Divona Room

Pern (Lot), 1^st and 5^th centuries

Carved and engraved cold limestone

149 x 79 x 37 cm

This stele comes from a necropolis located along the Roman road linking Divona (Cahors) to Tolosa (Toulouse). Engraved on both sides, it features two head-to-tail inscriptions that do not date from the same period. The first dates from the 1^st century AD, the second from the end of the 5^th century. The stone used is a cold limestone, that is to say it is very hard.

The 1^st century Latin text (legible on the front) reads: ‘To Marcus Lucterius Leo, son of Lucterius Senecianus, who after having held all the public offices in his homeland from the altar of Augustus (erected) at the confluence of the Saône and the Rhône. As a reward for his services, the town of “Cadurques” (the people of Cahors) erected this monument at the expense of the public treasury’.

Marcus Lucterius may well have been a descendant of Lucterius, leader of the Gallic town of Cadurques. An adversary of Caesar, he defended the ‘oppidum’ (hill fort) of Uxellodunum, under siege by Roman troops during the last confrontation of the Gallic War.

In Lyon, there is another inscription mentioning this character: ‘To Marcus Lucterius Leo, son of Lucterius Senecianus, Cadurque, who assumed all the [municipal] honours among his people’. This attests to the important political role played by Marcus Lucterius in the Gallic province of Aquitaine.

Several centuries later, this stele was replaced on the funerary monument of a certain Gregorius. A new inscription was engraved on the other side, in the opposite direction to the first dedication.

Translation of the Latin text (visible behind): ‘Enclosed in this tomb raised by the hands of Peter, exiled, lies Gregory, exiled, who was born in Spain and ended his days with a sad death amongst the Cadurci’. ‘In this tomb is buried Gregory, banished. Another banished man, Peter, laid him to rest with his own hands, who, born in the land of Hispania, spent his last days amongst the Cadurques, until his death’ (translation by Jean-Luc Boudartchouk).

Following the destruction of Gregorius’ ‘mausoleum’, the stones that had been dug up were transferred; this stone was reused as an altar step in the church at Pern. It was here that the stele was rediscovered in 1638. In the 19^th century, it was moved to Cahors and became part of the museum’s collections.

Donation: Manessia, 1815

Restored in 2021 with the help of the ‘Fonds Régional d’Aide à la Restauration’ (Regional Restoration Aid Fund).

Fragment of a sarcophagus

Cahors, Gallo-Roman period

Carved marble

55 x 23 x 16 cm 45 x 25,5 x 18

The Ceryneian hind is a doe with bronze hooves and golden horns, property of the goddess Artemis. As it is a sacred animal, it cannot be wounded or killed. Capturing it was, therefore, a major challenge for Hercules. After pursuing it for a year, the hero managed to shoot an arrow between the bone and tendon of its leg without spilling a drop of blood.

This fragment was discovered in the cloister of the Saint Etienne Cathedral in Cahors.

Donation: Ficat, before 1883

Restored in 2021 with the help of the ‘Fonds Régional d’Aide à la Restauration’ (Regional Restoration Aid Fund).

Cahors, 3^rd century

Carved white marble

58 x 70 x 220 cm

This sarcophagus was discovered not far from the north portal of the cathedral, on what is now Place Clément-Marot.

The white marble that was used came from quarries in Saint-Béat (Haute-Garonne). Only one of the long sides is carved. It presents a hunting scene, something that was common among the Gallo-Romans to honour the dead. There are several reasons for this choice. According to the Latin poet Virgil, the dead enjoyed the same pastimes as the living, so hunting was one of them. It also represents the courage and strength of the deceased. Finally, it is a symbol of the hero’s victory over vice, considered to be spiritual death.

More specifically, the boar hunt, has been found on around thirty sarcophagi in the province of Aquitaine.

The scene was inspired by the myth of the Hunting of Meleager, one of the most frequently depicted stories on this theme.

