Sheppard Stone / Schaeferstein

Some folks at Epfach want to interpret the pretty carved slab from the roman rubble as a further indication of early christian activity, but it was not uncommon a wealthy lifestock breeder trading in mutton and wool at the time would have such a pastoral scene on their memorial, regardles of their spiritual believes, just to indicate the profession. The replic of the original is now gracing the museum outside. / Die Epfacher sind der Idee zugetan, das diese huebsche Reliefplatte aus dem Roemerabraum ein Zeichen fuer besondere fruehchristliche Aktivitaet ist, aber es war damals durchaus ueblich das ein reicher schafzuechteroder Fleisch und Wollhaendler eine solche Schaeferszene auf seinem Grabstein hatte, ohne irgendwelche spirituelle Hintergedanken, mehr als Zunftzeichen. Die Kopie des Orginals ziert die Aussenseite des kleinen Museums.



2 comments so far...

Fizgig December 16, 2017, 10:55 PM
Speculations aside, one has to admire the artistry =)
Sonja December 17, 2017, 11:50 AM
Romans founded Abodiacum 14 BC and developed it into a regional centre, 233 AD when it was a pretty little town the Alemans destroyed it and the roman people used all sorts of stone blocks and bricks from destroyed buildings and grave monuments, along with river stones and broken ceramics to build a big wall around the original palisade fort and tried for a little time to defend it and stay on. The sheep owners grave stele or tomb frieze got severly damaged either at the raid or later at the fast disasembling of a ruin to havest slabs. It went as it was into that defence wall that was unearthed and carefully freed in the 1830 dig where it was one of the most beautiful pieces found.

The later legends forming around the "Good Shepherd" are a matter of religious influenced educational politics, not even propper speculations.
A good text in english on roman gravestones in southern bavaria also discussing the most impressive Epfach finds is this:
https://www2.rgzm.de/Transformation/Deutschland/GrabbautenRaetia/GrabbautenInRaetienEN.htm

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