Page 26 - Manual of Roman Everyday Writing Volume 2: Writing Equipment

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it has been suggested that it was used as a status symbol (Crummy
et al. 2007).

It is useful to consider other kinds of evidence because of the
multifunctionality of tools and the difficulties with their identification.
Iconographic evidence in particular has proven invaluable for the
identification of writing equipment and writing sets, as well as for
our understanding of how they were used.

Funerary reliefs are of interest because they can tell us something
about the symbolism of writing and writing equipment and its
association with status and prestige. A large number of funerary

Fig. 12: Writing equipment from a grave at S. Egidio, Aquileia (Italy),
late 1st/early 2nd century CE. From Fünfschilling 2012, 170 fig. 4 (after
Božič and Feugère 2004, 26 fig. 21), courtesy of Augusta Raurica.

of ‘rural’ vs. ‘urban’ needs to be differentiated more carefully
(Mullen 2021b).

Writing equipment is found in various contexts, both in sets of
different combinations and as isolated finds, for example deposited
in graves or dropped and lost in public and private spaces such as
roads, habitations and workshops (see e.g. Schaltenbrand Obrecht
2012, 219–233 on the distribution of styli in Augusta Raurica). In
funerary contexts it is often found together with modelling and
grooming or medical tools. Many sets of writing implements Fig. 13: Funerary relief of Manius Servius Primigenius, Aquileia (Italy),
are from graves, particularly from the 1st century CE onwards, 1st century CE. CIL V 1376, Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Aquileia,
including those of children and women, others are part of votive inv. 73. By permission of the Ministero per i Beni e le Attività Culturali
or professional depositions (Fünfschilling 2012, 169–176). In some e per il Turismo, Direzione regionale del Friuli Venezia Giulia – Museo
cases, Roman writing equipment has been found in burials of the Archeologico Nazionale di Aquileia. Further reproduction prohibited.
local population in the provinces or outside the Roman empire and