Roman Ring Buckle (Ringschnallencingulum) Apulum, Bronze

Roman Ring Buckle (Ringschnallencingulum) Apulum

Ring buckle with 2 fungiform studs after a find from Apulum. As a typical belt of the 3rd century, the strap is simply passed through the ring, folded over and fastened with the help of the buttons.

Ring buckle cingulum Apulum

Alba Julia in Romania was an important legionary site in Roman times, known as "Apulum". Over 1000 roman and early medieval graves have been discovered and excavated so far. The grave inventories include pottery in the form of crockery and oil lamps, coins, vessels and beads made of glass and many other everyday objects, especially belt parts, jewellery and fibulae.

Military and civil burials can be distinguished on the basis of the typical belt fittings and occasionally also weapons. Cremation burial 19/Trench XXXII included the remains of a soldier with a typical ring buckle cingulum from the 3rd century A.D. The material given is a reddish copper alloy, which indicates bronze. Fragments of ornamental fittings and strap tongues cannot be assigned to the belt without doubt, but probably served as decorations for a separate sword belt (balteus). A coin dates the find ensemble after 175 AD, whereby the ring buckle cingula, as a further development of the frame buckles, probably only became popular in the 3rd century.

According to S. v. Schnurbein, in contrast to earlier military belts, this belt fashion was probably also worn by civilians and is occasionally depicted on stone reliefs of gods, such as Mercury of Châtenois or Silvanus of Aquincum.

Literature:
Daniela CIUGUDEAN, "Ringschnallencingulum”-type belts from Apulum, IN: SCRIPTA CLASSICA, RADU ARDEVAN SEXAGENARIO DEDICATA, CLUJ-NAPOCA, 2011