons and 81 silver coins, as well as jewelry: a necklace (gold and emerald), two gold bracelets, two pairs of earrings (gold, emerald and gemstones), two gold rings and a gold coin mounted as a pendant (aureus of Gordian III, struck in 242). Numismatic study allows us to date the burial of this deposit to the 260s.
(6/ )
Modern period [1492 / 1789]
Forgotten Slaves
Cand object is one of twenty-two metal vessels adapted to the principle of survival at the archaeological site of Tromelin, an islet in the Indian Ocean and a place of memory of slave violence in the 18th century. Between 1761 and 1776, this near-desert sandbar was the site of the improbable survival of some of the survivors of the shipwreck of the Utile, an East India Company ship that left Madagascar in 1761 with 160 Malagasy slaves smuggled aboard. Following the shipwreck, the survivors built a makeshift boat, the use of which was reserved for the sole members of the crew, who abandoned the 80 surviving slaves to their fate. To survive, they had no choice but to organize themselves into a community. They created shelters as well as objects of all kinds from the remains of the wreck and the materials found on the island. This dish, repaired seven times, testifies to the incredible skill and adaptability of the abandoned castaways. When help arrived in 1776, only eight people survived the fifteen years of oblivion.
In 1761, the Utile, a French ship, ran aground on the island of sands that became the Island of Tromelin, 500 km from the coasts of Madagascar and those of Reunion. On board were some 160 Malagasy slaves, half of whom drowned. The crew left, abandoning the captives on the deserted islet. 80 slaves were left to their sad fate: they remained stranded on the island for 15 years and forgotten by all. Except, apparently, for Barthélémy Castellan du Vernet, who tried to warn the authorities, including the Minister of the Navy. It was only in 1776 that a corvette commanded by Jacques Marie de Tromelin came to rescue them. Only seven women and an eight-month-old baby survived. Seven times repaired, this container is representative of the skill deployed to make it last: cutting out parts, drilling corresponding holes on the part and the container, rolling up thin copper sheets to form small regular rivets which were then crushed with a hammer. A kind of metal basin found on the island of Tromelin. This object was perhaps used to conserve rainwater or water collected from the well dug just after the sinking of the Utile. Found by archaeologists in front of the opening of a building, it seems to correspond to a Malagasy tradition of placing a water jug at the entrance of houses.
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(9/ )
Mesolithic [- 10000 / - 5500]
Small but effective!
Aduring the Mesolithic period (10,000 to 7,000 years ago), human societies produced flint arrows, most often in geometric shapes, for hunting and fishing purposes. This period was marked by a major climatic and environmental change related to the end of the last ice age and the beginning of global warming, and saw the development of the forest and the arrival of new game adapted to these environments. These eleven arrowheads in the form of irregular triangles, or scalenes, probably come from a seasonal camp of hunter-gatherers of the Middle Mesolithic, 8,000 years ago. These very small objects, produced from flint blades or flakes, characterize the tools of the last hunter-gatherers. They were used to arm the ends or sides of projectiles used for hunting, notably arrows. Small in size, they testify to the extreme skill in producing effective weapons for hunting and defense. Thinness and lightness allow for increased use in the face of events.
These 11 irregular triangular or scalene-shaped arrow fittings likely originated from a seasonal hunter-gatherer encampment of the Middle Mesolithic period, circa 6000 B.C.E.
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(10/ )
Early Middle Ages [476 / 1000]
Soldier's Grave
Llong javelin with a short wooden shaft, the angon is characteristic of the offensive equipment of the Frankish warrior. This one, dated between 470 and 530, was found in the necropolis of Saint-Dizier in the Haute-Marne. The weapons of this period are rarely isolated in the burials, but on the contrary constitute a defensive and offensive panoply. In this period it is possible to discover in the same burial one or more of the following elements: angons, spearheads, shields, arrowheads, scramasaxes, axes, long swords. These weapons may also be accompanied by ritual funerary deposits and objects related to the mortuary clothing of the deceased. The study of these burials is particularly rich in information on military equipment and therefore on the practice of warfare in the Merovingian period. They also provide valuable clues to the economic and social level of the deceased during this period, with the warrior burials often being among the wealthiest.
