A New Interpretation of the Altar from Jagozë (Kosovo): Evidence for the Cult of Ceres in Dardania
Abstract
The purpose of the research paper is to re-examine a votive altar unearthed in 2021 at Gramaçel (Deçan, Kosovo), bearing a fragmentary inscription for which the initial identification of the honoured deity could not be established with certainty. Through a detailed analysis of the palaeographic features and the dedicatory formula, this research seeks to identify the venerated deity, clarify the role of the dedicator, and assess the significance of the monument within the broader framework of Roman cults in Dardania.
Scientific novelty. The re-examination of the inscription confirms, for the first time, that the altar was dedicated to the Roman goddess Ceres (‘Deae Cereri’) by Marcus Vulpius Redditus, a Roman citizen and ‘sacerdos’. This dedication constitutes the only epigraphically attested evidence of this cult within the territory of Dardania, thereby significantly enriching the epigraphic corpus of the region and, more broadly, that of the province of Upper Moesia. It also provides new insight into the presence and organization of agrarian cults in the Roman provincial world. The exceptional rarity of the ‘cognomen’ Redditus in the Roman onomastic record further enhances the value of this monument for provincial prosopographical and onomastic studies.
Conclusions. The altar provides conclusive evidence for the dissemination of the cult of Ceres in this sector of Upper Moesia and attests to the active involvement of Romanized local elites in the organization and administration of Roman religious practices. The occurrence of the title ‘sacerdos’ indicates the presence of an institutionalized and enduring form of the cult, most probably associated with a permanent sacred installation, such as a temple or a designated ritual space, where the goddess Ceres was formally worshipped and venerated. This testimony sheds light on the interaction between elements of the Roman state religion and local socio-cultural realities, while also underlining the significance of agrarian Roman cultic structures within the provincial economy and social framework. Furthermore, the substantial remains of construction materials documented in the area confirm the former existence of architectural edifices, thereby adding to the archaeological significance of the site where the altar was unearthed.
This discovery not only extends the known geographical distribution of this cult but also opens new avenues for research into the dynamics between Roman religious institutions and provincial contexts, elucidating the integration of elements of the Roman state religion with local traditions and socio-cultural realities.
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