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Content Īll but one of the 130 Bath curse tablets concern the restitution of stolen goods and are a type of curse tablet known as 'prayers for justice'. If this should be the case, they would be the only examples of a written ancient British Celtic language however, there is not yet scholarly consensus on their decipherment. Two of the inscriptions are in a language which is not Latin, although they use Roman lettering, and may be in a British Celtic language. Most of the inscriptions are in colloquial Latin, and specifically in the Vulgar Latin of the Romano-British population, known as ' British Latin'. Inscriptions Ĭurse tablet with complaint about theft of a cloak and bathing tunic Language In the case of the Bath curse tablets, this was a body of water at a temple sacred to Sulis. This depended on which deity was being addressed. The final step was depositing the tablet in the appropriate place. It is believed that some tablets were created by “amateurs” or illiterate people who nevertheless trusted that the deity would decipher their curse marks. Numerous handwriting styles were used and sometimes ornate detail was included, which has led to speculation on the scribe’s role. The third step was the inscribing of the tablet. The second step was the production of the tablet using specialist equipment.

This was to check that the length of the text fitted the size of the tablet sheet. The first step was the drawing up of the curse text. Each of the four steps was critical for the supposed success of the curse. Although many tablets are believed to have been created by specialists, there is also evidence that amateur cursers also engaged in creating them. The inscriptions were likely completed by individuals specialising in this activity and typically followed a four step process. In order for the curse to operate, the victim would have to first gift the item to the deity so that, in effect, it was a theft from Sulis herself. It acted as a threat whereby the thief would be punished if the items were not returned. The aim of the prayer was not for the culprit to be actually punished. The formulation of the tablets was part of a ritual known as a 'prayer for justice' to the goddess and combined elements of magic and religion. In the case of the Bath curse tablets the written formulae inscribed on the tablets were addressed to the goddess Sulis, who had the power to identify the thief and exact punishment. The tablets were meant to call upon the gods for assistance in seeking justice and were popular throughout the Roman world. Curse tablets are metal sheets inscribed with curses against specific people who committed petty theft. The tablets were identified as “ curse tablets” dating from the second to fourth centuries AD. Gilt bronze head of Sulis Minerva, to whom the curse tablets were addressed, found at her temple in Bath. The tablets themselves are on public display at the Roman Baths Museum in Bath.

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The inscriptions on the tablets were published in full in 1988 by historian Roger Tomlin. Some of the tablets had markings that appear to be an illiterate imitation of lettering, for example repetitive lines of crosses or sevens, and some were completely blank. Most of the tablets were inscribed, either with Roman capitals or with cursive script, but the expertise of the lettering varied. Some of the tablets were cast under pressure into thin, flexible sheets with a finish as smooth as paper whereas others appear to have been roughly hammered out from a molten lump. The tablets, some in a fragmentary state, were small and rectangular and initially were assumed to be made of lead, although subsequent metallurgical analysis revealed that they are, in fact, made of lead alloyed with tin, with occasional traces of copper.

The findings at the spring highlight what Sulis Minerva meant to the people here. This excavation was made possible by the removal of the concrete floor and walls, revealing a huge array of Roman era items including the tablets. In 1979/1980, around 130 tablets were discovered in an excavation of the 'Sacred Spring' under the King's Bath.

The Roman baths and temple dedicated to the goddess Sulis Minerva in the English city of Bath (founded by the Romans as Aquae Sulis) were excavated between 19 by a team led by Barry Cunliffe and Peter Davenport. The Roman baths at Bath - the entire structure above the level of the pillar bases is post-Roman.

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