Between 470 and 530 iron (angon), copper alloy (tip and fret decoration), wood (in the socket and rest of the shaft) Iron shaft with a round cross-section at the distal end and an octagonal cross-section at the other. The point of the weapon is diamond-shaped in section and bears a damascened copper alloy leaf, as well as incised decoration.
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(11/ )
Early Middle Ages [476 / 1000]
Both a weapon and a tool
Pamong the offensive weapons used for military purposes during the High Middle Ages (between the fifth and tenth centuries) was the scramasax, which reached its peak in the Merovingian period. Made of iron alloy and silver, this small scramasaxe is a large knife with a triangular blade, sharp on one side only, set in an exceptionally well-preserved wooden sheath. This versatile tool could have had several functions, and could have been used as a machete for example. The excavation revealed that this was an exceptional funerary complex because of its richness in furnishings and the particular layout of the male tombs, leaning against a horse grave. In addition, the surrounding soil, a moist clayey silt, allowed for the good preservation of organic remains (wood, leather, fur, cloth) that were in contact with the metal objects.
(12/ )
Modern period [1492 / 1789]
Be careful!"
Pmilitary projectile used for cannon shots during siege warfare, the stone cannonball appeared in the late Middle Ages. Very similar to catapult or trebuchet projectiles, it differs from them only by its more regular geometric shape. This one dates from the 15th century and was discovered in the city of Nancy. It testifies to one of the major military techniques of the Middle Ages based on siege warfare and the attack of walls by the use of propulsion weapons. This type of stone ammunition was gradually replaced by cast iron cannonballs from the 16th century onwards, allowing for a reduction in their weight and a gain in performance.
(13/ )
Gallo-Roman [- 50 / 476]
Strengthen
Dfound at the foot of the antique walls of Toulouse, this terra cotta object remains a mystery. While it is recognizable as a scale model of a fortified gate, it is difficult to determine its function. Is it a toy? A model? An offering? In Roman Gaul, there are two main groups of urban enclosures. If those built during the High-Empire (1st - 3rd centuries) are rarer and often more symbolic than defensive, the numerous enclosures of the Low-Empire, built between the middle of the 3rd century and the end of the following century, are as for them provided with imposing defensive devices, displaying an obvious military vocation. They resulted from the feeling of insecurity that struck a Roman Empire then in crisis, confronted with the violence of the first barbarian invasions. This is how the rampart becomes a familiar element of the ancient landscape.
This piece represents a scale model of a tower with a five-sided polygonal forebody. Incisions, perhaps made after firing, attempt to reproduce the wall apparatus (assembly of bricks and stones in the masonry). The tower is framed by two vaulted openings (doors) which are unfortunately broken. The knob above the tower appears to be a tenon for the attachment of a second element. If the appearance of this object, incomplete, is that of a model of a fortified gate of a rampart, its function remains undetermined: toy? ex-voto? architect's model (imported model to be imitated, project to be executed)? Found in a heap of bricks and tiles accumulated at the foot of the curtain wall of the Roman enclosure of Toulouse, near the Place Saint-Pierre, this object could just as well be a simple architectural terracotta whose function has yet to be determined.
