POSSIBLE KERNOI DISCOVERED IN THE PRINCIPIA FROM CĂLUGĂRENI / MIKHÁZA

During the excavations of the principia from the Roman auxiliary fort in Călugăreni, fragments from two hand‑formed shallow pottery objects were discovered, which do not fit in the forms repertoire of the local ceramic vessels. One of the artefacts has oval form and quite rare cogwheel decoration in the inner side, the other is almost rectangular. The two artefacts turned out to be kernoi, which are found mainly as grave goods in Central Balkan environment. The presence of these kernoi shed light on a new aspect of the spiritual life on the eastern limes of Roman Dacia. Even though it is clearly an object related to personal religious practice and may be linked to the sphere of ‘baggage archaeology’; it is still a close link between Călugăreni and the provinces of Moesia and Thracia.