Books by Anastasia Yangaki
The clay vessels that have been immured in churches of Greece were identified very early on by sc... more The clay vessels that have been immured in churches of Greece were identified very early on by scholars of Byzantine architecture. In the course of the last decade the relevant research was systematized, in the context of a specific research programme. Based on a comparison of the available published material from mainland or insular Greece taken together with the material under study from Crete, this particular study focuses on the different aspects of the bacini’s use on the façades of churches. More specifically, besides the purely decorative or even functional role of their use, an attempt is made to highlight the various ‘unseen’ aspects of the bacini’s use as: religious and secular symbols, repositories of information on social groups or individuals, offerings, heirlooms, ‘relics’, indicators of cross-cultural osmosis between the “native” and the “external” and expressions of cultural memory during the Ottoman and the modern periods. The overall aim is to underline that to interpret this practice as a whole, one must undertake the decipherment of their meanings hidden behind the reasoning of each particular choice.
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The volume presents the immured glazed vessels (the bacini) located on the façades of numerous ch... more The volume presents the immured glazed vessels (the bacini) located on the façades of numerous churches in the regional unit of Chania. It comprises the first part of a larger project which will gather similar data from the other regions of Crete. The research was undertaken in the framework of the research programme “Immured vessels in Byzantine and post-Byzantine churches in Greece: an electronic corpus”. This study highlights an unexplored aspect of the material culture of Crete during the Venetian and Ottoman periods, offering further information about the history of the area and its contacts with other regions from the 13th to the 20th centuries. It also explores facets of this practice surviving into modern times. The ceramics involved here are primarily connected with the monument they adorn, but also touch on the people of western Crete themselves: apart from the detailed archaeological documentation, aspects of ceramic diffusion and immuration practice are unfolded. The
text is made up of a detailed catalogue, a map, sketches, drawings and numerous photographs. Although the practice of immuration is also encountered in other regions of the Mediterranean, through the systematic study and the full presentation of the material from the region of Chania, its special diffusion in Crete is highlighted.
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Edited volumes by Anastasia Yangaki
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Papers by Anastasia Yangaki
Based on the findings of the first Byzantine period from the excavations in Eleutherna (Sector II... more Based on the findings of the first Byzantine period from the excavations in Eleutherna (Sector II) (Crete), the study presents as a whole the architectural form of a small apiary and the various clay objects that constitute the basic equipment of a beekeeper’s kit (beehives, extension rings and also two partially preserved bee smokers, which constitute the first relevant evidence for the Byzantine era).
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The focus here is on a particular form of globular amphora. Initially identified through the stud... more The focus here is on a particular form of globular amphora. Initially identified through the study of the Yassıada globular series of amphorae, this form is also categorized under the label of Hayes’s Type 29 from the Saraçhane material, and its Cretan version is tentatively identified and labelled "TRC12" based on material from Eleutherna. The focus lies on this Cretan amphora, while making frequent reference to the type’s other versions to provide some food for thought on its broader production and standardization.
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in: J. P. Albani, I. Christoforaki (eds), Πάντα ῥεῖ. Change in Thirteenth-Century Byzantine Architecture, Art, and Material Culture (B (Bυζάντιος. Studies in Byzantine History and Civilization 20), Brepols Publishers: Turnhout 2022, 277-318., 2022
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This study presents the evidence on the specific architectural types of churches of the Mesa Mani... more This study presents the evidence on the specific architectural types of churches of the Mesa Mani bearing bacini, the positions and the patterns in which the vessels are immured in their façades, along with matters to do with the date attributed to the Byzantine monuments in combination to the immured vessels. The bacini in churches in the Mesa Mani constitute the first examples of immured vessels in Greece, since the earliest evidence belongs to within the 10th c.
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The study presents shortly the evidence relating to the bacini in churches in the region of the M... more The study presents shortly the evidence relating to the bacini in churches in the region of the Mesa Mani in the
Peloponnese, a practice that is most widespread in the area of Oitylo during the Middle and the Late-Byzantine period.
Remarks on the different categories of glazed wares, are discussed. Emphasis is given to the various Islamic glazed vessels
imported from Egypt and Ifrīqiya or Sicily during the 10th-11th c. and to examples of Byzantine pottery of the 12th-
13th c. The bacini in churches in the Mesa Mani constitute so far the earliest examples of immured vessels in Greece.
