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All the United States Texas San Antonio Roman Urn Collection at SAMA

Roman Urn Collection at SAMA

Amazingly detailed marble cinerary urns that once held the cremains of Roman elite.

San Antonio, Texas

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William Davis
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B.C. era urn.   satxwdavis / Atlas Obscura User
B.C. era urn.   satxwdavis / Atlas Obscura User
Centuries-old urn.   satxwdavis / Atlas Obscura User
Urn information.   satxwdavis / Atlas Obscura User
Face in the urn.   satxwdavis / Atlas Obscura User
Urn detail.   satxwdavis / Atlas Obscura User
Amazing craft.   satxwdavis / Atlas Obscura User
Eagle on an urn.   satxwdavis / Atlas Obscura User
Ancient Roman Design.   satxwdavis / Atlas Obscura User
Amazing craftsmanship.   satxwdavis / Atlas Obscura User
Centuries-old.   satxwdavis / Atlas Obscura User
Roman urn.   satxwdavis / Atlas Obscura User
SAMA.   satxwdavis / Atlas Obscura User
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About

In a museum packed with artistic treasures, it's easy to overlook some of the spectacular finds. But being able to snag a glimpse of these intricately detailed, millennia-old artifacts isn't a chance you'd want to pass up.

A beautifully handcrafted collection of marble cinerary urns rests in the San Antonio Museum of Art, or SAMA. Designed and used between the first century B.C. and the third century A.D., these urns were used to hold the cremains of the Roman elite, or at least those who could afford a proper burial.

Urns were typically commissioned, filled with ash remains, then placed directly inside the tombs. Entire families could be easily and conveniently buried together this way. This collection of urns is assembled at the back left corner of the Greek and Roman Hall of SAMA.

An interesting note about the building itself, the SAMA building was once a brewery that was saved, renovated, and converted into a modern metropolitan museum. It’s an intriguing and successful use of a beautiful structure, indeed.

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Roman Ancient Archaeology Death Museums Museums And Collections Collections

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satxwdavis

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April 2, 2018

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Roman Urn Collection at SAMA
200 W Jones Ave
San Antonio, Texas
United States
29.437609, -98.482069
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