Greek Archaeology

This dissertation examines ancient anchoring practice in the Mediterranean through ca. 1500 CE, as well as the history and technological developments of iron anchors, which are among the most important tools inherited from the ancient world. The methodology employed is holistic in synthesizing archaeological finds, textual, and iconographic evidence, and includes statistical and geographical analysis based on a substantial catalogue of ancient anchor finds. An experimental project is also included where anchor reconstructions were used in the sea and their utility tested.

Mooring is one of the least studied aspects of everyday life for the people of the ancient Mediterranean. It has been elucidated that in most circumstances beaching would not have been a practical option, even for warships and the smallest cargo vessels. Rather, vessels were equipped with specialized gear for mooring off or near undeveloped shores. This included ship's boats enabling access to the shore. Lower draft vessels, particularly galleys, could approach unbuilt shores and employ mooring stakes and cables, and the ship's landing-ladder would be deployed into shallow water. Where available, however, ships would benefit from built quays which facilitated goods transport.

The iron stock-anchor displays the greatest longevity of any anchoring tool, evinced as early as the 5th c. BCE, and appears to have achieved dominance over wooden types by the 3rd c. CE. From its conception the iron-stock anchor undergoes a broad range of gradual changes to its form and features. The earliest known finds take a 'V' form in the bulk-arms and gradually develop through rounded to 'T' and 'Y' forms in the Byzantine Period. The stocks evolve from removable iron types, to permanent forms entirely of wood. Reintroduction of upward-oriented arm designs from northern Europe around the 13th c. CE, and incorporation of hydraulic mechanized smithing developments, heralded a revolution of anchoring technology. Larger, stronger and more efficient anchors were being produced to standardized dimensions and quality, promoting larger ships, and ultimately resulting in novel characteristics of navigation.

Τhis lavishly illustrated book surveys Greek archaeology from the collapse of the Mycenaean palaces to the subordination of the last Hellenistic kingdoms to Rome. Its aim is to study Greek art through the material record, and against its cultural and social backdrop. The book's target audience is archaeology and art students, as well as anyone interested in Greek art and culture. Through concise, systematic covering of the main categories of classical monuments, the reader is taken to a tour of ancient Greece along the most spectacular period in its history, the 1st millennium BC. Architecture and city planning, sculpture, painting, pottery, metallurgy, jewelry, and numismatics are some of the areas covered.

Die Summerschool fand wie das Kolloquium “Umgang mit Antike(n)” [TAF 19] in Zusammenhang mit einer vom 11.4.14-15.01.15 im Rittersaal von Schloß Hohentübingen gezeigten Sonderausstellung statt, die diesmal dem Thema “Bunte Götter. Die Farbigkeit antiker Skulptur” gewidmet war. Der Band enthält eine Einführung und wiederum 24 Beiträge aus den Bereichen Architektur und Skulptur, Technik und Methode sowie Projekte und Qualifikationsarbeiten. Konkret geht es um den Weg vom Denkmal zur Rekonstruktion, die Archäologischen Parks von Xanten und Kempten, das “Schinkelprojekt” für das Thorvaldsen Museum Kopenhagen, den Ostfries des Siphnierschatzhauses, die Farben der Kouroi, des Zeus von Olympia, eines Perserkopfes, der Mädchenfigur Akro. 682, eines Caesarkopfes und antiker Grabstelen, um die antike Künstlerhand von Faßmalern, sog. Chrysocolla, Metallapplikationen, Anstückungen aus Marmor und Metall, den “Jüngling mit Siegerbinde”, die Wirkung von Einsatzaugen, das Projekt “Digitales Forum Romanum”, den Jagdfries von Vergina, zerstörungsfreie Röntgenanalyseverfahren, den Greifenprotomenguß, die “Grotta di Tiberio” und eine Venus in Bordeaux.

Though Odysseus’ tales to Eumaios and Aninoos in Odyssey 14.199–359 and 17.417–44, respectively, are presented as fictional tales within Homer’s larger myth, some elements have striking analogs in Late Bronze–Early Iron Age reality.

This article examines these portions of the hero’s false ainoi within their fictive context for the purpose of identifying and evaluating those elements. Particular focus is given to Odysseus’ declaration that he led nine successful maritime raids prior to the Trojan War; to his twice–described ill–fated assault on Egypt; and to his claim not only to have been spared in the wake of that Egyptian raid, but to have spent a subsequent seven years in the land of the pharaohs, during which he gathered great wealth.

Through a comparative examination of literary and archaeological evidence from the Late Bronze–Early Iron transition in the Eastern Mediterranean, it is shown that these aspects of Odysseus’ stories are not only reflective of the historical reality surrounding the time in which the epic is set, but that Odysseus’ fictive experience is remarkably similar to that of one specific member of the ‘Sea Peoples’ groups best known from 19th and 20th dynasty Egyptian records: the ‘Sherden of the Sea.’

