Noi analize şi interpretări privind moneda romană republicană

Abstract

In Kris Lockyear’s recently published book, which also represents his doctoral thesis (Patterns and Process in Late Roman Republican Coin Hoards, 157–2 BC, BAR International Series 1733, Archaeopress, Oxford, 2007, 328 pp. [139 Figs. + 5 Tables, includes in the text]), the Roman coin of Dacia is also extensively treated. Lockyear sustains the use, on a large scale, of statistics in numismatics, and he wishes that the numismatists and statisticians could find better ways to cooperate. For his analysis, the author chooses three areas of Europe (Spain, Italy and Dacia) where the presence of the Roman coin was particularly strong. We must observe that, in order to reach statistic results as credible as possible, the gathering, organizing, correcting and handling of information must be very correct. There are some observations to be made regarding the methodology that was used by the author under discussion: e. g. hoards are included even if they contain a very small number of coins (1–5). The list of the hoards of Roman coins found in Dacia can be completed with eleven more which have not been registered. This author has analyzed the problem of supply with coins, their circulation as well as the process of hoarding. He used the correspondence-analysis method to study the hoards, and he pointed out that the great number of hoards of Republican Roman coins closed with the one of the years 74–73 BC found in Romania. He also mentioned that the hoards of Roman Republican coins of Dacia have an archaic profile and, probably, they reached the north of the Danube much later than the date of their last coins. As for the problem of the circulation speed of the coins, Lockyear used the clusteranalysis method. This author (like Lockyear) reached the conclusion that – although statistics does not manage to clear up all the numismatics problems – diversity of methodologies used for the study of the coins is to be recommended.

Keywords: Lockyear, Republican Roman coin, Dacia, denarii, hoards.