Un caso de lápida romana decorada con arquerías ultra-semicirculares en Arcaya (Alava)

Loza Lengaran, Ramón
; Ortiz de Urbina, Carlos

Publication year:

1991

Publication place:

Donostia-San Sebastián

ISSN:

0213-3024

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Summary

Folowing the disclosure of a new archaelogical finding, this brief information report tries to have a quick look the different theories on the possible reason why archs were used as ornamental motifs in certain Roman gravestones. Experts have not yet reached a unanimous agreement as to the oddity of this kind of ornament and why it is placed differently depending on geographical areas. In the provinces of Cantabria and Burgos, for example, they appear in the lower part of the gravestone, where as in Vizcaya and Navarra they are found the upper one. From the two mos accepted or, at least, most traditional theories, one considering the archs as representations of Hades reachable trough several doors and another attaching their importance to honour matters, we favour the first one, not forgetting, either, their undeniable architectural value.