Date of Thesis

Spring 2022

Description

In 2019, James Turnure, Samuel H. Kress Professor of Art History Emeritus, donated a collection of antiquities to Bucknell University’s Samek Art Museum. Among the artifacts were seventeen Roman oil lamps, seven of which were chosen to serve as the basis for this thesis. The selected lamps are included in the attached catalog, representing their first formal study and publication. This thesis thus serves to introduce the lamps into the known archaeological corpus, providing greater accessibility to future researchers. Accompanying the catalog are three chapters dealing in the modern reception of small finds, the ancient Roman oil lamp industry, and the transmission of iconography throughout the ancient Mediterranean world. When taken together, these topics shed light on the various aspects of a lamp’s life, from ancient production to modern collecting. In this way, the artifacts are situated in a historical and contemporary context, constructing a holistic account of the value lamps have to the archaeological community and justifying their further study.

Keywords

Oil Lamps, Roman, Samek Art Museum, Motif, Workshops, Diana

Access Type

Honors Thesis

Degree Type

Bachelor of Arts

Major

Classics & Mediterranean Studies

First Advisor

Kristine M. Trego

Second Advisor

Janet Jones

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