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Ceramic Tales from the Period of Ottoman Rule and the Modern Period
in Crete, Based on the Immur... more Ceramic Tales from the Period of Ottoman Rule and the Modern Period
in Crete, Based on the Immured Vessels: Some Case-Studies from Lasithi
Of the glazed vessels –the so-called bacini– immured in the churches of Crete and dated to the period of Ottoman rule, this study focuses on some from Asia Minor workshops. Ceramics from Kütahya and Çanakkale, dating within the second half of the eighteenth and/or the nineteenth and the beginning of the twentieth century, are found immured in three churches in Lasithi: the church of Christ the Saviour in Christos, the church of Agios Ioannis Chrysostomos in Kritsa and the church of Agios Panteleimonas in the general area of Kalo Chorio. Based on the description of the specific vessels, their comparison with other examples of the same sort, the details of their date and the information regarding their relation with the rest of the ceramics that constitute part of the same assemblage within each monument, it is suggested that their study can offer essential information for more accurate dating of some of these wares. In the three case-studies, two different possibilities/options are reviewed regarding the correlation of the ceramic assemblage with the respective monuments and the internal correlation of the vessels in each assemblage: namely those of synchronicity and of partial synchronicity. In addition, and taking into consideration that in two cases the vessels used during the nineteenth and the early twentieth c. are replacements of the original ones, attention is paid both to the preservation here of a practice that was widespread on the island in the previous centuries and thereby to the collective perceptions of the past in the context of the cultural memory.
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"Aspects of the Research on Byzantine Amphorae (Overview and Prospects): Amphorae for Oil or Wine... more "Aspects of the Research on Byzantine Amphorae (Overview and Prospects): Amphorae for Oil or Wine?"
Research into oil and wine in Antiquity and the Byzantine era
has been ongoing for several decades. These studies have
been based both on information derived from written sources
and from archaeological data. One aspect of this interest in
oil and wine is inextricably linked to the study of amphorae,
since, although other packaging containers existed, amphorae
were the primary means by which basic foodstuffs were
transported.
Based on an analytical and critical overview of current views
on the contents of numerous types of amphorae (mainly those
dating from between the 4th and 7th centuries AD), the
study explores the degree to which we can be certain whether
certain types of amphorae were reserved for the transportation
of oil.
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The paper explores one category of wheel-made lamp, which is characterized by an ovoid body, an o... more The paper explores one category of wheel-made lamp, which is characterized by an ovoid body, an oblong nozzle and a cylindrical neck. Its six sub-types were common during the 6th and the 7th centuries AD in regions of the eastern Mediterranean. It is further suggested that one of these sub-types, which is common in the Aegean region, constitutes a ‘koinè’ in this area.
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The study presents the preliminary observations from the “Immured vessels in Byzantine and Post-B... more The study presents the preliminary observations from the “Immured vessels in Byzantine and Post-Byzantine churches of Greece” research programme with a focus on immured vessels in churches on Crete. It refers to the areas where this practice is most widespread, to the most common patterns in which the vessels are placed on church façades, and to the different categories of glazed wares used as bacini. Particular interest is paid to the reasons why bacini are used and to the importance of their study, not only for this particular aspect of the material culture of Crete, but also for the additional information they provide about the monuments they adorn.
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A. G. Yangaki, A. Panopoulou (eds.), Το Βυζάντιο χωρίς λάμψη. Τα ταπεινά αντικείμενα και οι χρήσεις τους στον καθημερινό βίο των Βυζαντινών [Byzantium without Glamour: The humble objects and their use in the everyday life of the Byzantines], Athens 2018, 111-171, 2018
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Books by Anastasia Yangaki
text is made up of a detailed catalogue, a map, sketches, drawings and numerous photographs. Although the practice of immuration is also encountered in other regions of the Mediterranean, through the systematic study and the full presentation of the material from the region of Chania, its special diffusion in Crete is highlighted.
Edited volumes by Anastasia Yangaki
Papers by Anastasia Yangaki
Peloponnese, a practice that is most widespread in the area of Oitylo during the Middle and the Late-Byzantine period.
