Cultural Exchange in Pre-Christian Europe

J. Smith, European Journal of Archeology

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Cultural Exchange in Pre-Christian Europe

Tacitus, in a letter to Q. Articuleius Paetus, notes that the Chatti people honoured Vesta above all other gods. While the Roman tradition of syncretising foreign deities with those of Rome makes exact identification difficult, archeological evidence from the Teutoburg area suggests that this refers to the goddess Nemetona, often called 'she of the sacred grove'. In particular, this identification is based on one find, a cache of votive tablets found within Teutoburg forest itself, dedicated to Vesta Nemetonia, or Vesta of the Nemeton.

If this identification is correct, it raises interesting questions about cultural and religious ties in Pre-Christian Europe, as Nemetona, and the Nemetons to which she gave her name, are primarily Celtic, rather than Germanic, in origin.

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Type

Journal, Scientific

Medium

Paper

Authoring Date

1998