The Croatian Apoxyomenos as a luxurious rodent nest: archaeobotanical and zoological analyses of organic material found inside the classical bronze statue

Abstract

Archaeobotanical analysis has been used to reconstruct the nest and diet of a small rodent from the Classical period (first century b.c. to second century a.d.) and most probably from Greece. The nest was found in the hollow interior of a very valuable bronze statue of a young athlete, recovered from the waters of the Northern Adriatic and named the Croatian Apoxyomenos. Apoxyomenos was probably the cargo of a Roman ship on one of highly frequented sea routes in ancient times, along which, among other things, a highly developed trade in artworks was maintained. All plant remains were non-carbonised and mineralised; encrusted with metallic salts, especially of copper, and preserved in excellent condition. The nest itself (wisps of “straw” found in the hollow interior of the left forearm of the statue) was mainly composed of stems and leaves of grasses (Poaceae), but also of laurel (Laurus nobilis) leaves and other plant remains. Along with “straw”, a further 837 individual plant remains were found and analysed and 41 different plant taxa were identified. Plant remains that presumably were part of the rodent’s diet belong to various wild and cultivated plants which indicate various anthropogenic habitats probably situated somewhere on the edge of human settlement. From zoological analysis of bite marks found on fruit stones of cherry and olive, and of the potential rodent fauna in the area the statue was assumed to be in prior to becoming submerged, it was established that the rodent was most probably one of the taxa of the Mus domesticus group.