Remarks on the different categories of glazed wares, are discussed. Emphasis is given to the various Islamic glazed vessels
imported from Egypt and Ifrīqiya or Sicily during the 10th-11th c. and to examples of Byzantine pottery of the 12th-
13th c. The bacini in churches in the Mesa Mani constitute so far the earliest examples of immured vessels in Greece.
in Crete, Based on the Immured Vessels: Some Case-Studies from Lasithi
Of the glazed vessels –the so-called bacini– immured in the churches of Crete and dated to the period of Ottoman rule, this study focuses on some from Asia Minor workshops. Ceramics from Kütahya and Çanakkale, dating within the second half of the eighteenth and/or the nineteenth and the beginning of the twentieth century, are found immured in three churches in Lasithi: the church of Christ the Saviour in Christos, the church of Agios Ioannis Chrysostomos in Kritsa and the church of Agios Panteleimonas in the general area of Kalo Chorio. Based on the description of the specific vessels, their comparison with other examples of the same sort, the details of their date and the information regarding their relation with the rest of the ceramics that constitute part of the same assemblage within each monument, it is suggested that their study can offer essential information for more accurate dating of some of these wares. In the three case-studies, two different possibilities/options are reviewed regarding the correlation of the ceramic assemblage with the respective monuments and the internal correlation of the vessels in each assemblage: namely those of synchronicity and of partial synchronicity. In addition, and taking into consideration that in two cases the vessels used during the nineteenth and the early twentieth c. are replacements of the original ones, attention is paid both to the preservation here of a practice that was widespread on the island in the previous centuries and thereby to the collective perceptions of the past in the context of the cultural memory.
Research into oil and wine in Antiquity and the Byzantine era
has been ongoing for several decades. These studies have
been based both on information derived from written sources
and from archaeological data. One aspect of this interest in
oil and wine is inextricably linked to the study of amphorae,
since, although other packaging containers existed, amphorae
were the primary means by which basic foodstuffs were
transported.
Based on an analytical and critical overview of current views
on the contents of numerous types of amphorae (mainly those
dating from between the 4th and 7th centuries AD), the
study explores the degree to which we can be certain whether
certain types of amphorae were reserved for the transportation
of oil.
text is made up of a detailed catalogue, a map, sketches, drawings and numerous photographs. Although the practice of immuration is also encountered in other regions of the Mediterranean, through the systematic study and the full presentation of the material from the region of Chania, its special diffusion in Crete is highlighted.
Peloponnese, a practice that is most widespread in the area of Oitylo during the Middle and the Late-Byzantine period.
Remarks on the different categories of glazed wares, are discussed. Emphasis is given to the various Islamic glazed vessels
imported from Egypt and Ifrīqiya or Sicily during the 10th-11th c. and to examples of Byzantine pottery of the 12th-
13th c. The bacini in churches in the Mesa Mani constitute so far the earliest examples of immured vessels in Greece.
in Crete, Based on the Immured Vessels: Some Case-Studies from Lasithi
Of the glazed vessels –the so-called bacini– immured in the churches of Crete and dated to the period of Ottoman rule, this study focuses on some from Asia Minor workshops. Ceramics from Kütahya and Çanakkale, dating within the second half of the eighteenth and/or the nineteenth and the beginning of the twentieth century, are found immured in three churches in Lasithi: the church of Christ the Saviour in Christos, the church of Agios Ioannis Chrysostomos in Kritsa and the church of Agios Panteleimonas in the general area of Kalo Chorio. Based on the description of the specific vessels, their comparison with other examples of the same sort, the details of their date and the information regarding their relation with the rest of the ceramics that constitute part of the same assemblage within each monument, it is suggested that their study can offer essential information for more accurate dating of some of these wares. In the three case-studies, two different possibilities/options are reviewed regarding the correlation of the ceramic assemblage with the respective monuments and the internal correlation of the vessels in each assemblage: namely those of synchronicity and of partial synchronicity. In addition, and taking into consideration that in two cases the vessels used during the nineteenth and the early twentieth c. are replacements of the original ones, attention is paid both to the preservation here of a practice that was widespread on the island in the previous centuries and thereby to the collective perceptions of the past in the context of the cultural memory.
