Cigni
Encyclopedia
Cignus is a name used by archaeologists for a type of large Roman
spoon with a short, curved, handle, often formed as the neck and head of a swan
. Cigni have been found in a number of Roman sites from the 4th and 5th centuries CE
, including the Thetford and Hoxne Hoard
s. It is not known for certain what they were called by the Romans, but there are references to cigni in Roman sources in appropriate contexts.
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
spoon with a short, curved, handle, often formed as the neck and head of a swan
Swan
Swans, genus Cygnus, are birds of the family Anatidae, which also includes geese and ducks. Swans are grouped with the closely related geese in the subfamily Anserinae where they form the tribe Cygnini. Sometimes, they are considered a distinct subfamily, Cygninae...
. Cigni have been found in a number of Roman sites from the 4th and 5th centuries CE
Common Era
Common Era ,abbreviated as CE, is an alternative designation for the calendar era originally introduced by Dionysius Exiguus in the 6th century, traditionally identified with Anno Domini .Dates before the year 1 CE are indicated by the usage of BCE, short for Before the Common Era Common Era...
, including the Thetford and Hoxne Hoard
Hoxne Hoard
The Hoxne Hoard is the largest hoard of late Roman silver and gold discovered in Britain, and the largest collection of gold and silver coins of the fourth and fifth century found anywhere within the Roman Empire...
s. It is not known for certain what they were called by the Romans, but there are references to cigni in Roman sources in appropriate contexts.
Further reading
, pp. 98-106- Harald Mielsch, 'Miszellen zur spätantiken Toreutik', in Archäologisches Anzeiger 1992, pp. 111-152.