(14/ )
2nd Iron Age [- 480/ - 50]
Protecting Yourself
Cthis decorative piece of repoussé sheet metal, depicting a Gallic warrior battle, is probably a armor element. It was discovered at the site of Lacoste, in the Dordogne valley, within a Gallic artisanal settlement specialized in particular in the manufacture of pieces of weaponry and military equipment. Here, the scene shows two warriors armed with a short sword, a shield, and a helmet close to the Celto-Etruscan type. As with all military equipment, the cuirass, a defensive element worn by soldiers, can be a medium for artistic creativity, and this from the Bronze Age. In the case of our object, we can be struck by this mise en abyme of the warrior theme, a major element of Celtic iconography, pertaining to the register of violence
.This is probably a decorative element of a cuirass. The decoration, obtained using the repoussé technique, represents two Gallic warriors who are fighting each other with very short swords, each equipped with a shield and a helmet close to the Celto-Etruscan type. Their boots, whose ends are raised, resemble medieval shoes (poulaines). The decoration of "S" framing the scene is characteristic of Celtic art.2nd century BC
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(17/ )
2nd Iron Age [- 480/ - 50]
Victorious
Cthis statue discovered in Bordeaux and dated to the 1st century BC. J.-C. represents a romanized Gallic chief, holding a spear in his right hand, and leaning on a Gallic-type shield. Like its contemporary, the Warrior of Vachères, preserved in the Calvet Museum in Avignon, we see in the Bordeaux warrior an early Gallo-Roman hybridization in the military equipment, as well as the importance of the warrior theme in the representation of prestige. Here, the leader does not fight, but poses proudly, leaning on his shield. The choice is thus made not to represent the warrior in action but rather to emphasize his respectable status. Indeed, the social distinction is all the more important in a period where latent violence favors the presence of a warrior elite.
At the end of the 1st century B.C., after the Gallic War, the emporion of Burdigala doubled its surface area by developing mainly towards the bank of the Garonne. It is not excluded that this expansion could be linked to the arrival of populations from the center of Gaul (Bituriges from the Bourges region) or from closer territories such as the Santons (Saintes region). This last hypothesis could be validated by the discovery of this limestone statue representing a very "Romanized" Gallic chief, who was holding a spear with his right hand and whose left arm was resting on a Gallic-type shield. Indeed, the limestone in which this work was executed probably comes from the region of Pons (Charente-Maritime, determination J.-P. Platel, BRGM)), which is the ancient oppidum of Santons deserted at the end of the 1st century BC.
(18/ )
Early Imperial [27 / 235]
Being a Soldier
Cthis funerary stele was erected for the soldier Comnisca, who died while serving in Gaul in the first century CE. The relief sculpture immortalizes him in his military identity, camped for eternity in the posture of the victorious fighter. The inscription traces his personal history, similar to that of so many other individuals in the vast Roman Empire: belonging to the Ambian people (from the region of Amiens), he served for seven years in the Roman army before dying at the age of 25. A private, unranked soldier, he was a rider of the Indiana ala. He was buried in a necropolis near the Roman camp of Argentorate, in what is now the Koenigshoffen district of Strasbourg.
(19/ )
Gallo-Roman [- 50 / 476]
Violence as a spectacle
Din the Roman world, the gladiatorial fights, made public as early as 105 BCE, were a popular entertainment for the entire society, which crowded into the amphitheaters several times a year to witness them. The frequency with which such scenes are depicted on various everyday objects, such as this oil lamp, attests to this fervor. These shows were certainly not as brutal as they are in the modern imagination: fought by professionals, they were codified, refereed, and did not aim so much at the scene of butchery as at the beautiful fight. The fact remains that many gladiators died in them (about 10% of the participants in a given fight), and that the debates they may have caused in Roman society did not call into question this showmanship of violence.
(20/ )
Early Imperial [27 / 235]
Gods for war
LRomans worship a multitude of deities, each of which governs one or another aspect of human life. Minerva, among other attributions, is the goddess of war; she represents well-regulated warfare, contrary to Mars who presides over the most violent battles. Ancient cameos often represent deities. These objects functioned as amulets: for the possessor of this exceptionally fine example - probably a high-ranking personage - it was a matter of attracting the goddess's benevolence in his military ventures. While Minerva is often depicted motionless and peaceful, the emphasis here is on her character as a fighter, armed from head to toe and mounted on a chariot drawn by two horses in full race.
(22/ )
Mesolithic [- 10000 / - 5500]
archaeology; mesolithic; lithic industry
(23/ )
Iron Age [- 800/ - 50]
The Art of War
Dduring the third century BC. J.-In the early 20th century, the Celts developed an artistic style known as plastic, using the lost-wax technique. Characterized by motifs in relief and geometric volumes evoking nature, this art is transmitted to us through funerary contexts that are sometimes prestigious. In Orval, in the Manche, was discovered one of the most western chariot tombs in Europe. Of the deceased, a warrior buried on his chariot with his two horses, only the weaponry and some personal effects remain. Here, this bronze key head (a piece joining two rotating elements) shows a frontal face framed by two profiles linked by their hair treated in arabesques. This type of military accessory shows the technological mastery and artistic inspiration of the craftsmen, but also the importance of war among the Celtic elites. From a context of violence arises a world of refinement.