Invited talk - University of Vienna (18 January 2022)
From the Adriatic Sea to the mountainous borders with Iran and from the Black Sea to the scorched shores of the Red Sea, the Ottoman domains were home to myriad locations of archaeological importance. The multitude of prehistoric, ancient and medieval civilisations that had left their imprint on Ottoman lands was bound to attract the interest of Europeans. Ottoman subjects were not in themselves left uninterested. Visits, digs, illicit traffic, museums and many more activities attest to this.
As the 19th century was progressing with the number of manifestations of an interest in ancient finds rising, the Ottoman state decided to take it upon itself to regulate this area of human activity. This presentation discusses the legal responses of the Ottoman state to this rising interest and, more specifically, the laws on antiquities of 1869, 1874, 1884 and 1906. It traces their origins, such as the incidents or other factors that motivated the state to promulgate the laws. It aims to shed light on the topics these laws covered, such as definitions on antiquities, the ownership of finds, stipulations on the import and, significantly, export of antiquities, any protective measures, and the regulation of excavations. It also provides a comparison between Ottoman archaeological legislation and that of the Greek kingdom in an attempt to identify points of convergence and divergence. To what extent was Ottoman policy inspired by Greece’s treatment of antiquities? Finally, this presentation does not fail to investigate the reasons for replacing one law with another. In this, a discussion of how each law was implemented in the vast domains of the empire remains crucial.
In all, this presentation aims to provide a comprehensive picture as to the Ottoman legal approaches to antiquities that, together with the development of Ottoman museums, encapsulate Ottoman archaeological policy. In discussing the laws, we shall see how the Ottoman state evolved from being largely a bystander into a guardian of antiquities in its lands.

This paper examines the Dyonisian and Orphic symbolic and ritual iconographical aspects of a Centuripe vase from Southern Italy from the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. Measuring 70.5 by 34.5 centimeters, the basic form of the vase is that of a bell krater without handles set on a high foot and surmounted by a domed lid ending in an egg-shaped finial (Richter 188), formed of separate sections that have been assembled in production. The vase has been assembled from broken pieces, showing little surface damage. In order to facilitate description and analysis, two very similar Centuripe vases, one in New York, the other in Princeton, are  referred to.
A.Description of the iconographic and decorative aspects of the vase, which depicts a scene of three woman and a man in a ritual scene. One woman holds a thyrsus and tympaneum and there is a tripod.
B. Analysis of the elements in relation to the history and development of Greek vase art. Mayo has observed that ‘’death, marriage, and the mysteries is a frequent triad in South Italian and Sicilian vase-painting’’ (283). These aspects will be examined, in the context of feminine themes, to see if they can shed light on the imagery and function of the vase.
1. Feminine aspects
2. Marriage aspects
3. Funerary aspects
4. Dyonisian aspects
5. Orphic aspects
C. Interpretation.  Ariadne has often been linked  with Aphrodite (Otto 182-85).  Figure 29 (de Grummond 92)  is a wall painting from Pompeii depicting Dionysus and Ariadne watching a contest between Pan and Eros, aptly illustrating the combination of the worlds of Dionysus and Aphrodite. Figure 30 (Lissarague in Masks 21),  from a fifth century Bell krater, depicting what could be a puberty initiation scene,  illustrates  Dionysus and Ariadne in a ritual context. The Maenad holding the rabbit, a well-known fertility symbol could be an aspect linking Ariadne to Aphrodite. 
The portrait on the Montreal Centuripe vase could serve to indicate that the deceased identified herself with Ariadne, as her features resembles the Ariadne figure on the body. The head can be related to the ascension of Aphrodite in a  role of chthonian goddess (Calinescu in Mayo 143), and possibly related to Ariadne’s divinization after her revival  by Dionysus, where Zeus placed her crown in the heavens (Seyffert 64). As shown in figures 11-14, Centuripe imagery has been related to the Dionysus and Ariadne figures of the frieze of the Villa of Mysteries.

This book presents a new study of Greek large-scale bronze statuary of the late Archaic and Classical periods. It examines the discovery, origin, style, date, artistic attribution, identification, and interpretation of the surviving bronzes, and focuses in particular on their technical features and casting techniques. It contains over 170 plates of photographs and drawings to illustrate its discussion.

It also places the development of the casting techniques in connection with the stylistic evolution in Greek free-standing sculpture. During the Classical period, artists preferred bronze to marble when creating their contrapposto figures. Indisputably, bronze gave particular freedom to artists in creating three-dimensional figures. In addition, the evolution in style encouraged the development of the uses of bronze to serve the new needs and tendencies in sculpture during the late Archaic and especially the Classical period. Through the examination of how technical matters affect style, this book presents fresh interpretations of these important monuments of Greek art and offers a new approach in the field of Greek free-standing bronze sculpture.

