Authors:Gayane - POGHOSYAN Abstract: Abstract: The present research examines the sacred offerings depicted in the artistic decoration of Urartian bronze plaques. These plaques, which are devoid of written sources, contain significant information regarding the religious customs of the Kingdom of Van (Urartu, 9-6 BC). It is a known fact that bronze plaque making was the most advanced art forms in Urartu. The shape and the predominance of ritual scenes suggest that these plaques had a cult definition or were used as amulets for protection and good luck. It is possible that iconography on the plaques was chosen based on religious beliefs. The artistic interpretation of the scene of the sacrificing of a goat and offering of a flag to a male deity is particularly worth studying. The decoration of different plaques is dominated by a similar theme. Since to this day, the true iconographic meaning of the offering scenes on Urartian votive plaques has not been revealed. The main goal of this study is to try to reveal the essence of Urartian religious ceremonies through the iconography. The study involves a comparative analysis, using ancient textual sources from Urartu and neighboring cultures. PubDate: 2024-08-18 DOI: 10.14795/j.v11i2.950 Issue No:Vol. 11, No. 2 (2024)
Authors:Ahmad DAWA Abstract: This article explores the collection of the classical column capitals exhibited at the National Museum of Tartous in Syria. It categorizes these capitals by their architectural orders, where only capitals of Corinthian and Ionic orders can be found, in addition to one votive capital. The article discusses the challenges of dating these capitals which lack archaeological context and explores the implications of their varied forms and origins. Additionally, it refers to the practice of reusing these capitals in later times, according to some modifications applied to those capitals. Moreover, half-finished capitals shed light on the presence of workshops in the Syrian coastal area, where both finished and unfinished marble capitals were imported. PubDate: 2024-08-18 DOI: 10.14795/j.v11i2.993 Issue No:Vol. 11, No. 2 (2024)
Authors:Makbule ERKAN, Akın TEMÜR Abstract: This study examined 35 terracotta loom weights recovered during the excavations in the ancient city of Syedra, located in the Alanya district of Antalya. Humans have three basic needs to survive: Nutrition, shelter and clothing. Although the exact date of the beginning of weaving, which emerged in order to meet the need for clothing, is unknown, archaeological data date back to the Upper Paleolithic Period. The development of weaving started with the Neolithic Period. Hand weaving is both tiring and takes a long time, which led to the emergence of weaving tools. Loom weights, used in weaving in Antiquity, were attached to the ends of the warp threads on the looms to keep the threads taut. Weaving weights of various forms are found in pyramidal and discoid forms in Syedra. Within the scope of the study, the artefacts were firstly measured and identified by digital methods, typologized according to the characteristics of their forms, and dated through their counterparts, taking into account the stratum in which they were found. There are no studies on loom weights in the Cilicia Region, which includes the ancient city of Syedra. Although no archaeological data has been found so far regarding the production of weaving tools and the existence of a weaving workshop in the ancient city of Syedra, the large number of loom weights found in the city strengthens the belief that they were locally produced rather than imported. PubDate: 2024-08-18 DOI: 10.14795/j.v11i2.998 Issue No:Vol. 11, No. 2 (2024)
Authors:Zerrin AYDIN TAVUKÇU, Ayşe AVLİ, Sinem COŞKUN Abstract: Bu çalışmada Alabanda Agorası'nda ortaya çıkarılan eşsiz çift burunlu pişmiş toprak kandil (bilychnis) incelenmektedir. Lambanın en dikkat çekici özelliği, Herakles ile On İki Görevinin ikincisi olan Lernaean Hydra arasındaki mücadeleyi tasvir eden bir kabartma ile süslenmiş sapıdır. Bu sahne, lambanın gövdesindeki bezemesiz diskle tezat oluşturuyor. Herakles, Alabanda'nın baş tanrısı Apollon'la ilişkilendirilen bir sembol olan "Defne Dalı"nı tutarken tasvir edilmiştir. Bu ikonografik detay, epigrafik kanıtlar ve Apollon Isotimos Tapınağı'nın devam eden varlığıyla birlikte, Apollon'un Alabanda'daki büyük öneminin altını çiziyor. Alabanda Bilychnis, Apollon'a duyulan saygının gündelik nesnelere bile kök salmış halini yansıtan bir mikrokozmos görevi görüyor. Ayrıca kandilin formu, mitolojik teması ve ikonografisi dünya çapındaki çeşitli müze koleksiyonlarındaki benzer örneklerle karşılaştırmalı olarak analiz edildi. Bu üslup analizine göre kandil MS 1. yüzyılın ikinci yarısına tarihlenmektedir . PubDate: 2024-08-18 DOI: 10.14795/j.v11i2.1009 Issue No:Vol. 11, No. 2 (2024)
