Inscription on the bas-relief of Coventina

Inscription on the bas-relief of Coventina

Prayers in the area of the wall built to store water from a spring now known as Coventina's Well and the surrounding walled area near the Roman fort and settlement on Hadrian's Wall the former defensive fortifications of Roman Britannia Coventina was the Romano-British goddess of wells and springs known from several inscriptions at a site in Northumberland England around a spring near Carrawburgh on Hadrian's Wall possibly two other inscriptions from Hispania the Roman part of the Iberian Peninsula. Under the Roman Republic of Hispania the well was a fountain in a rectangular basin 2.6 m x 2.4 m in the centre of a 11.6 m x 12.2 m enclosing wall within a 0.9 m thick wall

Ancient greek votive relief. 400 BC.

Asclepios is sitting on an omphalos between his wife Epione and a man clad in himation. 

New Acropolis Museum, Athens, Greece.

The items inside the well included 13,487 coins from Mark Anthony to Gratian three water nymph statues the heads of male figures two tablets dedicated to the goddess Coventina ten altars dedicated to Coventina and Minerva two terracotta incense burners and numerous other objects of worship including one from Narbonensis referring to Coventina though this remains controversial.

Bas-relief of triple Coventina

Evidence from the mounds of coins and the stones that covered them and the well's blockage suggests a rather abrupt end around 388 AD possibly the result of events linked to the anti-pagan edict of Theodosius I Excavations of the site have revealed several inscribed altars some of which depict Coventina in the typical Roman nymph form reclining partially clothed and associated with a body of water At least ten Coventinian inscriptions have been found from Carrawburgh Several stone altars bear dedications to Coventina as do two clay incense burners.

A representative of Coventina, accompanied by two followers, from the Nymph Shrine south of the Covetina Well. / image: albionandbeyond

Representation of Coventina in the form of three figures or Coventina with two attendants at her side Another possibility is that these three figures come from a nymph shrine south of the Covetina well and were left in the well when both sites were closed Skulls have been found in at least 10 wells from the West Country to Hadrian's Wall including the Coventina well A coin was buried inside the skull of a person. There are also three small bronze masks the head of a male statue a pot with a face on the handle and a face on one altar

Mithraeum in the lowest floor in the Basilica of San Clemente in Rome

Cursed Tablets are found near the Roman fortifications and the walled area surrounding the Coventina Well Cursed Tablets or deficios are small tin or lead tablets used to inscribe messages of good fortune on others They are usually found rolled up and intentionally buried. There are five main reasons for the dedication of Cursed Tablets Remains of a Mithraeum temple built during Classical Antiquity by worshipers of Mithras have also been found. Most Mithraeum temples date from 100 BC to 300 AD mostly in the Roman Empire and the Roman Nymphaeum is also located near this area