Draft:Anatomical Votives in the ancient Roman world

The practice in ancient Roman and Greek polytheistic society of offering votives in shrines modeled in anatomical shapes occurred predominantly between 500 to 300 BCE.

Anatomical Votives

Anatomical Votive Offering from Central Italy, 4th century BC, TC 595

Anatomical votives represent body parts and organs such as hands, feet, arms, legs, eyes, ears, heads, internal organs, and more. These votives are seen to be offered by a devotee to a spiritual being in return for some sort of healing, whether it be from illness, or in terms of the specific body parts, injury.

San Casciano de Bagni, Italy

At San Casciano de Bagni, Italy, a recent excavation brought up many anatomical votives dating back from the second century B.C. and first century A.D. Those found included hands, eyes, ears, and more; offered into the pool or bath of the palace. As archeologists continued to dig into this giant pool, it is said that it was “a place of healing, meeting of cultures and medical knowledge” (Povoledo, 2023). This text from Povoledo helps us understand what environment these votives were seen and used in, and what time they date to.

Asklepios is mentioned when looking at a specific votive which is unique and important for understanding more about Asklepios and sanctuaries where these votives are found. A bronze right hand with an eye hole in the palm dating back to 200 A.D. which is unique due to its hole in the palm not seen much with hand votives. The eye hole in the middle is used for hanging up the votive on the walls of the sanctuary, where we tend to see most votives in sanctuaries. This hand was found at a sanctuary dedicated to the healing god, Asklepios, whom we’ve previously talked about, and it is important to understand how widely these gods are known and worshiped all around Rome, and the different types of votives they bring with them.

The materials that these votives were made from varied from carved marble and ornately inscribed bronze, to kiln-baked terracotta and clay - and some of them were more common than others. Moss explains how many different types of materials were used for these votives, saying some of these materials are seen as more common than others, allowing us to assume that the materials were based on what resources these people had, or were able to access with their location. Possible offerings to Juno are also seen, with hanging votives of a uterus seen at sanctuaries and healing sites, due to the fact Juno is seen as the protector of women and childbirth. We can also predict that the swaddled babies often seen offered could be worshiped to Juno as well, since he is the protector of childbirth, some people would be seen offering these swaddled babies asking for healing of their sick babies.

References

Citations

De Cazanove, Olivier, “Anatomical votives (and swaddled babies)” Bodies of Evidence, edited by Jane Draycott, 63-76. London: Routledge, 2017.

Graham, Emma-Jayne,  “Hand in Hand: Rethinking Anatomical Votives as Material Things.” Lived Religion in the Ancient Mediterranean World: Approaching Religious Transformations from Archaeology, History and Classics. V. Gasparini, M. Patzelt, R. Raja, A-K. Rieger, J. Rüpke, E. Urciuoli (eds).. Berlin: De Gruyter, pp. 209-235., January 1, 2020. https://www.academia.edu/42796130/Graham_E_J_2020_Hand_in_hand_Rethinking_anatomical_votives_as_material_things.

Hughes, Jessica. 2018. “Votive Body Parts in Greek and Roman Religion.” Les Carnets de l’ACoSt 17 (April). doi:10.4000/acost.1174.

Moss, Richard, “Anatomical Votive Offerings from the Greco-Roman World.” Museum Crush. Accessed November 2, 2023. https://museumcrush.org/anatomical-votive-offerings-of-the-greco-roman-world/#:~:text=Limbs%2C%20breasts%2C%20heads%2C%20ears,god%20of%20healing%20and%20medicine.

Oberhelman, Steven. “Anatomical Votive Reliefs as Evidence for Specialization at Healing Sanctuaries in the Ancient Mediterranean World” Athens Journal of Health, Volume 1, Issue 1 (2013)  47-62. https://www.atiner.gr/journals/health/2014-1-1-4-OBERHELMAN.pdf

Povoledo, Elisabetta. “These Bronze Statues Reveal Ancient Healing Rituals.” The New York Times, June 23, 2023. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/23/arts/design/ancient-bronzes-italy-san-casciano-dei-bagni.html.

Green, C. M. C. "Roman Religion and the Cult of Diana at Aricia" New York: Cambridge University Press, 2007. https://library.ohio-state.edu/search/X?SEARCH=roman+religion+and+the+cult+of+diana+at+aricia&SORT=D&searchscope=7&submit=Submit

Cited Sources

Povoledo, Elisabetta. “These Bronze Statues Reveal Ancient Healing Rituals.” The New York Times, June 23, 2023. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/23/arts/design/ancient-bronzes-italy-san-casciano-dei-bagni.html.

“Votive Right Hand: Science Museum Group Collection.” Votive right hand | Science Museum Group. Accessed November 30, 2023. https://collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/objects/co90690/votive-right-hand-votive-offering. Green, C. M. C. "Roman Religion and the Cult of Diana at Aricia" New York: Cambridge University Press, 2007. https://library.ohio-state.edu/search/X?SEARCH=roman+religion+and+the+cult+of+diana+at+aricia&SORT=D&searchscope=7&submit=Submit