Authors:Dana KHOULI Abstract: Throughout the centuries, animals held great significance in every civilization, particularly during the Byzantine period. Animal motifs permeated Byzantine art, bearing profound and significant associations and meanings. A diverse array of animals and birds received a great deal of attention and inspired Byzantine sculptors, which featured plentifully in various works of art and objects, however, Christian reliquaries, especially those fashioned in the form of sarcophagi, played a central role in showcasing these animals. These animal figures often adorned the empty spaces on the surfaces, serving both decorative and symbolic purposes, and notably serving as significant figures within the Christian faith, carrying profound symbolic meanings. They were significant in expressing religious and cultural beliefs while expressing intricate theological concepts. Hence, this article will explore five sarcophagi reliquaries uncovered in Syria, distinguished by the presence of animal figures. It aims to clarify the manner of their depiction and establish their connections to saints. PubDate: 2024-08-18 DOI: 10.14795/j.v11i2.946 Issue No:Vol. 11, No. 2 (2024)
Authors:Ofer GAT Abstract: The arrival of the glass vessels dating to the Roman period from Israel and other areas around the Mediterranean basin indicate a slow process of acceptance of the vessels made of a different material - which was not widely used in everyday life. It turns out that in Israel, as well as in other regions, the main use of the light cups was made in grave complexes. In a gradual manner, the use also expanded to other levels of life, which is expressed in the diverse presence of the tools in various building complexes. Since the Roman period, two main types of goblets are known: suspended and placed, with the more common being the suspended lighting goblets. It is evident that the main center of distribution of glass vessels in general and of glass goblets of light in particular is from Israel and alongside the distribution of these the process was accompanied by a conceptual distribution of the modes of use as accepted in the original distribution area. The research method that will be used in this framework is the method called: "Regional behavioral Tipo-morphology" - that makes use of the tools that were discovered on site and examines them in a comparative manner against circles of use within the site, in the vicinity of the site and through spatial examination circles that are growing in size. PubDate: 2024-08-18 DOI: 10.14795/j.v11i2.949 Issue No:Vol. 11, No. 2 (2024)
Authors:Stefan KRMNICEK, Kevin KÖRNER Abstract: In the winter semester 2023/24, the authors of this article taught the seminar "Playful Numismatics. Computer game-based knowledge transfer of Roman coinage". The aim of the interdisciplinary course between the fields of Classical Archaeology/Ancient Numismatics and the Master's profile Digital Humanities was to develop computer games using the RPG Maker MV application. The games impart knowledge about Roman coinage and relevant background information about the Roman world in a playful way and at a low-threshold level for a broad audience. This paper presents the workflow of the project and the project’s outcomes and discusses the potentials of serious games for teaching ancient numismatics in university context and to transmit knowledge about ancient coinage beyond academia to a non-specialist public audience. PubDate: 2024-08-18 DOI: 10.14795/j.v11i2.1008 Issue No:Vol. 11, No. 2 (2024)
