Box Five Information
List of Artifacts and Ecofacts:
1: white creamy, smooth necklace with shells on it
2: a white tooth or game piece
3: a broken baby blue vase
4: metal PAX necklace, might be a part of something else
5: sand dollar
6: turquoise ceramic piece, looks like a book, possibly a Bible
7: charcoal/burnt wood
8: another tooth/game piece
9: more sand dollar pieces
10: gold pin with white pearls
11: more chunks of charcoal/burnt wood
Background Information:
Saint Paul is credited with spreading the Christian faith among the Gentiles - the non-Jewish
population of the Empire. Expansion of the Christian faith was slow at first, but Christianity often
appealed to poor people who felt alienated by mainstream religions.
By the beginning of the 4th century CE, Christianity is believed to have converted about ten percent
of the population of the Roman Empire. Scholars believe that at this stage Christianity was evenly
split between the proto-Catholic-Orthodox faith and Gnostic Christianity.
In the early 4th century, Emperor Constantine gave Christianity state patronage, after which the
faith began to expand rapidly, as many felt that it was socially or politically desirable to embrace
Christianity. Emperor Theodosius I made Christianity the official state religion of Rome in the 380s,
and banned worship at pagan temples in 391. The spread of Christianity was soon complete.
Research Questions and Responses:
Research Question: Was it built before or after Christianity?
Research Team Response: Our findings have been inconclusive. Unfortunately, carbon-dating is
not the most specific, and we were only able to narrow it down to around 200 CE.
Archaeologist: Ian Hall
Research Question: When did Christianity start?
Research Team Response: Our BCE/CE dating system replaces the former BC/AD model. BC
stands for “Before Christ” and Ad stands for “After Death.” This AD year is usually thought of as
Year 0. Christianity really began to spread in the year 100 and 200 CE.
Research Question: What will we find when we dig it up?
Research Team Response: Since you are part of the dig team, we’ll have to wait to see what you
find. If you have any questions about what you find (like the materials, meanings, etc) please ask so
we can help you!
Research Question: What will we find out about our artifact?
Research Team Response: That depends on the artifact you find. Some may be more useful than
others. If you have any more questions about anything you find, you should ask!
Research Question: Is this object worth anything?
Research Team Response: There are two things to consider when talking about artifacts or
ecofacts. Something that may not have a large monetary (meaning: money) value may have an
important historical value (meaning that it tells us a lot about the past).
Research Question: Where is Milan, Italy?
Research Team Response: Italy is located in Europe. It is a peninsula that juts out into the
Mediterranean Sea. The most famous city is Rome. Inside of Rome lies Vatican City, the control
center of the Catholic Church. Milan is located in the north of the country of Italy, as shown on this
map:
Research Question: Is Milan, Italy big?
Research Team Response: Milan, Italy is currently the 5th largest city in the European Union. It’s
city and suburbs have almost 5 million people. It is now around 70 square miles.
Research Question: What is Artifact 4 (PAX) made out of?
Research Team Response: Artifact 4 seems to be made of pewter, a metal alloy. We ran the word
PAX through our computer and found two meaning that may be helpful in your research.
The Pax Romana
The term "Pax Romana," which literally means "Roman peace," refers to the time period from 27
B.C.E. to 180 C.E. in the Roman Empire.
This 200-year period saw unprecedented peace and economic prosperity throughout the Empire,
which spanned from England in the north to Morocco in the south and Iraq in the east. During
the Pax Romana, the Roman Empire reached its peak in terms of land area, and its population
swelled to an estimated 70 million people.
Source: http://www.ushistory.org/civ/6c.asp
Definition of PAX
1
: a tablet decorated with a sacred figure (as of Christ) and sometimes ceremonially kissed by
participants at mass
2
: the kiss of peace in the Mass
3
: peace; especially capitalized : a period of general stability in international affairs under the influence of
dominant military power —usually used in combination with a latinized name <Pax Americana>
Origin of PAX
Middle English, from Medieval Latin, from Latin, peace — more at peace
First Known Use: 14th century
Source: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pax