Fragment of a Roman Period jug handle from Vanovice, Blansko District (Moravia, Czech Republic) – interpretation possibilities

Abstract A remarkable discovery was made in Vanovice (Moravia, Czech Republic): a fragment of a Roman bronze jug handle from the 1 st century AD. The find is stored in the Museum of Boskovice region under the inv. no. A50476. The workmanship of the bronze handle attachment far exceeds the typical finds from the region of Moravia. The design of the handle attachment is connected to the Hellenistic toreutic tradition. The head depicted on the handle is believed to be that of Dionysus or Silenus, as determined through iconographic analysis and comparison with other works from Roman sculpture (mostly double herms) and artistic craftwork. The context of this find raises many intriguing questions. The artefact was found on the periphery of a barbarian settlement from the Roman Period. The main characteristic of the site is the hilly landscape without any settlement or funerary activities from the Roman Period. Could this be an isolated find, or does it indicate evidence of ritual practices during the Roman Period in the Barbaricum?