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Benwell Roman Temple
18-Feb-2002

Benwell Roman Temple at Hadrian's Wall, Newcastle upon Tyne, England.
This is a particularly elaborate altar carved in sandstone by a sculptor who could remember when the bowl on the top of an altar (the 'focus') was separate (look for the 'pouring' lip) and that the roll mouldings were intended to represent bundles of incense. On the capital one rosette survives of a row, with three plainer roundels at the back. The roundels on the side of the capital represent the buckles holding the 'incense bundles' in place. On one side there is a knife and on the other a jug suggesting that the ceremony included sacrificing something which needed to be cut up (meat?) and something which had to be poured (wine?). The wreath on the back points to the altar being in the middle of the temple with worshippers being able to walk right round it.

Olympus C-2100,
1/250s f/2.8 57mm

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