“NERO, PIATTO, POROSO E LEGGERO” IL “GIAIETTO DI LICIA” NELLE COLLEZIONI DEL ROEMISCH GERMANISCHES MUSEUM DI COLONIA1

Abstract

“Black, Flat, Porous and Light”. The “Lycian jet” in the collections of the Roemisch Germanisches
Museum in Cologne.
Starting from the analysis of the collection of jet artefacts in the Roemisch Germanisches
Museum in Cologne, the article attempts to summarise current knowledge on this
unique fossil material, originating from a conifer of the Araucaria, and on its use in the
Roman period, concentrated around the 3rd century AD in a few areas of the Roman
Empire (particularly England and the Rhineland, but not only). The overview of a conspicuous
number of items (about 200 pieces, mainly jewellery or personal ornaments)
reveals a rather clear specificity of the material from Cologne and from Rhineland compared
to that found in England, the best known centre of ancient workmanship of the
material: this element, together with the often higher quality of the Rhineland finds, seems
to support the hypothesis of a local workmanship of the material.