Oeneus, King of Calydon in Aetolia (a region of Greece), had not properly honoured Diana, the goddess of the hunt. In anger, she sent a wild boar to ravage the region. Meleager, son of Oeneus, gathered together a group of young men to hunt the boar. He killed it and offered the animal to the young woman he was in love with, Atalanta. A conflict breaks out with Meleager’s uncles, who are jealous of this honour. The story ends with the tragic death of Meleager.

Several scenes are still legible. On the far left, a hunter spears the chest of a wild boar that has been stopped by a dog. In the background, another figure is helping him. Nearby, a hunter is stabbing the back of a running wild animal, possibly a wolf. The animal turns its head towards the hunter, threatening to bite him. In the centre, a standing figure holding a spear turns towards a rider. The rider is about to spear a sow held down by a dog. A third hunter with a spear is sets his dogs after a stag. A rider, his head covered with a hood, precedes the deer. Finally, on the far right, a last hunter, also hooded, holds out a net to catch rabbits. However, it seems that the rabbits did not fall into the trap: two of them escape to the left between the animals’ legs and the hunters’ feet.

Acquired in 1903

Restored in 2021 with the help of the ‘Fonds Régional d’Aide à la Restauration’ (Regional Restoration Aid Fund).

1- Tegula (flat roof tile)

Gallo-Roman period

Ceramic

40 x 32 x 6 cm

A tegula is used to cover roofs. This one may have come from the hamlet of Mélines, in Tour-de-Faure, where a potter’s and tile-maker’s kiln was discovered in 1186.

It bears the potter’s mark ‘SILVA’. The purpose of potter’s marks is still a matter of debate. They may have indicated, perhaps, a place of origin, a supplier or even an owner of the workshop where the tile was produced. Another theory is that they served as a mark of quality.

The manner and date of acquisition are unknown.

2- Potter’s stamp

Gallo-Roman period

Camboulit (Lot)

Bronze

3 x 6.5 x 3 cm

The stamp allows the application of the mark ‘TITIMAR/GI&SERGI’.

Donated by Buscailhon in memory of the collector Bertran-Gabriel Andral, 1982

3- Fragment of a dish

1^st century

Discovered during excavations at Cahors (site unspecified)

Red-glazed pottery

Diameter: 13.3 cm

Note the potter’s mark on the base of the dish: ADVOCISIO

On loan by the Société des études du Lot on an unknown date (before 1883?)

4- Fragment of a dish

1^st century

Red-glazed pottery

22 x 19.7 cm

The base of the dish bears another potter’s mark, it is more difficult to read. The first letters, OFI., stand for the word officina, which can be translated as ‘potter’s workshop’.

Acquired between 1876 and 1883

5- Epigraphic fragment

Gallo-Roman period

Discovered during the construction of the Bessières Barracks in Cahors in 1876

Marble

18.5 x 20 x 3 cm

Epigraphy is the study of inscribed texts. These inscriptions are one of the sources that enable us to understand ancient societies. However, it is not always easy to decipher and translate these inscriptions. On the one hand, some are incomplete, such as this fragment of white marble. On the other hand, in Latin, there is neither punctuation nor spaces.

Finally, very often, words are not written in full. Sculptors would abbreviate them; this saved them time and economised on expensive materials.

Here we have the inscription

DORYP

F.DEF.A

It can be read and translated in two ways:

Either Doryp[horus] / f[ilius]: def[unctus] a[nnorum],

That is to say, ‘Doryphorus, son of …, who died at the age of … years’.

Acquired between 1876 and 1883

1- Loom Weights

Discovered during the construction of the Bessières Barracks in Cahors in 1876

Terracotta

Depending on the weight, between 10.5 and 12 cm high and 4 to 5.5 cm wide

These weights were used on vertical looms. They served to keep the weft threads taut vertically.

