Securing valuables in the ancient world

Security of possessions has been a primary concern since humans began accumulating anything of value. Locks were invented to address this issue about 6,000 years ago as evidenced by examples discovered in the ruins of Nineveh, the capital of ancient Assyria.  Locks evolved in ancient Egypt to a wooden pin lock consisting of a  bolt, door fixture or attachment, and key. When the key was inserted, pins within the fixture were lifted out of drilled holes within the bolt, allowing it to move. When the key was removed, the pins fell part-way into the bolt, preventing movement. 

This design evolved further into a warded lock, a type of lock that uses a set of obstructions, or wards, to prevent the lock from opening unless the correct key is inserted. The correct key has notches or slots corresponding to the obstructions in the lock, allowing it to rotate freely inside the lock. Warded locks were used in both Rome and ancient China.

The Romans were the first to introduce steel ward springs in the locking mechanism between 100-200 CE. An example found in Sweden and now on display in the Museum of National Antiquities in Stockholm uses dual ward springs. When locked, the springs rest against a wall of the lock body with two notches that match a key with corresponding dual bits. The two curved bits of the key fit into the notches and depress the springs to free the shackle.  

Keys to Roman locks varied in complexity and ornamentation.  Some were small and light with easy-to-grasp bows while others were shaped like humans or animals.  Still others included the shapes of the architecture containing the related lock.  Tiny keys that unlocked jewelry boxes were sometimes fashioned into finger rings that were worn as status symbols indicating the wearer had property valuable enough to protect.

Key with a horse-head handle Roman 100-200 CE Bronze and iron that I photographed at the Getty Villa

Roman key with bronze boar and Pan portrait 1st century CE at the Cleveland Museum of Art

Keys from the grounds of a villa rustica in Bondorf, near Böblingen, 2nd-3rd century, at the Landesmuseum Württemberg, Stuttgart, Germany courtesy of Wikimedia Commons contributor Anagoria.

Iron key with a bronze lion handle probably from a Roman temple 100-150 CE courtesy of Wikimedia Commons contributor Gryffindor.

Roman key finger ring, 2nd -3rd century CE at the Staatliche Antikensammlungen courtesy of Wikimedia Commons contributor Mattes

Key with a Dog-Shaped Handle Roman 1-100 CE Bronze and Iron that I photographed at the Getty Villa

A variety of Roman keys at the Landesmuseum Württemberg - Stuttgart, Germany, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons contributor Daderot.

Diagram of Roman padlock with chain 500 BCE - 300 CE courtesy of historicallocks.com

Diagram of a Roman padlock with shackle and ward springs courtesy of historicallocks.com

Key with Bow, 2nd - 3rd century courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

 


 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Imperial Italic G Roman helmet found near Hebron at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem

Image
Imperial Italic G Roman helmet found near Hebron at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. This distinctive Imperial Italic G-style helmet was a 2nd century development derived from the earlier Coolus-style helmets with a domed bowl fashioned after La Tène III helmet types. The original Coolus-style helmets were named after the city of Coolus in northeastern France where a helmet of the Coolus type was dredged from the River Marne. Ro man helmets were typically constructed of a copper alloy or bronze. Some were spun on a lathe rather than hammered into shape with a turned, cast-soldered or riveted crest knob. The brow-guard was designed to protect the front of the face from downward-slashing sword blows, just as the neck-guard was intended to deflect blows aimed at the nape of the neck and shoulders. The Hebron helmet is also constructed with post-Dacian Wars crossbars on the crown, thought to have been part of the original construction, as evidenced by the brass lunate decorations applie...
Read more

The iconic kausia hat of ancient Macedon

Image
 While researching artwork of ancient Macedon this morning, I stumbled across an interesting image of a 3rd Century BCE Macedonian wearing a kausia, headgear said by some scholars to be adapted from a style worn in the Hindu Kush during Alexander the Great's campaign there.  Other scholars think the kausia was identified with Macedonia for too long to have been imported from Asia.   Depictions of the kausia can be found on a variety of coins and statues found from the Mediterranean to the Greco-Bactrian kingdom and the Indo-Greeks in northwestern India. The Persians referred to both the rest of the Greeks and Macedonians as "Yauna" (Ionians), but made a distinction between "Yauna by the sea" and those "with hats that look like shields" (yauna takabara), probably referring to the Macedonian kausia hat.  You can see Alexander himself wearing a kausia and fighting an Asiatic lion with his friend Craterus in a late 4th century BCE mosaic from Pella as well...
Read more

Roman and Byzantine mosaics at the Haleplibahçe Mosaics Museum in Şanlıurfa, Turkey.

Image
Roman and Byzantine mosaics at the Haleplibahçe Mosaics Museum in Şanlıurfa, Turkey. Opened in 2015, the modern 6,000 square meter Haleplibahce Mosaic Museum houses the remains of the mosaic pavements of a large Roman villa uncovered during a municipal construction project i n Şanlıurfa, Turkey. Şanlıurfa, also known as Urfa, is built on the site of the ancient Greek city of Edessa. Discoveries include mosaics depicting the life of Achilles, including his mother, Thetis, holding him by the heel and dipping him into the waters of the River Styx, his training by the centaur, Chiron, and his departure for the Trojan War. Another pavement depicts Amazon queens hunting wild beasts. Mosaics from other archaeological areas depict various animals, Ktisis, a figure personifying the act of generous donation or foundation often found in 6th century Greek mosaics, and a 2nd century CE depiction of the myth of Orpheus. The Orpheus mosaic was recently repatriated from the Dallas Museum of Art. ...
Read more