#baetulo

Two marble sculptures found at the Roman city of Baetulo, modern-day Badalona (Barcelona Metropolitan Area, Catalonia).

The first one is a relief representing a woman making an offering and has been dated to the 2nd century AD. The second one is a small figurine (28,5 cm tall) representing Venus, the Roman goddess of beauty, love and fertility, and dates back to the 1st century AD.

Gladiator-shaped oil lamp, found at the ancient Roman city of Baetulo, modern-day Badalona (Barcelona Metropolitan Area, Catalonia). 3rd-4th century AD.

Gladiator-shaped oil lamp, of the type called retiarius. He wore a short tunic and, as weapons, a trident and a net, which in this case are not preserved and which could have been made of metal.

It is a type of form hitherto unknown in the general bibliography, and is unique in the Iberian Peninsula and nearby provinces such as Gaul and Italy, as only one parallel has been located, but not the same form, originating from Volubilis, in present-day Morocco.

The aesthetics of the hairstyle and the eyes are close to the late imperial sculpture (3rd-4th centuries AD). It was made from a mold, the details were finished by hand before baking. It must have been new or a very precious commodity to his owners, as there are no traces of it being lit.