Artefact a prized addition to UQ antiquities museum

The R.D. Milns Antiquities Museum at UQ has just welcomed an ancient carved funerary column or 'stele' to their collection, which originally stood at Palmyra in present-day Syria.

Museum Director Dr Sonia Puttock said the museum’s $18,000 big purchase for the year was "very significant".

"I thought it would be very good for the collection, and the stele will be used by students in subjects such as art, archaeology and museum studies," Dr Puttock said.

The museum previously purchased a fragment of a similar stele around 20 years ago, but the latest purchase is of a whole male bust that is from the late second to third century AD.

Dr Puttock said the style of the stele was "in essence Roman, but very Eastern" and was "still unique to their own culture".

"The style is very typical of Roman Palmyra," Dr Puttock said.

"The stele is of a man wearing a toga, but it is very much in the local style, so it is likely a native man aspiring to a Roman lifestyle. He has also got a funerary garland in his hand, similar to Egyptian mummy paintings."

The limestone stele, which is associated with a male funeral, also contains an Aramaic inscription that hasn’t yet been translated, however Dr Puttock says that will happen soon.

"One of our previous trainee workers, a woman from Northern Italy who received a scholarship from her university, Udine, to come and work at the museum for nine months, will be translating it. She is also doing some research on it for us," Dr Puttock said.

The stele, originally from what is now central Syria, was purchased from well-known London dealer Charles Ede.

Dr Puttock said the museum was the only dedicated antiquities museum in Queensland, and had one of the biggest classical collections in Australia.

Additions such as the stele were a boost to teaching and learning within the museum.

"When you think of classical Roman art, you think of the beautiful sculptures in Italy. With items such as this stele, students come to appreciate art from other areas. They need to realise that there are other areas in Roman art," she said.

The stele is on display in the museum, located on the third floor of the Michie Building. The museum is open Monday to Friday from 9am-5pm.

Dr Puttock said tours were available for anyone wishing to view the collection, particularly UQ staff and students. To book a tour, simply email Dr Puttock at s.puttock@uq.edu.au.

Media: Dr Sonia Puttock (07 33 52191) or Amanda Sproule at UQ Communications (07 336 52339).