A worker holds the gold bust upon its discovery in an ancient sewer in 1939. Image: Site et Musée romains d’Avenches Archives, Etat de Vaud
The Gold Bust of Marcus Aurelius and the City of Aventicum
GETTY VILLA
The Getty Villa and Online
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In 1939, the gold bust of a Roman emperor later identified as
Marcus Aurelius was found in a sewer channel during excavations in Avenches, Switzerland – known in ancient times as Aventicum. This stunning discovery shed new light on the well-preserved settlement, which is still being excavated today. Archaeologist Denis Genequand discusses the remarkable gold bust and the evolution of Aventicum from a 2nd-century BCE Celtic town to an elite Roman city.
This program complements the exhibition The Gold Emperor from Aventicum, on view through January 29, 2024.
About the Speaker
Denis Genequand is an archaeologist with a double specialization in Roman and Islamic archaeology. He has conducted extensive fieldwork in Syria, Jordan, and other parts of the Middle East, as well as Ghana and Switzerland. He has published widely on early Islamic Syria and has taught at the universities of Geneva and Princeton. He is currently director of the Archaeological Research Centre and Roman Museum in Avenches, Switzerland.