Since the first CSIR volumes on Carnuntum were published (1967–1970), the inventory of monuments has been substantially augmented by new finds and the demands on a corpus work have increased significantly. A scientific revision aims to update and complete the inventory lists of stone monuments on the one hand, and to undertake an interdisciplinary analysis of this source type on the other.

Cult and dedicatory monuments from the Vienna Basin and the Leitha region

As one of the results of the CarVin project (FWF P26368-G21) and a continuation of the CSIR volume Carnuntum Suppl. I, an inventory of the monuments dedicated to gods, cults or people from the Vienna Basin and the Leitha region is currently being drawn up. The region constitutes the hinterland of the two key sites where legions were stationed, Carnuntum and Vindobona/Vienna. An analysis based on ancient religious history aims to produce a comparative study of the evidence of cults from two Upper Pannonian metropolises and their respective hinterlands.

 

Epigraphy and the archaeological context, typology and iconography

A new reading of the inscriptions is being undertaken by experts at the University of Vienna in the course of revising the “Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum (CIL) Pannonien”. Each object is being located in its archaeological context and considered against its historical background. The analysis further aims to consider questions of typology, iconography and chronology. By comparing them with the monuments from the settlement area of Carnuntum, it is possible to study cultic practices and cultic topography through direct comparison.

The origins of the stone

In the course of the CarVin project, comprehensive analyses to determine the origins of the stone used in the area under investigation were undertaken. Using the cult and dedicatory monuments, the significance of the results in addressing questions relating to the production centres and workshops as well as the production methods and distribution mechanisms will be explored.

Polychromy and pigment analysis

It has long been known that antique stone monuments in Roman provinces were originally polychrome and efforts have been made to document and preserve the surviving remains of these colours. By experimenting with and combining a range of technical and scientific analytical methods as well as through visualisation, we aim to  take into account this important aspect in the CSIR project.