Archaeology

The naked, female figure with outstretched arms is characterised as a supernatural being by its two horns. It belongs to the group of so-called Piravend figures. The clearly highlighted sexual characteristics suggest that the statuette could be related to fertility ideas and possibly used in funerary rites.

The sword was made at the transition from the Bronze Age to the Iron Age. Its handle is bronze, its blade of iron. They were forged together from several pieces that that been carburised in different ways. This extremely high-quality workmanship improved the weapon's properties considerably and is comparable to the later Damascus steel.

The vessel is shaped like a zebu. Its tail and dewlap are indicated by clay bulges, the face is elongated like a beak and shaped as a spout. The ears probably once were pierced with small metal rings. It was presumably used on ritual occasions or funerary celebrations for libations and later possibly found its way into the grave of a person unknown to us.

The vessel is shaped like a zebu. Its tail and dewlap are indicated by clay bulges, the face is elongated like a beak and shaped as a spout. The ears probably once were pierced with small metal rings. It was presumably used on ritual occasions or funerary celebrations for libations and later possibly found its way into the grave of a person unknown to us.

A rotating base without a fixed axis was probably already used in the construction of the spherical vessel decorated with spiral patterns. The cord grommets on the collar were used for suspension or for attaching a lid. It is possible that the spiral patterns mimic the surface of comparable vessels made of stone or the wickerwork in which such stone vessels were transported.

The highly polished fragment was part of a mummy-shaped sarcophagus. The facial features are idealised and show features of young age worthy of immortalisation. An only partially preserved wig is attached to the forehead. On the right eyeball and in the recessed nostrils, traces of black paint are preserved, which was used, among other things, to emphasise the almond-shaped eyes and the almost horizontal brow arches.

The almost round sculptural stucco mask was cast in a mould, the face and hair were modelled. The face bears portrait-like features. Its soft forms and the look of the eyes inlaid with glass paste radiate calm and confidence. The black colouring of the hairstyle, which is based on the fashion of the time in Rome, is well preserved. There are also remnants of ochre-coloured paint.

The so-called Corinthian type is considered the most widespread Greek helmet form. It was used from the 8^th to the 5^th century BC not only by the Greeks themselves but also adopted by neighbouring peoples. This was the case with the specimen in Essen, which had been worn by a Sicel warrior in Sicily before it went with him to the grave.

The painting on the amphora shows the god Apollo with his lyre, i.e. the kithara, and a plectrum in his hands in black-figure technique. He is thus characterised as the god of the arts and especially of music. He is accompanied by a deer with large, listening ears. To his left and right are two women dressed in robes and cloaks, each pointing to the god with one hand.

Kraters were usually used for mixing water and wine at banquets. However, the specimen in Essen has an opening in the floor that made it impossible to store liquids permanently. The vessel was rather used for the presentation of libations at a grave. The painting also points to a function in the cult of the dead. It shows a funerary temple in the centre surrounded by mourning people.

The figural scene inside the basin shows a seated woman on the left. Opposite her is a man, his right leg raised on a rock. Between the two, facing the woman, flies an unclothed Eros. The basin, filled with water, was used to wash the hands. It was probably used representatively at banquets or was placed at the household altar for purification before the sacrifice.

The depiction and design of the drinking cup suggest an origin from the Faliscan territory, which lay to the north of the city of Rome. A depiction of a horse is carved on each side. The influences of different cultures become clear in the skyphos: the vessel is made in a manner similar to the Etruscan bucchero ware, its shape comes from Greek tradition. The motif was a preference of the Faliscans themselves.

The facial features of the young man’s head, formed from a matrix and originally painted, are finely crafted in the Greek tradition. In the ancient world, it stood in a central Italian sanctuary as the image of aconsecrator , so that the person could be constantly present to the deity. Heads of this type were mass-produced and therefore available to broad sections of the population.

Only the torso of the statue of a youthful athlete has survived. It is a Roman copy after a Greek original. The original had been made of bronze and erected in Olympia in the early 4^th century BC, where it commemorated the winner of one of the sporting competitions. The copy probably embellished the estate, garden or park of a wealthy Roman.

The portrait head was originally inserted into the separately crafted bust section of a statue. It was primarily designed to be viewed from the front, as can be seen from the less detailed back of the head. The shape of the head, the facial features and the arrangement of the hair show similarities with portraits attributed to Germanicus, the nephew and adopted son of Tiberius.

The compilation shows a cross-section of the repertoire of Roman glass production. Bottles could be used at the table filled with vinegar or oil. The cup, the aryballos and the brown “delicate ribbed cup” are drinking vessels. The three spherical ointment vessels were used to store ointments, oils and perfumes. The plate was used to serve food. The stirring rod was used to mix wine with water before serving.

The discovery of the Palaeolithic tools in an excavation pit of the Rhine-Herne Canal in 1911 was an important success in building up the regional archaeological collection of today’s Ruhr Museum. The finds attest to the stay of a group of people in the valley of the ice age Emscher. The combination of typical tool forms allows an assignment to the so-called bifacially backed  knife groups, a cultural phenomenon of the Neanderthals.

At the end of the Palaeolithic Age, suitably prepared antlers from reindeer were used as tools or as a kind of command staff. They are called “Lyngby axes" after a place where they were found in Denmark. The specimen in the Ruhr Museum was apparently only roughly processed, as the palm and bay tine appear to be broken and not cut. The wavy lines running across the antlers are natural imprints of blood conduits.