Oculist stamp, Shakenoak, Oxfordshire Alison E. Cooley AEC/ASHL AN1970.133.xml 159075 Oxford Ashmolean Museum AN1970.133 AshLI 422

A small rectangular limestone slab.

Overall: 0.011 0.051 0.024. Inscribed face: h., 0.011; w., 0.049.

It bears a stamp in retrograde letters on one side, which is slightly chipped at one end. The letters MA and VR are ligatured. Two parallel lines are incised on two sides.

 Letters: 0.003. Shakenoak, Oxfordshire AD 375-400 (from archaeological context: RIB) This oculist stamp was found in 1965 during excavation of the Roman villa at Shakenoak, Wilcote, Oxfordshire, on Period 3 pebble floor west of room IV (Brodribb, Hands, Walker 2005: p.22, with drawing fig.I.12 no.4). It is currently on display in the Rome Gallery. Photograph. Photograph. Photograph.
MAVRI collyriumCOLLYRVVM

Salve of Maurus’

COLLYRVVM, corrected to COLLYRIVM

Oculist stamps were used to make an impression upon solid sticks of eye-ointment (collyria). They often proclaim the particular eye-condition which they purported to soothe, or their ingredients, or, as in this example, the name of the practitioner treating the problem or the name of the inventor of the salve. Roughly 300 stamps have been found, with a particular concentration in the northwestern provinces.

Wright (1966) p.221 no.24; AE 1966, no.231; Brodribb, Hands and Walker (1968) vol.1: p.40 no.4, with fig. 12.4; Ashmolean Museum Department of Antiquities MS. Accession Register 1970.133; Künzl (1985) p.480 no.86; Jackson (1990) p.280 no.26; RIB II.2446.17 (1992); Voinot (1999) p.316 no.265; Brodribb, Hands, Walker (2005) p.22, with drawing fig.I.12 no.4

Online: • EDCS-10701789 [accessed 13/09/16] • EDH-015950 [last updated 08/03/16, Cowey] [accessed 13/09/16]

Brodribb A.C.C. Hands A.R. Walker D.R. 1968 Excavations at Shakenoak Farm, near Wilcote, Oxfordshire. Part 1: Sites A & D Privately printed Brodribb A.C.C. Hands A.R. Walker D.R. 2005 The Roman Villa at Shakenoak Farm, Oxfordshire. Excavations 1960-1976 Oxford BAR British Series 395: Archaeopress Jackson R. 1990 A new collyrium stamp from Cambridge and a corrected reading of the stamp from Caistor-by-Norwich’ Britannia 21 275-83 Künzl E. Les aiguilles à cataracte de Montbellet (Saône-et-Loire). Contribution à l’étude de l’ophtalmologie antique et islamique. Die Starnadeln von Montbellet (Saône-et-Loire). Ein Beitrag zur antiken und islamischen Augenheilkunde Jahrbuch des römisch-germanischen Zentralmuseums Mainz 32 447-81 Voinot J. 1999 Les cachets à collyres dans le monde romain Montagnac Editions Monique Mergoil Wright R.P. 1962 Roman Britain in 1965. Inscriptions JRS 56 217-225