9 October 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

World treasure that cannot be displayed in the Local Museum in Pljevlja, Montenegro

Despite representing one of the most valuable portable cultural assets of Montenegro, the Pljevlja Diatreta is not accessible to visitors. The Local Museum in Pljevlja lacks the necessary special security measures and additional physical protection conditions to exhibit this world treasure.

This artifact, of inestimable value, is rarely even seen by the employees of that institution, which was founded by the Municipality of Pljevlja.

The Director of the Local Museum, Dejana Drobnjak, says that the current space in the Cultural Center in Pljevlja is not adequate to permanently display this valuable exhibit.

She says that it would only be possible with the Local Museum having its own building where the physical and technical protection arrangements could be implemented.

“For the display of exhibits of particular importance, such as the Pljeval diatretum, which represents the pinnacle of the glassmaking art of ancient Rome, special safety pedestals and additional physical protection conditions should be provided,” said Director Drobnjak.



📣 Our WhatsApp channel is now LIVE! Stay up-to-date with the latest news and updates, just click here to follow us on WhatsApp and never miss a thing!!



Director Drobnjak also stated that the museum’s security and technical protection will be done out in accordance with the laws and regulations governing this area until the end of the year.

She says that diatretum is currently stored under special conditions.

Pljevlja Diatreta. Photo: Heritage Museum Pljevlja

The cage cup or Diatretum

The Pljevlja cage cup (also called vas diatretum, plural diatreta, or reticulated cup) was found in 1975 at Komini/Komine near the city of Pljevlja in Montenegro. A cage cup is a type of luxury late Roman glass vessel. The cup is also a very rare example of a complete Roman cage cup or diatretum.

The Pljevlja cage cup originates from the 4th century AD. It has a clear body and blue cage, and the inscription VIVAS PAN[H]ELLENI BONA M[emoria] (“Live, Panhellenius, in good [memory]”) is found around the rim. It is in the Heritage Museum Pljevlja.

The height of the diatretum is 14.9 cm, the diameter of the opening is 13.3 cm and the base is 3.7 cm. It was made in one of the famous Cologne workshops.

It is characteristic of the stage of the late Roman Empire and is a reflection of the peak of the development of glassmaking skills in antiquity, when the decoration rises from the surface and encompasses the entire vessel, like a mesh basket.

Detail.

Diatretum was used on festive occasions. She was like the queen of the evening at the table of a powerful lord or the emperor himself, made to show beauty, to testify to opulence. Apart from its primary, practical purpose, this expensive goblet was also a reflection of belonging to a certain class. Its aesthetic dimension is also very important because it reflects the lifestyle, taste, and fashion of an era. And then, after many feasts at which it was presented, the diatretum was buried together with its owner.

About fifty cups or, more often, fragments have survived, and there are only a few in near-complete condition. Pljevlja diatretum is one of these unique near-complete cups. Most have a cage with circular geometrical patterns, often with an “inscription”, or phrase in letters above the reticulated area as well. Some have a flange, or zone of projecting open-cut molding, above the lower patterns and below the lettering.

Pljevlja cage cup has never been restored and has its original, nearly two-millennium-old paint.

Cover Photo: The site where diatreta was found in 1975. Photo: Goran Malidžan

The Vijesti news was translated using Google Translate.

Related Articles

Roman camp of 10,000 people discovered in northern Portugal

2 July 2021

2 July 2021

A camp used by 10,000 Roman soldiers sent to conquer northwestern Iberia has been discovered in the Portuguese city of...

Ruins of China’s earliest state academy found in east China

21 February 2022

21 February 2022

The ruins of ancient China‘s first government-run institution of higher learning, built in 374 BC, have been discovered in the...

Precious Roman Gem Engraved with Mythological Figure Discovered in Italian Lagoon

8 August 2023

8 August 2023

During excavations at Lio Piccolo (Cavallino-Treporti), conducted by Ca’ Foscari University, a precious agate stone carved with a mythological figure...

2,400-year-old unearthed flush toilet in China

18 February 2023

18 February 2023

According to a China Daily report, the lower parts of a flush toilet estimated to be 2,400 years old have...

Archaeologists may have uncovered a 13th-century castle in Shropshire

7 August 2021

7 August 2021

Archaeologists have been working on a mound of land in Wem, Shropshire, that belongs to Soulton Hall, Elizabethan mansion and...

A still life fresco discovered in new excavations of Pompeii Regio IX

28 June 2023

28 June 2023

Archaeologists excavating the ancient city of Pompeii have uncovered a gorgeous still-life fresco depicting a platter covered in food and...

A new study says genes and languages aren’t always together

22 November 2022

22 November 2022

Over 7,000 languages are spoken around the world. This linguistic diversity, like biological traits, is passed down from generation to...

Red lipstick dating back 3,600 years was discovered in Iran -the oldest ever found-

14 February 2024

14 February 2024

Archaeologists have discovered a small chlorite vial containing a deep red cosmetic preparation believed to be an ancient type of...

1,600-year-old Roman-era wine shop unearthed in Greece

29 January 2024

29 January 2024

A team led by Scott Gallimore of Wilfrid Laurier University and Martin Wells of Austin College discovered a 1,600-year-old Roman-era...

Copious Copper Supplies Made Cyprus a Trading Center in the Bronze Age

23 March 2023

23 March 2023

Cyprus was a surprisingly busy trading hub during the early period of international trade in the Mediterranean region. Its awe-inspiring...

A First in Denmark: Rare 4th Century Roman Helmet and Chainmail Found

3 February 2025

3 February 2025

Archaeologists have recently unearthed a massive stockpile of weapons near Hedensted, Denmark, buried 1,500 years ago by an ancient chief....

Vase for holy oil used by ‘hidden Christians’ in Japan

24 May 2023

24 May 2023

After the family that had passed it down through the generations permitted the artifact to be examined, a relic from...

In Turkey’s western Uşak province, 2,000-year-old statues have been unearthed

19 December 2021

19 December 2021

During the excavations in the ancient city of Blaundos in the Ulubey district of Uşak, two statues of 2000 years...

What If Ancient Statues Smelled Wonderful? The Surprising Secrets of Greco-Roman Sculptures

16 March 2025

16 March 2025

A new study published in the Oxford Journal of Archaeology has shed light on an often-overlooked aspect of ancient Greek...

Doune Pistols: The Spark That Ignited a Revolution Returns Home

5 May 2025

5 May 2025

A remarkable piece of Scottish history has returned to its roots as a collection of ten exquisite 18th-century pistols, crafted...