Miscellaneous Ancient Household Items

Bone Pyxis with Gold Leaf

This rare Roman bone pyxis is inlaid with gold decorations and features two gold leaves. It was discovered alongside related items, including a knife and a spindle whorl.

The term “pyxis” refers to the shape of a small lidded vessel, a design that originated in ancient Greece. Pyxides were likely used to store small personal items such as jewelry or cosmetics, which led to their common association with women during their period of use. As a result, their designs and levels of decoration varied widely.

50-400 CE Gold and Bone Cosmetic Tool

Bone Handled inlaid knife

This iron and bone-handled knife, adorned with gold inlays, was once part of the gold-inlaid pyxis shown here. The knife is impressively well-preserved, with its bone handle remaining completely intact. Though the iron blade has corroded over time, it has remarkably retained its shape, a testament to its age and craftsmanship.

50-400 CE Bone, Gold and Iron Personal Hygiene

Lead Curse Tablet

This item is a thin piece of lead, folded many times in ancient times, commonly known as a “Curse Tablet.” People would leave these around temples or stadiums, usually with an inscription inside. The soft metal made it easy to carve messages using a bronze stylus, an ancient pen. These tablets served as offerings to the gods, prayers for good fortune, or curses against an enemy.

The name “Curse Tablet” comes from the fact that many contained ill wishes or curses directed at others. These were deeply personal messages to the gods, sometimes naming specific individuals and places.

100-500 CE Lead Literacy/Household

Lead Gaming Dice

A small lead gaming die with indented dots showing the numbers. Each side has a different value, but at least two sides show a "four." This suggests it might have been used in a game that required two fours, especially since there is no "six" present.

100-500 CE Lead Gaming and Recreation

Roman Bronze Cosmetic Box

This collection includes several parts of a small Roman bronze box, featuring two decorated panel plates or covers, edging pieces, and three tiny hinged handles. All the pieces have a soft, slightly encrusted patina. The set also contains a portion of the lock panel and a shaped piece of slate. It’s thought to have once been a delicate, finely crafted Roman box.

1st-4th Century CE Bronze Stone and Lead Cosmetic Tool

Silver Inlaid Stylus

An iron-based stylus, the ancient predecessor of the pen, featuring beautiful silver-inlaid sections and designs. This well-preserved example of a Roman writing instrument was used for writing on wax tablets. Near the end, a rectangular area is bordered on all four sides with strips of silver, enclosing a bronze or gold center framed by a silver crescent.

200-500 CE Iron and Silver Literacy/Household

Roman Ceramic Oil Lamp

A small but neatly decorated Roman oil lamp shows clear signs of use and wear. The top features two concentric rings encircling a central image of the god Mercury, reminiscent of a Roman carving. The front of the lamp has a phallic shape, and the handle is adorned with two decorative lines running down its length.

100- 300 CE Clay Ceramic Lighting

Bone Spindle Whorl

This bone spindle whorl and spindle were discovered alongside a pyxis and a knife, and were likely buried together at some point. Spindle whorls and spindles date back to the Neolithic age and were used to make thread from materials like wool, hemp, and yarn. The spindle would spin with the weight of the spindle whorl, twisting the fibers into thread during the process.

100-300 CE Bone Textile Manufacture

Lead Seal with Text

A Late Roman lead seal depicts a late Roman Emperor, identified by the crown with a central jewel. The style is distinctly late Roman, featuring a head-on portrait similar to those seen on coins starting under Arcadius (383–408 AD). The facial features and overall design are also reminiscent of later Roman mosaics and engravings. Around the head, faint letters can be seen, reading: [THEO]DOSIV[S] 402–450 AD.

400- 500 CE Lead Commerce

Inscribed Bronze Ring

This bronze finger ring features two crescent-shaped pieces set side by side on the bezel, separated by a central groove that tapers into a partially split band. Small in size, it’s likely equivalent to a modern US size 5–6. The crescents bear Greek inscriptions reading “A C T” and “AXI,” which translate to the Greek (Jewish) name Astachus in a positive sense, essentially meaning “Astachus’ Ring.”

200-400 CE Bronze Personal Item

Ancient Household Items

The Material Domestic