A number of metal items are an important testimony of the art of metal processing and the tastes of their owners.

A bronze fibula in the shape of a leech is such an example. It can be dated to the protohistoric period, specifically to the Iron Age (8th-4th century B.C.), and was found in the area of Cervia. Instead, a bronze handle of an oenochoe (a single-handled jug) in the shape of Silenus comes from the area of Montaletto of Cervia. Silenus was one of the characters of the procession of Dionysus, a Greek God connected to sylvan cults, to the ecstasy of wine and, above all, referable to the origins of the theatre; this object also dates from the Iron Age.

A bronze astragalus was found in Pisignano. This is a gaming piece in the shape of the knucklebones of sheep. According to the way it fell after being thrown, it could mean the victory or defeat of its owner. This particular object dates back to Roman times.

 

Text by Giovanna Montevecchi