AQUAE NERI
(Neris les Bains) Allier, France.
Some Gallo-Roman baths mentioned in the
Peutinger Table have been partly excavated. They were quite
luxurious, with marble veneers; some pools can still be
seen. Tiles bearing the mark of Legio VIII and the presence of a camp suggest that there was a valetudinarium
here. Remains of an amphitheater, some rich villas, and
two aqueducts are still standing. A number of inscriptions have been found, several of them with the dedication: DEO NERIO.
Sculptures representing the traditional Gallic gods have
also been found: a crouching god, a god with a snake,
one snake with a ram' s head. Others show Epona and
Abundance, while Oriental religions are represented by
a lamp with a dedication to the Mother of the Gods.
A remarkable number of bowls of metal as well as of
glass and terracotta have been found on the site. Two
potter' s kilns of the Tiberian period have been discovered;
they were used to bake terra sigillata and ordinary domestic bowls. Bowls with a lead glaze were also found
in the furnace dump.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
H. Vertet, “Lampe en bronze dediée à Cybèle, trouvée à Neris,”
Revue archéologique du Centre 1 (1962) 348-50
I; “Informations,”
Gallia 25 (1967) 297-98
I;29 (1971) 323-24
I.
H. VERTET