The Phrygians, especially in the highlands of Phrygia, carved splendid monuments and chamber tombs. The tradition of carving rock-cut tombs in the area continued through Hellenistic, Roman Imperial and Late Antiquity periods. Especially in the Roman Imperial Period, in the highlands of Phrygia, many rock-cut tombs were carved and early engraved ones were renewed.
In this research, the aim is to identify the types of tombs by defining the rock-cut tombs, documentation studies upon them within the mentioned periods in the area. With ascertaination and classification of the tombs comparison to the similar examples especially in Anatolia, the position within the burial traditions and interactions to the similar ones, were studied.
Another fact aimed to stated in this research is that if the rock-cut tombs carry the influence of Phrygians rock monuments and chamber tombs .

The fact that the Achaemenids controlled Anatolia for two centuries provokes a question about the extent of Greek, Anatolian, and Persian contacts and exchange during this period. The growing
evidence for foreign domination has been accompanied by new and revised evidence of the region’s acculturation, which appears to have been a natural process. Archaeological finds from funerary contexts provide
a large amount of information and testify to the cosmopolitan art and culture. Artists and craftsmen spread their artistic styles far and wide along with iconographic norms closely connected to exchange networks, circulation of people, and common lifeways.

The material culture – art, architecture, and artifacts – left behind by a civilization can be “read” like a text of the past, since physical objects produced, used, reused, and discarded by human hands were active elements in human interactions. This course introduces students to the material and visual culture of the ancient Mediterranean from the Bronze Age through the Late Antique period. In addition to the great public architectural monuments, temples, and famous works of art, we will also explore the archaeological remains and visual images of everyday commercial and domestic space. We will focus our discussions on how visual and material culture both shaped and were shaped by different aspects of society in antiquity, such as religion, politics, economy, views on gender and sexuality, social status, and ethnicity. To this end, you will practice stylistic analysis, technical analysis, and interpretation of an array of ancient works within the socio- historical context they were produced. Throughout this process, you will engage with various critical approaches to the interpretation of ancient art, such as reception, kopienkritik, arte plebea, and gender studies.

Any building can be perceived as the summation of specific actions surrounding the gathering and construction of a precise volume and variety of materials. By working backwards and quantifying its individual aspects, a structure can be estimated in terms of labour costs spent in construction. This methodology, traditionally called architectural energetics, is becoming more common in historical and archaeological analyses and can provide new avenues through which to interpret past societies via structures. Three-dimensional (3D) technologies are continually being applied to historical research in new and exciting ways. One such application comes in 3D reconstructions of past buildings. In this project, a residential structure at Kasmenai, Archaic period southeast Sicily, was reconstructed based on archaeological evidence and historical comparanda. From the volume calculations provided by Blender, volumetric analyses can be completed to aid in estimating labour costs for constructing the building. This project compares the traditional, mathematical format of architectural energetics to that aided by 3D design. The advantages of the latter demonstrate clearly the benefit of incorporating digital technologies into historical research.

The Hellenistic, Parthian, and Roman site of Dura–Europos (or simply “Dura”), dubbed the “Pompeii of the Syrian Desert” by Yale historian and archaeologist Michael Rostovtzeff, was jointly excavated by Yale University and the French Academy of Inscriptions and Letters from 1928 to 1937. Given the outstanding preservation of art and architecture at Dura, it is not surprising that four obsidian artifacts have escaped attention, despite evidence that stone tools – including obsidian ones – continued to be used into and after the Iron Age in the Eastern Mediterranean. After more than eight decades, the character of Dura's connections to the Classical world remains a matter of debate. Pottery includes not only local ceramic wares but also North African and Aegean ones. Our nondestructive pXRF testing establish that the Dura artifacts match the three most widely used Eastern Anatolian obsidian sources: Nemrut Dağ volcano as well as the Bingöl A and B sources. If indeed obsidian arrived at Dura via long-standing mechanisms of Mesopotamian exchange, these Eastern Anatolian obsidians would be expected. Unfortunately, the artifacts' precise locations at Dura are unclear, the excavations lacked stratigraphic con- straints, and Near Eastern obsidian distribution patterns have been rarely studied beyond the Early Bronze Age. Keeping in mind these limitations, our findings are most consistent with past suggestions regarding the im- portance of local Mesopotamian influences and resources at the site.

Si l’on met de côté la première phrase de sa description d’Emporion, au début du livre XXXIV, Tite-Live brosse un tableau cohérent du site de la petite colonie grecque. Il reproduit en substance un texte de Caton relatif au soulèvement indigène de 197. Les indications topographiques de Tite-Live paraissent globalement fiables, à l’exception des dimensions de la ville indigène qui sont certainement surestimées. L’agglomération indigène ne pouvait être située qu’à l’ouest de la ville grecque, probablement dans la partie nord du Turó d’Empúries. Enfin, il convient de bien distinguer le témoignage de Tite-Live de celui de Strabon : ils ne se réfèrent pas au même moment historique et, malgré les apparences, leur mention d’une ville « double » ne recouvre pas la même réalité.