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Modio of Ponte Puñide

O Pino, Arzúa, A Coruña

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Modio of Ponte Puñide

Curiosity · O Pino, Arzúa, A Coruña

A cylindrical bronze vessel found in 1913 beside the Roman bridge of Puñide, over the river Mera, in the parish of Gonzar, within the present-day concello of O Pino; it is kept in the Museo Arqueológico Nacional in Madrid. The Romans used it as an official unit for measuring dry goods, particularly wheat: the modius equalled 8.6666 litres, though the Puñide piece measures nearly 10 litres and weighs 6.8 kilos. Its importance lies in the engraved inscription, which mentions the principales of the cities responsible for collecting taxes from the inhabitants in the time of the emperors Valentinian I, Valens and Gratian, who held power together between the years 367 and 375, which places the piece around that time, between 360 and 370. It is an exceptional piece in peninsular archaeology.

Photo: Luis García ( Zaqarbal ), 11 September 2009. (CC BY-SA 3.0)

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