A rare Sarmatian coin imitation in lead from a grave at Hódmezővásárhely

While building the sections of Road 47 that were to bypass Hódmezővásárhely, sand mines were also opened to supply the works with the necessary raw material. Preventive archaeological works were carried out at the sand mine no. XIII, at the Aranyági-halom findspot some 5 km to the east of the city centre, next to the railway tracks, on its northern side. Despite the initial scarcity of finds during field surveys, the excavations conducted in 2016–2019 revealed a great Sarmatian cemetery consisting of 626 graves on the almost 2 km long findspot. These were divided into several groups: the majority of graves were located on the high bank running along the central part of the mining area, while smaller clusters were found in the eastern and southern part. The western part of the excavated area revealed a much more scattered group with a low number of burials. The cemetery is not fully excavated, it continues to the southeast and the west, and according to the excavator, László Haraszti, it was in continuous use from the 2nd–3rd centuries to the Hun period.

The theme of this paper, the almost unique Sarmatian lead medallion, was found in Feature no. 65 that was a rectangular grave (177 × 66–79 cm and 15–18 cm deep) oriented southeast-northeast. It was located at the eastern edge of the great eastern grave group. The juvenis woman was put to rest in a crouched position on her right side with her hands folded on her chest.

 
The Sarmatian woman's grave (OBJ 65) in a crouched position at Hódmezővásárhely Aranyági-halom

Only two grave goods were found: a bronze earring under the facial bones and the lead medallion next to the junction of the jaw, the skull and the vertebrae. Fortunately, the grave was not disturbed like it was the case in almost 90% of the burials in the cemetery, which is habitual among the Sarmatians. Unfortunately, the medallion, measuring 22 mm in diameter, weighing 5 g, is in a poor state of conservation. It was cast from lead together with the loop in one piece. Both sides are framed by a string of pearls and protruding circles on the edges, most of them now lost. The piece is somewhat bent from the reverse side, most likely before being put in the grave. The obverse depicts a diademed bust facing left but not placed in the middle, under the loop but tilted upwards, with the crown of the head at 2h. The neck ends in a flat torso indicating the shoulders, which are perpendicular to the loop. The reverse shows a crescent in the bottom with several stars above forming a circle, with a bigger star in the middle. The loop consists of six vertical relief bands with the burr on the top still visible.

The lead medallion with star and crescent reverse (photo: Izabella Linczer-Katkó)

The accuracy of the interpretation is based on another example, a metal detectorist find from Martfű, some 65 km north of Hódmezővásárhely. It is without context but is intact with even the casting burrs visible and is the most decorative specimen of the Sarmatian imitations so far. The two pieces show significant similarities beyond both being lead medallions with the same depiction. The proportions are almost identical, the Martfű piece being 24 mm, but bear in mind that it is not bent and in considerably better state of conservation. Both share the same type of frame with protruding circular parts and the ribbed band. The obverses show the same diademed head ending in the flat shoulders, although the Martfű head here is not tilted upwards. The reverses show the nicely arranged smaller stars, basically the more elaborate version of the pseudo-legend as a continuation of the crescent and a greater star in the middle. Due to the great level of similarity, it is highly probable that the two medallions were produced in the same workshop by the same artisans, probably in a short time frame. Another, still unpublished example of a cast lead Sarmatian coin imitation is known from Nyíregyháza, also in a poor state of preservation.

The lead medallion from Martfű

The left facing portrait together with the star and crescent reverse are common traits of the Sarmatian coin imitations. Apart from these very rare lead examples, they are made of copper alloy, their size equalling the AE 3 coins.  Their inspiration was drawn from the Hadrianic denarii with the same reverse that are common in the Sarmatian Barbaricum and were also found in graves as adornments. The star and crescent despite being universal symbols seem to have played an important role in the Sarmatian beliefs. A special astral connection of the Sarmatians is also expressed by the widespread use of lunulae also found in the Aranyági-halom cemetery, primary in women's graves. The coin imitations and the crescent shaped pendants could have been interchangeable, since they never occur in the same grave. These symbols seem to have been primarily worn by women and children but sometimes also by men. The Sarmatian coin imitations are spread wide across the eastern Carpathian Basin and even beyond, but the appr. 50 copper alloy specimens show a concentration in the Middle Tisza region and next to the Danube around Baja. Some are known from Transdanubia and Northern Serbia, Western Ukraine, and even from Poland.

Distribution of the Sarmatian coin imitations in the Carpathian Basin (white: lead medallions, yellow: with central big star and legend in a (semi)circular pattern around, red: other types)

A group of these reverses consists of a crescent with a single star, and the legend consisting of only of the letters I running around them, serving as a frame. These show similarities with the elaborate lead medallions as well, especially the central big star and the nicely arranged pseudo-legend. This may have evolved as part of a natural development or could have been influenced by the Roman VOT and wreath reverses, popular in the 4th century. This unusual disposition of the pseudo-legend indicates that there were letters all along the obverse around the ruler's portrait on the original Roman coins. The unbroken legend indicates that their model was the coin of a caesar, i.e. prince and not that of an augustus. Most likely the coins in question were the CAESARVM NOSTRORVM reverses struck for the sons of Constantine the Great and Licinius I between 320 and 324