Acquired between 1876 and 1883

2- Antefix

4^th century

Discovered during the construction of the Bessières Barracks in Cahors in 1876

Moulded terracotta

19.5 x 16 x 4.5 cm

Antefixes are roofing elements, placed vertically at the end of a row of tiles or on a projecting section so as to be visible from the street. They were decorative but also provided protection from the elements.

Their motifs often depicted a face, notably a Gorgon’s head as seen here. In Greek mythology, Gorgons are creatures capable of turning those who look at them to stone. The most well-known of these is Medusa.

According to Roman belief, these creatures warded off bad luck and evil spirits whilst striking fear into the hearts of enemies. For this reason, they were often depicted on antefixes, as well as on doors, pottery and armour.

The manner and date of acquisition are unknown.

3- Fragments of sigillata pottery

Red-glazed pottery

12 x 8.5 x 5.5 cm

This pottery is characterised by a red glaze and by decorations in relief, either moulded, stamped or applied. Some pieces bear stamps which gave this type of pottery its name; ‘sigillata’ which comes from ‘sigillum’, meaning ‘seal’. This type of pottery was greatly popular throughout the Mediterranean world during the 1^st and 2^nd centuries AD.

One of the major production centres in south-western France was La Graufesenque in Millau (department of Aveyron). The site is open to visitors for part of the year, and the ‘Millau and Grands Causses Museum’ displays a large number of these pottery pieces.

The manner and date of acquisition are unknown.

Pottery

Discovered during the construction of the Bessières Barracks in Cahors in 1876

Acquired between 1876 and 1883

4- Red-glazed pottery

3.5 x 8.5 cm

The part known as the lip is decorated with a subtle leaf motif.

5- Pottery

7 x 10 cm

This ceramic piece is distinctive for its two-tone white and black colour scheme.

6- Red-glazed pottery

4.5 x 7.5 cm

The red glaze has partially worn away. You can just make out an almost illegible potter’s mark on the base of the piece.

7- Pottery

4.5 x 12.5 cm

This bowl has been coated with a black slip: this is a clay slurry mixed with water, applied to the pottery before firing.

8- Jug

1^st century

Discovered during the construction of the Bessières Barracks in Cahors in 1876

Wheel-thrown terracotta

34 x 23 cm

Acquired between 1876 and 1883

Castelnau-Montratier, church of Saint-Sernin-de-Thézels (Lot), 5^th and 8^th centuries

Carved marble

30.5 x 282 x 69 cm

A lintel is an architectural element located above a door.

Discovered in 1817, this one is traditionally known as the ‘Constantine stone’. According to a 19^th century scholar of Cahors, the lintel came from a monument erected in memory of Licinius, nephew of the emperor Constantine, who died in Gaul. However, there is no historical evidence to confirm this, and no trace of this monument has been found. The site is reputed for the remains of the construction’s floorings, but nothing remains of its elevation. It was probably a religious or funerary building dating from the 5^th century.

The bas-relief carved motif represents rosettes. A is also carved into the centre of the two facing sides. This is a primitive Christian motif composed of the Greek letters X (khi) and P (rhô) and corresponding to the first two letters of the word Χριστός (ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ), ‘Christ’ in Greek. The use of this Chi-Rho symbol, particularly used in the Eastern Roman Empire, dates back to Constantine, the first Christian emperor. It was used as an emblem by the Christian emperors who succeeded him before being replaced by the cross. In some cases, as here, the Chi-Rho is accompanied by the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, α (alpha) and ω (omega), signifying the beginning and the end, symbolising the totality of the world.

Several centuries after its creation, the lintel inspired the sculptors of the portals of the Romanesque abbeys of Moissac (Tarn-et-Garonne) and Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne (Corrèze).

Donation: C.-L. de Chamisot, 1817

Restored in 2021 with the help of the ‘Fonds Régional d’Aide à la Restauration’ (Regional Restoration Aid Fund).

Cahors, Gallo-Roman period

Carved sandstone

40 x 60 x 57 cm

This capital was discovered during the construction of the first railway station (now the multimedia library) in 1868-69.