Research into oil and wine in Antiquity and the Byzantine era
has been ongoing for several decades. These studies have
been based both on information derived from written sources
and from archaeological data. One aspect of this interest in
oil and wine is inextricably linked to the study of amphorae,
since, although other packaging containers existed, amphorae
were the primary means by which basic foodstuffs were
transported.
Based on an analytical and critical overview of current views
on the contents of numerous types of amphorae (mainly those
dating from between the 4th and 7th centuries AD), the
study explores the degree to which we can be certain whether
certain types of amphorae were reserved for the transportation
of oil.
religious scene, with invocation to the Lord or with the symbol of the cross, part of an open vessel with an incised invocation similar to the above. Similar metal objects are published from various parts of the eastern Mediterranean and the Balkans with some examples found in various sites of the Peloponnese. Thus the minor objects from Messene enter into a “koine” of Byzantine metalwork. Their study offers an insight into the belief of the local population to the protective power of the Lord, the Virgin and the Saints during everyday activities. They constitute a solid base for comparison with other similar objects, given the fact that their provenance is known and, in most cases, they come from a specific archaeological context.
Recently, the ongoing accumulation of ceramic evidence from various parts of the Byzantine Empire has led researchers to test tools beyond traditional‘ flat’, non-interactive modes of illustration. In addition, network
analysis is emerging as a dynamic force in archaeology. Having reviewed the existing evidence on mapping Byzantine ceramic material, the paper presents the results of a sub-project undertaken within the framework of “Kyrtou Plegmata — Convex Grids. Networks of economy, power and knowledge in the Hellenic space from prehistory into the modern age: analytic documentation — interpretive mapping — synthetic approaches”, a project of the Institute of Historical Research, within the General Secretariat for Research and Technology's KRIPIS action. The new tool for mapping ceramic data uses digital infrastructures and provides the user with interactivity. The paper also addresses the use and utility of network analysis in the study of Byzantine pottery using material from geographic areas which constitute specific case studies.
- Greetings (N. Papazarkadas, Director of the Institute of Historical Research)
- Introduction (A. G. Yangaki, D. Athanasoulis)
- The research in the early Byzantine church in Agia Anastasia at the location of "Rentia" (A. G. Yangaki, D. Athanasoulis, M. Z. Sigala, Ch. Sakellakou) 18:10-18:20
- The research at the medieval Castle of Xombourgo (D. Athanasoulis, A. G. Yangaki, Ch. Sakellakou) 18:20-18:30
- Early Byzantine pottery from Chora [the Town] of Tenos (A. G. Yangaki) 18:30-18:40
- Recording of the medieval sculpture of Tenos (Ch. Sakellakou) 18:40-18:50
- The medieval churches at the "Vrysia" (M. Sigala) 18:50-19:00
- Observations on the architecture of Xombourgo Castle and its location in Tenos and the Cyclades (D. Athanasoulis) 19:00-19:10
- Τhe management of a research project and an excavation at the background and the role of digital tools: a proposal for a holistic approach (A. G. Yangaki) 19:10-19:20
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Going through the information about the habitation in Tenos during the Byzantine period and the era of the Latin domination (S. Andrioti): poster presentation
Art, Archaeology and Society in the 13th c.
Convenors: Jenny Albani (Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Hellenic Open University)
Ioanna Christoforaki (Academy of Athens)
The year 1204, when Byzantium was conquered by the participants of the Fourth Crusade, marks a major and violent change on several levels, including politics and the economy, society and religion, as well as art and culture. The once powerful empire experienced both the humiliation of foreign occupation and its political subjugation. After its re-establishment in 1261, Byzantium had become a shrunken state, surrounded by aggressive enemies, while a number of its vital areas, such as Crete, Cyprus and the Ionian islands remained under foreign rule. These changes influenced not only the artistic output but the everyday life of the Byzantines as well. New ideas, new preferences and new techniques are attested in architecture, painting, sculpture and minor arts, all of which developed a new dynamic.
