MMAWR/1

Corpus Refs:Huebner/1876:68
Macalister/1945:410
Nash-Williams/1950:238
RCAHMW/1976:847
Site:MMAWR
Discovery:non-arch dig, 1855 workmen
History:Westwood/1856, 319: `during the excavations for the foundation of the charming new church recently erected at Merthyr Mawr, a portion of a Roman-British inscription was found, of which the accompanying cut is a representation'.

Rhys/1873, 9: `On the ground, at the east end [of the church], lie several sculptured stones'.

Westwood/1879, 8: `During the excavations for the foundation of the elegant new church erected about thirty years ago at Merthyr Mawr, a stone containing portions of a Romano-British inscription was found, of which I published a figure in the Archaeologia Cambrensis for 1856, p. 319'.

Rhys/1899, 163: `When we had done with the foregoing inscriptions in the grounds of Merthyr Mawr, we found we had no time to go into the church to look for a fragment of an ancient tombstone[1].

[1] I have since seen it... Mr. Illtyd Nichol, of Merthyr Mawr, who helped me in every possible way, has searched in vain for the rest of the stone'.

Macalister, quoted in Anon/1928, 366: `In the graveyard'.

Macalister/1945, 388: `Lying loose in the churchyard, east of the church, amid a miscellaneous collection of other ancient stones'.

Nash-Williams/1950, 154: `Inside the church, in the chancel'.

Geology:Nash-Williams/1950, 154: `Local Pennant sandstone'.
Dimensions:0.73 x 0.51 x 0.17 (RCAHMW/1976)
Setting:in ground
Location:on site
RCAHMW/1976, 37: `The stone has been set under a temporary shelter on the N. side of the churchyard'.
Form:plain
Westwood/1879, 8: `It is part of a sepulchral stone...and the fragment of stone measures 12 inches by 8 inches'.

Macalister/1945, 388--389: `a slab...but the stone is only a fragment'.

Nash-Williams/1950, 154: `Upper portion of a rough pillar-stone. 29" h. x 18" w. x 5" t... Latin inscription on the face and a (? later) incised ornament on the back'.

RCAHMW/1976, 37: `A fragment of a pillar-stone with rounded head...The surviving portion, representing rather less than half the presumed original full length, is 73 cm long, 45 cm wide (51 cm at maximum width), and varies in thickness from 7 cm to 17 cm'.

Condition:frgmntry , some
Macalister, quoted in Anon/1928, 366: `the upper fragment of a slab'.
Folklore:none
Crosses:none
Decorations:

Rhys/1899, 163: `it has part of a design on the back which I cannot understand'.

Macalister, quoted in Anon/1928, 367: `On the back of the stone there is a singular device, deeply cut (fig. 1). It looks like half of a cross pattée (the cross commonly but erroneously called `Maltese')'.

Macalister/1945, 389; `On the other face of the stone there is a singular device, which has been explained as an omega, presumably surmounting an alpha on the lost fragment; but it is futile to conjecture what it may have been: possibly it may have nothing do to with the inscription, but may represent another appropriation of the stone'.

Nash-Williams/1950, 154: `Back. Incised device, in form like a large angular Greek [Omega], of uncertain date and significance'.

RCAHMW/1976, 37: `The face opposite to the inscription bears an incised emblem which is probably a later (? 9th-century) addition. This emblem (Plate I) can be regarded as the Greek omega letter, but may alternatively represent part of an incompleted cross with splayed arms springing from a central ring-boss, just perceptible (as on Nos. 918, 922)'.

References


Inscriptions


MMAWR/1/1     Pictures

Readings

Westwood, J.O. (1856):PAVLI[-- | FILIM[.--
Expansion:
PAVLI[--] FILI M[A--
Westwood/1856 251, 319--320 concise discussion
Westwood/1876 8 reading only
Rhys, J. (1873):PAVLI[-- | FILIMA[--
Expansion:
PAVLI[--] FILI MA[--
Rhys/1873 9 reading only
Macalister, R.A.S. (1945):PAVLI[-- | FILIMA[--
Expansion:
PAVLI[NI] FILI MA[--
Anon/1928 366--367 reading only
Macalister/1945 389 reading only
Nash-Williams, V.E. (1950):PAVLI | FILIM[A--
Expansion:
PAVLI FILI M[A--
Translation:
(The stone) of Paulus (PN) (? or Paulinus (PN)), son of Ma[...] (PN).
Nash-Williams/1950 154 reading only
RCAHMW (1976):PAVLI[-- | FILIM[--
Expansion:
PAVLI[--] FILI M[--
Translation:
Paulus (PN) (_or_ Paulinus (PN)) son of M[...] (PN).
RCAHMW/1976 37 reading only

Notes

Orientation:vertical down
Position:ind ; broad ; n/a ; undecorated
Nash-Williams/1950, 154: `The Latin inscription (Fig. 163) is in two lines reading vertically downwards'.
Incision:inc
Macalister/1945, 388: `The inscription is chiselled on the face'.
Nash-Williams/1950, 154: `Roman capitals, thinly picked and deepened by cutting'.
Date:400 - 533 (Nash-Williams/1950)

450 - 499 (RCAHMW/1976)
RCAHMW/1976, 37: `The inscription most probably dates from the later 5th century'.
Language:Latin (rcaps)
Ling. Notes:none
Palaeography:Rhys/1873, 9: `well cut capitals'.

Westwood/1879, 8: `inscribed in Roman capitals of a somewhat debased form; the letters which remain being

PAVLI FILI M(...)

The letters average 3 1/2 inches in height...It is possible that the name in the top line may have been PAULINI, as the stone must have extended further to the right so as to have left room for more letters on that side...The second letter of the name of the father of this Pauli(nus?) is incomplete; it is slightly slanting and may have been an A, but this is quite conjectural'.

Macalister/1945, 389: `What is left is (in capitals)'.

RCAHMW/1976, 37: `Of the Latin inscription in two lines read down the face there survives: PAVLI[ / FILI M[ (`Of Paulus (or Paulinus), son of M...'). The letters are well-formed Roman capitals, fairly deep-cut; the enlarged A is a common characteristic, the F less so. There is a strong presumption that the first name would in its complete form be PAVLINI (for Paulinus), of fairly common occurrence; but the letter following M (indicated only by part of the stem forming the edge of the fracture) might equally have been A or E'.

Legibility:good
Macalister/1945, 389: `What remains [of the inscription] is in good condition, but the stone is only a fragment, and the ends of the two lines of writing are lost'.
Lines:2
Carving errors:0
Doubtful:no

Names

References