Die Datierung und die Funktion einer Kleinbronze mit paganen und christlichen Merkmalen

Abstract

The Archeological Institute of the University of Erlangen in Germany owns, among other items, a small bronze pendant consisting of two parts, i. e. a very simple bull protome with a compact Maltese cross on top, and a lower part with a lunula which encircles a second cross with rounded ends. These features show a mixture of pagan and Christian belief. No details are known about this pendant, as it has been bought on an auction in 1992. A comparison with similar bull protomes gave no results, as they also lacked their context, so the dating had to be established from the specific features of the pendant, i. e. a Greek inscription with small characters and its wording „ΚΕ ΒΟΗΘΙ ΤΟΙC ΑΛΟΓΟΙC“, the shape of the bull protome and the shape of the crosses.The inscription was not explicit for a specific time and the shape of the bull protomes evaluated by Sande led to an approximate dating of some bull protomes to the 6th century AD. But comparing the cross forms with coins and other well dated objects proved that their specific shape was only in use between the mid-6th and mid-7th centuries. As the inscription asks God to help the animals, the pendant was probably intended to protect horses as the most valuable animals against accidents and the bad eye. For this purpose the artist or owner didn’t rely on Christian symbols alone, but resorted to the long tradition of pagan symbols, thus demonstrating that, at least in the provinces, the official religion still did not cover all aspects of life.