A sundial and its pedestal: two finds from the Roman sanctuary on the Martberg (Lkr. Cochem-Zell)

Abstract

A sundial in the shape of a hollow sphere was discovered in fragments on the Martberg mountain in 2002 and proves to be the votive offering of a certain Tychikos who donated this sundial to the Gallo-Roman god Lenus Mars after recovering from serious illness. The inscription is placed on the abacus of the fragment of a pillar, a chance find from 1883. The original basis of a sundial is only rarely known. For this reason this article presents exemplarily which are of relevance when associating a sundial with its appropriate pedestal. The sundials and abacus turn out to be an ensemble with an extraordinary subtle constructual composition.