L’ensemble monétaire (gallo-)romain de Merendree Molenkouter (Fl. Or., Belgique)

﬈e coin complex of Merendree is the only non-military one in the northern territory of the civitas Menapiorum that is large enough to allow a statistical study. We offer a catalogue of all 289 recorded finds and analyse a spatially concentrated sample of 253 coins. Some attest the presence in the area of an older stock of Augustan coins, but the ensemble is consistent with the start of nucleated settlement in the Flavian period. Non-monetary finds possibly indicate a rural sanctuary and a limited military presence. Merendree continued as a regional centre until the end of the Gallic Empire. During this time the composition of the ensemble correlates well with other centres in the civitates of the Menapians and Nervians. After ad 274 the influx of coins stopped abruptly. Archaeology shows a continued occupation throughout the late third, fourth and fi﬇h centuries leading up to a revival in the Merovingian period. A few Constantinian coins and small militaria suggest a brief revival of coin attraction in the 330s connected to a renewed military presence

All crystal clear: 18th-century glass à la façon de Bohème from the cistercian nunnery of Clairefontaine, Belgium

Excavations at the Cistercian nunnery of Clairefontaine, located near Arlon in the south of Belgium, revealed an assemblage of 18th-century colorless glass. The morphology of the vessels and the engraved decoration suggest a central European origin or, at least, stylistic inspiration. The composition of the glass points to a recipe combining silica, lime, and potash: a colorless potash glass à la façon de Bohème. This article considers the technology, morphology, and origin of the vessels. The art-historical analysis is supported by chemical research (scanning electron microscopy–energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy [SEM-EDX]). The finds are also discussed in light of the emerging northwestern European glass industry, changing consumer practices during the 18th century, and their meaning for the inhabitants of the abbey

Rethinking migration and mobility in the late roman west with ceramic petrography

For some time the study of migration with ceramics was considered unreliable or unuseful after the ethnic discourse applied by cultural historians. The idea of 'pots=people' was heavily criticized, and rightly so: for similarities in style can result from mobility in people, goods and ideas. Yet, discarding the ceramic evidence altogether is not the solution. With a proper understanding of the limitations and issues, and ideally supplemented with other datasets, the distribution of ceramics and ceramic technology can be very useful in studying migration and even distinguishing between different kinds of mobility. This poster aims to demonstrate the use of ceramic petrography to investigate migration and mobility in the Late Roman West. By identifying fabrics of traditional house-made pottery from Roman Gaul (local) and several Germanic territories outside the Roman Empire (non-local), the results demonstrate continued traditions, the arrival of new immigrants with ‘foreign’ traditions and new or redefined ceramic productions. On the one hand, these new techniques are the result of technological changes due to restrictions and changes in natural resources, and on the other hand can be linked to choices resulted from the merging of various cultural and ethnic groups