Although the changes which occurred during the thirteenth century, both in archaeology and society, have been examined in the past, a re-evalution of old and new data, combined with a fresh look on recent archaeological finds, is long overdue. The Thematic Session, entitled Byzantium in Change. Art, Archaeology and Society in the 13th c., aims to provide a well-rounded and balanced overview of this troubled century, by examining the transformations created and developed within the new framework of co-existence among Byzantines, Latins, Slavs and Ottomans. The main focus will be on architecture, painting and material culture, as attested in key political entities of the now fragmented Byzantine territory.
The participants in the Thematic Session, chosen to represent both established and younger scholars from Greece and abroad, are art and architectural historians, material culture experts and field archaeologists. They have been asked to explore issues relating to the artistic expression of the encounter between Byzantium and the West; the continuity, change or adaptation of artistic trends before and after 1204, both in urban centres and the countryside; and the archaeological testimonies for interaction, opposition or symbiosis, both on official and local levels.
Efforts to visualize the distribution of ceramics and analyze its patterns have involved mapping the evidence and applying network analysis to a corpus of materials. These efforts aim to enhance our comprehension of distribution patterns and potential trade connections. This paper builds upon prior research and material collected within the framework of a project by the National Hellenic Research Foundation’s Institute of Historical Research, conducted as part of the GSRI’s KRIPIS and ANAVATHMIS actions.
By reviewing existing evidence regarding the mapping of ceramic materials from the aforementioned periods in Crete, this paper explores the advantages, challenges, and limitations of using GIS (Geographic Information Systems) and geospatial analyses for a comprehensive study of pottery circulation over time and space. The goal is to emphasize GIS's potential contribution in highlighting sites’ interconnectivity and interdependence. This includes examining the diffusion and penetration of specific imported ceramic types into areas with diverse geographic and political characteristics.
From the rich archival material, unpublished as well as published – namely the inventories of the interiors of the houses, workshops and monasteries, the dowry agreements and the wills – comes information specifically on the objects of domestic, handicraft and agricultural use and the relevant tools. Although this approach reveals a wealth of evidence, details on ceramics, as it will be shown, are actually rather limited.
The poster focuses on the testimonies regarding the various clay objects. Reference is made as to the circumstances under which clay vessels are encountered in the written sources, as well as to the categories of ceramics mentioned and to specificities concerning details of their manufacture, decoration and origin. In addition, attempts are made to link – whenever possible – particular references to particular objects, as known from the archaeological record. Given the nature of the archival sources, these data are, obviously, also linked to individual persons and places, leading to further revelations not only on specific aspects of the ceramics’ life-cycle but also on the participation of the clay objects in the formation of social relations and on the identities of people of the time.
αντιλήψεις, διαχείριση και πρακτικές», 3-4 Ιουνίου 2021 (online).
Digital Terraces of History. New tools Novel approaches
Webinar: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_2GnSs-oyRDq_uSPhdko2fQ
The establishment of Digital Humanities Workshops and Units under the aegis of Humanities Research Institutes has become a global necessity. The Institute of Historical Research (IHR) of the National Hellenic Research Foundation (NHRF) has successfully risen to the global challenge of digital historical applications and has successfully designed and implemented a variety of digital projects. More recently, IHR brought to completion the synthetic Digital Humanities project “Kyrtou Plegmata. Networks of economy, power and knowledge in Greek space from the prehistoric times to the present” (2013-2016). From 2017 to the present, IHR is implementing the research project “Anavathmis” (Terrace), which includes several thematic digital applications. With these projects, IHR has established as one of its main goals its active participation in the burgeoning field of Digital Humanities, the creation of exemplary ‘proof-of-concept’ digital historical applications and the establishment of a combined infrastructure and know-how within the IHR. These will enable the development of new applications and projects, as well as novel venues and modes of diffusion of research results via the interconnection with the broader academic community. Finally, IHR aims to investigate the prospective for further networking within Greece and abroad, with the goal of implementing novel joint research projects, of harnessing cultural traditions, but also of making accessible all types of historical primary sources.
In the context of this research orientation, and with the goal of bringing together researchers working on this field for a fruitful discussion, while also taking advantage of the conclusion of the “Anavathmis” research project, the IHR/NHRF will organize an International Conference on History and the Digital Humanities, from the 14 to 16 October 2020. The theme of the conference is the presentation of novel digital research tools and their orientation towards broader research fields, which could include primary sources, historical actors, space and time, and networks.