Authors:Arturo Sanchez Sanz Abstract: The use of tattoos in antiquity is a widely extended practice that, in the case of the Thracian people, was believed to be traditionally linked to the feminine element. However, as we will see through both Hellenic and Thracian written sources and iconography, this practice extended to the male element as well, and its function was not to be a symbol of sin committed or anger provoked by the murder of Orpheus. The Thracian tattoo really had a multiple meaning, related not only to social status, but also to beauty but, above all, it was an apparently voluntary practice, not imposed, that the Greeks tried to explain from their own beliefs. towards the barbaric and foreign. PubDate: 2024-08-14 DOI: 10.14795/j.v11i2.988 Issue No:Vol. 11, No. 2 (2024)
Authors:Okan AÇIL Abstract: The Hasmoneans were an effective power in the Judean region in the second half of the second century BC and the first half of the first century BC. In the sources that provide information about the period and the region, there are some statements indicating that the Hasmoneans had lead a politically independent political structure by separating from the Seleucid State at some point during the period of their presence in the region. In fact, scholars today agree that the Hasmoneans ruled an independent state in history. There even seems to be a consensus among contemporary scholars that this independence took place during the reign of John Hyrcanus I. However, when the massive literature on the Hasmonean State is examined, various opinions are encountered that the independence in question was established by different leaders of the dynasty. Despite this situation, the lack of a study that addresses the issue with a holistic approach has been noticed. For this reason, in this study, different views are presented, pointing to the political independence of the Hasmoneans. Afterwards, these views were discussed within the framework of the phenomenon of political independence in the Hellenistic period, the conceptual framework of which we tried to present. Finally, among the results of the study, the possible reasons for the existing different views are pointed out and a relatively new argument is presented, indicating that the political independence of the Hasmonean State took place during the reign of Hyrcanus I, through literary sources, numismatic works and archaeological findings. PubDate: 2024-08-14 DOI: 10.14795/j.v11i2.1015 Issue No:Vol. 11, No. 2 (2024)
Authors:Samuel Nión-Álvarez Abstract: This paper presents a study of epigraphy as a cultural practice in a case study focused on the northwestern Iberian Peninsula. The main goal is to identify the emergence of divergent dynamics in the adoption and dissemination of epigraphy as a practice, establishing a relationship between the epigraph and its social and territorial context. Therefore, we propose an analysis focused on the study of anthroponymy and theonymy, aiming to find out what practices were carried out, in what environments, and what was the origin of those who practiced them. This information on names and gods will be used to discover the origin of dedicators and divinities, and then related to different attributes, introducing a geospatial and statistical study of the epigraphic record. Accordingly, different trends to approach epigraphic records will be explored, the final step contrasting differences between rural and urban environments and whether that reflects in cultural expressions. PubDate: 2024-08-14 DOI: 10.14795/j.v11i2.1019 Issue No:Vol. 11, No. 2 (2024)
Authors:Ovidiu ȚENTEA, Vlad CĂLINA, Călin TIMOC, Alexandru BERZOVAN Abstract: This study introduces a new aspect in the discussions regarding military campaigns conducted over time in the western region of the Transylvania’s Iron Gates. It pertains to a possible fortification discovered near Marga, Caraș-Severin County, South of the Bistra River, situated approximately 260 meters south-southwest of the DN68 and DJ684A intersection. The identification was made through LiDAR scans, and it presents similarities to other legionary camps in the surrounding area. Its dimensions are typical for a legionary camp; about 23.8 hectares. The structure and typological analogies place this fortification among the legionary marching camps. Could this site at Marga be the last camp to the West of the Iron Gates of Transylvania – Tapae corridor' DOI: 10.14795/j.v11i2.1045 Issue No:Vol. 11, No. 2
