Carnuntum Jahrbuch 2017, pp. 97-125, 2018/12/05
Zeitschrift für Archäologie und Kulturgeschichte des Donauraumes
In 2004, 2007 and 2008 fragments of snake vessels came to light during excavations in the civilian city of Carnuntum. In addition to the newly uncovered fragments of Houses III and IV and to some finds discovered during the construction of a barrack in 2004 some snake vessel fragments belonging to the state collections of the province of Lower Austria complement the material presentation. A reconstructible vessel from this collection of old finds was found in Mithraeum III outside the ancient city walls. Other snake vessel fragments were discovered during the excavation of the “Tiergarten”, in the vicinity of the temple for Silvanus and the Quadriviae, as well as in the area of the great bath complex/macellum. The evaluation of the aforementioned fragments provides a varied picture. However, with the exception of the Mithraeum III fragment, most of the pieces were likely used in a domestic shrine, or a semi-private sanctuary. In particular, when considered within the context of a cult space of a collegium, a connection with the worship of Sabazios and – as in the case of the fragment from the “Tiergarten” – Silvanus is conceivable. The vessels of House III and IV are likely connected to a domestic nymphaeum.
