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The Ancient Egyptian shabtis discovered in region of Roman Illyricum (Dalmatia, Pannonia) and Istria: provenance, collections and typological study

During the extensive diffusion of the Ancient Egyptian cults in the Mediterranean world shabtis were trade as one of the most common cultic symbols of the Egyptian religion. They were discovered in the eastern Mediterranean, North Africa, and Europe (according to my recent research cca. 200 shabtis were discovered in Europe). They were usually imported from Egyptian workshops, but it seems that the great numbers of shabtis were also crafted outside Egypt in various cultic centres of Isis, Osiris and Serapis cults. Such shabtis were commonly classified as „fakes“, but they had to be considered as „ancient copies“ of the original Egyptian artefacts. In this paper author will present the group of shabtis (33) which were discovered in various archaeological sites in Istria, Dalmatia and Pannonia, their collections, and typology according to the recent proposal of the classification of Graeco-Roman shabtis presented at the „Burial and Mortuary Practice in Late Period and Graeco-Roman Egypt“, Budapest July 2014) (Tomorad 2014). These shabtis can be dated from the early Third Intermediate Period (10th century B.C.) to the Roman period. The biggest group was discovered around ancient Salona (today Solin, Croatia) and central Dalmatian islands were the ancient Greek settlements were established from the late 6th century B.C.

shabtis; diffusion of Ancient Egyptian artefacts; Graeco-Roman period; typology; Illyricum; Dalmatia; Pannonia; Istria

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