Authors:Adem YURTSEVER Abstract: This study examines ancient restoration practices in the Pamphylia Region, focusing particularly on the city of Perge. It builds upon T. Ismaelli's extensive studies of Roman Imperial Period architecture and restoration methods, supplementing them with new examples specific to Pamphylia. Various restoration methods were identified and analyzed using archaeological evidence, including metal clamps, new marble inserts, and detailed repair processes aimed at extending the lifespan of architectural elements. The findings highlight the period's advanced engineering and architectural skills, demonstrating how these techniques were applied to preserve and restore significant public and private buildings. Additionally, the research categorizes these restoration practices and details techniques such as replacing damaged sections with new materials and reinforcing weakened structures using innovative methods. This detailed examination enriches the literature on ancient restoration practices in Pamphylia and interprets studies on the restoration of ancient architecture through tabular analysis. The study underscores the importance of these practices in preserving cultural heritage and offers a framework for future research. DOI: 10.14795/j.v11i2.1046 Issue No:Vol. 11, No. 2
Authors:Daniel MALAXA, Simina STANC, Luminița BEJENARU Abstract: Vețel-Luncă is a multicultural site discovered during excavations carried out in 2007-2012, on the territory of Vețel village, in Hunedoara County, Romania. The animal remains discovered in the archaeological site belong to the Chalcolithic, Bronze Age, Iron Age and Post Roman times. Archaeozoological material is described mainly in terms of frequencies, selection by age and sex, and size of animals. Animal husbandry played an important role in the settlement’s economy, domestic mammals varying as frequency from 74% in the Post Roman period to 88% in Iron Age. Hunting was also a significative activity, as it is shown in the Late Bronze Age sample, where the wild mammal remains have a frequency of 17%, and in the Post Roman level with about 26% of the total identified mammals. DOI: 10.14795/j.v11i2.1047 Issue No:Vol. 11, No. 2
Authors:Irene SALINERO-SÁNCHEZ Abstract: The work that is presented is focused on the study of identities from an archaeological perspective, and specifically with the material culture found in funerary contexts of the southern peninsula in the transition from the classical to the medieval world (5th-7th centuries AD). The population groups that inhabited the south of the Iberian Peninsula during the chronology under study had a strong Hispano-Roman substrate, and evidence of cultural and economic interaction with other groups is appreciated. However, sometimes the chronological and cultural ascriptions were made from this type of objects, without taking into account other elements that would help to understand these population groups. DOI: 10.14795/j.v11i2.1048 Issue No:Vol. 11, No. 2
Authors:Claudiu PURDEA Abstract: Andrea Popa, Managementul integrat al patrimoniului cultural mondial în România. Studiu de caz: Frontiera romană în Dacia. Siturile de epocă romană de la Brețcu, Comolău și Boroșneu Mare [The Integrated Management of World Cultural Heritage in Romania: Case Study: The Roman Frontier in Dacia, The sites at Brețcu, Comolău, and Boroșneu Mare], Sibiu, Astra Museum, 2023, 279p. ISBN 978-606-733-361-9. DOI: 10.14795/j.v11i2.1049 Issue No:Vol. 11, No. 2
Authors:Sergiu Tiberoiu SOCACIU Abstract: Lavinia Grumeza, Victor Cojocaru, Ștefan Honcu, Lucian Munteanu, Corpus der römischen Funde im europäischen Barbaricum. Rumänien Band 2. Kreis Vaslui, Mega Verlag, Cluj-Napoca, 2022, 255p. ISBN 978-606-020-499-2. DOI: 10.14795/j.v11i2.1050 Issue No:Vol. 11, No. 2
Authors:Sergiu Tiberoiu SOCACIU Abstract: Lavinia Grumeza, Victor Cojocaru, Cristina I. Tica (eds.), The Sarmatians and the Others. Nomadic and Sedentary Cultures in Central and Eastern Europe in the First Half of the 1st Millennium AD, Pontica et Mediterranea, XI, Mega Publishing House, Cluj-Napoca, 2024, 502p. ISBN 978-606-020-783-2. DOI: 10.14795/j.v11i2.1051 Issue No:Vol. 11, No. 2
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