Sobre una terracota romana procedente de los Bañales (Uncastillo, Zaragoza) [On a Roman terracotta from Los Bañales (Uncastillo, Zaragoza)]

Abstract

This paper presents a terracotta female head that was recovered in the begining of the excavation’s season of 2010 in the Roman city of Los Bañales (Uncastillo, Zaragoza, Spain). The statuette was found in a residencial area of the town but, unfortunately, out of context because it appeared over the topsoil. We review here the interpretative possibilities of the piece and deal with some hypotheses about its use and its iconography considering the Roman practice and common themes in the use of this material: play dolls or, more plausibly, domestic cult statuettes. Focusing on the hairstyle and the type of portrait an interpretation and a proposal of chronology for this beautiful and unique piece are also proposed.