The gilded head of the statue of Minerva
Computer reconstruction showing the Temple
courtyard
Back view of the head of Minerva - a hollow
space where the helmet has been lost
Side view of the gilded head
The gilt bronze head of the goddess Sulis Minerva is one of the
best known objects from Roman Britain. Its discovery in 1727
was an early indication that the Roman site at Bath was not a
typical settlement. Gilt bronze sculptures are rare finds
from Roman Britain as only two other fragments are known.
The head is probably from the cult statue of the deity which
would have stood within her Temple beside the Sacred Spring. From
there she may have looked out across the Temple courtyard to
the site of the great altar, the site of sacrifice, which stood at
the heart of that sacred space. The statue may well be an
original object from the foundation of the site in the later first
century AD, which means that it was probably well over three
hundred years old when it met its demise.
The head has a fascinating story to tell that we can glean from
its circumstances of discovery, its condition and from scientific
examination.
First of all we should note that the head is slightly larger
than life size, suggesting that the original statue of which it
formed a part was an imposing sight. For many of those who
saw it there may have been no previous encounter with an object of
such awesome golden brilliance.
Hidden in the hair line are several small holes which once held
rivets that fixed her tall Corinthian helmet to her head.
Examination of the head has revealed that it has six layers of
gilding. The first two use a technique known as fire gilding
whilst the four later layers are applied as gold leaf. Whilst
it is possible that the statue may originally have been given two
coats the later re-gildings, using a different technique, point to
an interval of time during which the original gilding deteriorated
to such an extent that an expensive re-gilding was thought
necessary. Why should this happen, and why should there be
four layers?
When looking closely at the head we can see that it has a number
of imperfections. There is corrosion which has affected it in
parts where it lay in the ground for over a thousand years.
There is also a strange rectangular cut beneath the chin. It
is thought that this may result from a flaw in the original casting
process in which a bubble on the surface may have been cut out and
filled with an inserted plate. When gilded over it would not
have been visible to a casual observer. This plate has
subsequently fallen out as a result of corrosion whilst in the
ground.