gems, glyptic, engraved gems, agate, cameo, intaglio

Engraved gems, being highly personal items, can offer insights into their wearers’ status, profession, religion, and even geographic origins, especially when they depict Oriental or indigenous deities. A study of four engraved gems and four glass gems from the Archaeological Museum in Zagreb focuses on such aspects, with one intaglio and one glass gem lacking provenance, and the rest discovered as stray finds from Roman Dalmatia, Pannonia, and Moesia. These include depictions of Jupiter Serapis and Isis, Jupiter Ammon, Jupiter Heliopolitanus, and Harpocrates, along with a cavalryman with a long Celtic shield from Dalj (Teutoburgium). Collectively, these gems broaden our understanding of Oriental cults in these Roman provinces and provide evidence for the mobility of individuals within the empire.