Belt tongue with relief of a soldier and horse at The Gallo-Roman Museum in Tongeren, Belgium

myminifactory

This buckle tongue would have been secured to the end of a belt to fortify the leather. One side of this artifact features a relief depicting a soldier in military attire, with two doves soaring overhead. The other side portrays him as a rider grasping a spear (unseen). According to the inscription, Viventivs is likely to be the soldier's name. This buckle tongue was discovered in a burial site. In German soldiers' graves, they often accompany their armor. This discovery represents a culture of war. This soldier probably served with the Roman legions' auxiliary troops or militia to defend against invading Germanic tribes. This object is part of "Scan The World". Scan the World is a non-profit initiative introduced by MyMiniFactory, which creates a digital archive of fully 3D printable sculptures, artworks, and landmarks from around the globe for public access. Scan the World is an open-source community effort. If you have interesting items nearby and want to contribute, email stw@myminifactory.com to learn how to help. Scanned using photogrammetry (processed with Agisoft PhotoScan).