Emerging around the mid-second century CE, the Mithras cult rapidly expanded across the Roman province of Dalmatia, from the highly urbanized coast to the mountainous hinterland, generating impressive material evidence distributed across 36 sites. This project will, for the first time, systematically document material evidence of the Mithras cult in the Roman province of Dalmatia and provide an overall analysis of the material set against the broader socio-cultural and historical background of the region.
The project is the first theory-based study of the Mithras cult in the Roman province of Dalmatia. Through closer examination of the Mithras cult in the region, the project aims to contribute to debates on the religious transformations in the provinces by further affirming the importance of studying material culture. The project will test how much the theoretical approaches, such as lived ancient religion and glocalization, can be helpful frameworks in understanding individual strategies of appropriations and forms of religious communication in the region. The project aims to enhance our knowledge of how the global cult of Mithras was experienced locally and what distinct local meanings were thus created.
The project will pioneer the investigation of polychromy on Dalmatian Mithraic stone monuments using non-invasive analytical techniques. By systematically documenting and analysing traces of colour, the research will assess whether coherent colour schemes were employed in Dalmatia and how these related to iconography and ritual practice. Particular attention will be paid to the role of colour in shaping visual communication and enhancing ritual meaning. Through a cross-regional comparative approach, the project will evaluate whether standardized colour conventions existed across provincial boundaries or whether distinct local traditions developed, offering new insights into the contribution of polychromy to religious experience within Mithraic communities.
The project’s main output will be a monograph accompanied by a catalog. The published results are expected to yield a new understanding of the impact of religious change in the Roman province of Dalmatia and offer a new framework for future research in the field.
04/22025-03/2029
