Monmouth College archaeology lecture: Rare ancient coins tell story of mobile temples
Monmouth, IL (11/03/2026) — In the ancient world, a chief form of advertising was coins. New construction, major religious events or - combining both - new temples were frequently depicted on ancient coins.
Few coins, however, shed light on that period that hasn't already been shined, but there is an exception, which guest speaker Jane Sancinito will discuss in the next archaeology lecture at Monmouth College.
At 7:30 p.m. Nov. 9, Sancinito will deliver a talk titled "Evidence of Mobile Religious Practice from Roman Coins." Sponsored by the Archaeological Institute of America and held in the Pattee Auditorium on the lower level of the Center for Science and Business, Sancinito's talk is free and open to the public.
"Most ancient coins tell us relatively little that we wouldn't know from archaeology or texts," said Sancinito, who is an associate professor of ancient history at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. "Only rare coins tell us something new, and a mere handful show us a now-lost type of religious space: mobile temples and shrines that could be carried or lifted in processions or on pilgrimages."
Ancient religion was flexible and worshippers had access to multiple ways of honoring their gods. Still, humans usually traveled to the gods, not the other way around. The coins examined in her talk show that was not always the case.
"Sometimes the gods hit the road and got to see a bit of the world, and only through these objects can we see how they moved and the comforts they required when they were on the move," she said.
Sancinito's research focuses on working people in the ancient world, and especially on ancient stereotypes about merchants, artisans and laborers. She is currently working on a book project exploring the concept of greed across Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Greek and Roman cultures. She is also a specialist in Roman coinage, researching the scale, uses and meanings of money in the eastern Mediterranean.
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