Donated by the Compagnie d’Orléans, before 1886

Restored in 2021 with the help of the ‘Fonds Régional d’Aide à la Restauration’ (Regional Restoration Aid Fund).

Castelnau-Montratier, church of Saint-Sernin-de-Thézels (Lot), 5^th century

Carved marble

50.5 x 60 x 63 cm

The Corinthian style is one of the three Greek architectural orders. It is characterised by the richness of its decoration and was widely reused by the Romans, especially during the Empire. Acanthus leaves are characteristic of this style. This broad-leaved plant is abundant in the Mediterranean region.

The capitals are part of an architectural language. Standing on top of monumental columns along major thoroughfares, they were a real ‘ornamental finery’ in the city.

Capitals with acanthus leaves reflect the style of their time. The way they are shown give a clue as to the period and region in which they were created. Although three of the capitals on display are in the Corinthian style, can you see the differences in treatment between them?

Donation: C.-L. de Chamisot, 1817

Restored in 2021 with the help of the ‘Fonds Régional d’Aide à la Restauration’ (Regional Restoration Aid Fund).

Cahors, Gallo-Roman period

Carved sandstone

42 x 77 cm

This capital was discovered during the construction of the first railway station (now the multimedia library) in 1868-69.

Donated by the Compagnie d’Orléans, before 1886

Restored in 2021 with the help of the ‘Fonds Régional d’Aide à la Restauration’ (Regional Restoration Aid Fund).

Cahors, Gallo-Roman period

Carved limestone

45 x 47 cm

This capital was discovered during the construction of the first railway station (now the multimedia library) in 1868-69.

The composite style is a Roman creation. It is a blend of Corinthian and Ionic styles, the latter characterised by its scroll decoration.

Donated by the Compagnie d’Orléans, before 1886

Restored in 2021 with the help of the ‘Fonds Régional d’Aide à la Restauration’ (Regional Restoration Aid Fund).

Cahors, 2^nd – 3^rd centuries

Stone and mortar tesserae

150 x 150 cm

Although often displayed vertically on walls, mosaics mainly adorned the floors of buildings, both private and public. They are widespread throughout the Mediterranean basin.

More than fifty mosaics have been discovered in Cahors. This shows the richness of the town. The majority of them come from large urban dwellings, known as domus. This heavily sanded mosaic was discovered during the construction of the ‘Palais de Justice’ (law courts), a stone’s throw from the museum, in 1859.

How and when it was acquired is not known.

Lhospitalet, Granéjouls (Lot), 5^th century

Marble and limestone tesserae combined with mortar

303 x 294 cm

This mosaic features a particularly elaborate motif. However, excavations in the early 1980s were unable to identify the type of building to which this paving, measuring almost 27 m² in total, belonged. Cut into several panels, only part of it is on display.

Another panel of this mosaic is on display in the municipal library in Lhospitalet.

Over the centuries, mosaics have evolved considerably in terms of style and the use of colours. In the 1^st century, the tesserae, the small coloured squares forming the motif, were black and white and the designs were mainly geometric. Colours gradually appeared and became very refined in the fourth and fifth centuries. In Gaul, artists favoured complex geometric patterns.

This paving, of excellent workmanship, is a good example of the talents of Gallo-Roman mosaic artists. Floral motifs appear in the midst of intertwined geometric patterns, with the intention of creating an effect of symmetry. The tesserae are regular and come in a wide variety of colours: brown, bright red, beige, ochre, salmon pink and different shades of marble.

These colours have faded with time. To better appreciate them, you can slightly dampen the tesserae. This delicate operation can only be carried out by authorised staff from the museum’s conservation department: we will do our best to arrange appointments for you to observe this ‘magical’ moment.

Donated after 1982

Restored in 2022 with the help of the ‘Fonds Régional d’Aide à la Restauration’ (Regional Restoration Aid Fund).