Discovered in the summer of 2006, the tomb at Orval (Manche) is today a unique case: the westernmost of the late Early La Tène "chariot tombs" ever found in Europe.
(24/ )
Early Imperial [27 / 235]
Military parades
Cfragments belonged to a Gallo-Roman copper alloy helmet. Only the rear part with the neck guard is preserved. The object has a repoussé decoration featuring laurel leaves, an evocation of military glory. The presence of this decoration and its content indicate that this helmet is not part of the soldier's ordinary equipment, but probably a ceremonial piece. Such helmets were worn by the cavalry for parades and hippica gymnasia (tournaments that used agreed-upon scenarios). Some had a mask that could be folded down over the face, but it is impossible to say whether this was the case. These exceptional objects, refined, haloed with prestige the army in representation.
Fragments of a Gallo-Roman helmet, decorated with repoussé of a compound pattern. Only the back of the helmet and its neck guard (in six glued pieces) are relatively well preserved. The surface is decorated symmetrically on either side of a central knot, evoking a laurel wreath placed on the hair. A beaded frieze marks the start of the neck guard, which is itself decorated with a motif of acanthus leaves. Eight other elements have been reassembled on the helmet, some of which have vegetal decoration. There is also a fragment of a paragnathid point. Two fragments of earmuffs were reassembled: they were attached to the helmet by rivets.
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(27/ )
Archaic period
Vengeful violence!
Cthis perfectly legible vase bears witness to a mythological scene expressing the vengeance of Artemis, the Greek goddess of hunting. Indeed, it tells of a mythical episode in Homer's Iliad in which the ruthless Artemis decides to send a giant boar to ravage the lands of King Oeneas of Calydon, in Etolia (central Greece). By this act, she intended to punish him for having committed the imprudence to offend her by forgetting to address a sacrifice to her after the harvest. Méléagre, son of Œnée, then calls upon the greatest hunters of the country to hunt down this monstrous animal which destroys his country. The tracking of the boar is an adventure in which many Greek heroes take part. It is finally Atalanta who succeeds in wounding the animal, which succumbed under the effect of the fatal blow given by Meleager. This episode of the hunting of the boar of Calydon is a subject often treated in the history of art, on ceramic decorations from antiquity, but also in neoclassical painting and sculpture.
(28/ )
Contemporary period [1789 / nowadays]
The memory of violence
Cthis hollowware, produced in the early 20th century, was discovered in an industrial area of Niort. It comes from the Gautier faience factory, whose production was intended for local and tourist customers. It shows the Battle of Hastings, a decisive event in the Norman conquest of England in 1066, and more specifically the death of the brothers of Harold (the last Anglo-Saxon king of England) as depicted in the Bayeux Tapestry. If the context of the tapestry's conception remains mysterious, the work shows the permanent importance of the warlike gesture in the writing of History. At the beginning of the twentieth century, when the first museum of the Bayeux Tapestry opened, the masterpiece thus already enjoyed international fame, which was confirmed by the presence of the motif in this earthenware produced some 400 km from the original work...
(29/ )
Bas-Empire [235/ 476]
Violence Then and Now
Lthe medallion of this oil lamp is decorated with a relief depicting the kidnapping of Europa. In this mythical episode well known to the Romans, Jupiter falls in love with a young girl, Europa, transforms himself into a bull in order to approach her, and then abducts her to rape her. A similar outcome is found in many myths modestly called "love of Jupiter". The Romans were not moved by the fate of the young girls who were his victims, and the images erase all the brutality of these stories. For a modern spectator on the contrary, more easily sensitive to the underlying violence, these scenes are disturbing. This discrepancy in reception shows the evolution of sensibilities and, therefore, of the very definition of violence from antiquity to the present.
