Athlete, Hymen or Meleager? An intaglio from Olbia , 2023
An intaglio found during National Museum in Warsaw excavations at the Olbia Pontica site in
2018 ... more An intaglio found during National Museum in Warsaw excavations at the Olbia Pontica site in 2018 depicts a young male figure with a torch. This gem, made of carnelian, is dated to the end of the first century BC and the beginning of the first century AD. The identification of the figure engraved on stone considers three different possibilities: athlete, Hymen and Meleager, and discusses it in the context of an unknown possible sculptural model for the representations as well as remarks on personal choice of subjects to be engraved on gemstones. The find is contextualized from a historical and archaeological point of view within Roman-period Olbia Pontica. It is postulated that the gem may have belonged to a high-ranking Roman officer or a member of the local elite, and it is important testimony for the early presence of Romans in Olbia or at least their contacts with the indigenous population.
The author presents in the paper the result of his research on the presence of the memory of Olbi... more The author presents in the paper the result of his research on the presence of the memory of Olbia as an ancient Greek colony in the literature and history of the Jagiellonian state of Poland and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The pa- per is a preliminary report rather, because the results of the literature search, which was originally intended to illustrate the state of knowledge about the history of research on today’s archaeological site, exceeded all the expectations of the author. The role of Olbia, also allegorical or purely rhetorical, both in the culture and politics of the Polish-Lithuanian state in the 15th–17th centuries turned out to be much greater than one could have expected. This is due to the broader manner of that epoch (Renaissance and Baroque), the use of ancient scenography and ancient references when describ- ing contemporary events. For this reason, the article only signals this issue by illustrating it with selected examples. The presentation of all the sources identified by the author will require a more extensive publication. The most impor- tant types of references to ancient Olbia/Borysthenes indicated in the article are the use of ancient names – city, river, inhabitants – when describing the struggle with the Turks, Tatars, and Muscovites. Also, the geographical orientation on the northsouth axis according to the ancient image of these territories and not their actual location relative to the centre of the state. A very important discovery is the oldest, according to the author’s knowledge, description of the territories around Olbia found in the diplomatic document of the chancellery of King Sigismund II Augustus (1542). We will find there unique and extremely important information about the existence of a crossing near ancient Olbia.
The authors present an analysis of the bone material obtained during the excavations of the Polis... more The authors present an analysis of the bone material obtained during the excavations of the Polish-Ukrainian archaeological mission in Olbia in 2016–2018. Particular attention is paid to the analysis of the chronologically homogeneous deposit of about 6,000 bones, which are mostly raw materials or semi-finished products and rarely the final products for a workshop producing bone tools. This analysis allows for the determination of the meat part of the diet of Olbia inhabitants at the turn of the 4th and 5th centuries, as well as assumptions related to the climate prevailing in Olbia at that time.
As the title suggests, this work is only first volume of the final publication of German-Serbian ... more As the title suggests, this work is only first volume of the final publication of German-Serbian excavations at Gamzigrad in the Zaječar District in eastern Serbia. It is very important archaeological site, one of Serbia’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites.1 The ruins itself were well known and have been excavated since 1953 by Serbian archaeologists as well as being mentioned in several publications previously (Herder 1846 [first mention]: 20–21; Kanitz 1861: 8–9; Breithaupt 1861 and few mentions in Serbian literature, Serbian excavations: Vasič 2007 and Żivić 2011). However, it was not until the 1980s that an inscription was found during excavations that allowed for final identification (Srejović 1985).The archaeological site is located south of the Danube River, near the present city of Zaječar. Its unique position on the map of archaeological sites in Europe is a consequence of being the location of the complex including palace and temples called Felix Romuliana built by the emperor G...
In the paper will be presented the results of archaeological research done by a Polish-Ukrainian ... more In the paper will be presented the results of archaeological research done by a Polish-Ukrainian team in the years 2016-2018 at the archaeological site Olbia Pontica. The main result of this excavations is the thesis, strongly documented in the archaeological finds, that the last inhabitants of Olbia left this place at the beginning of the 5th century AD and that during the last period of its existence Olbia was strongly connected with the Cherniakhov culture. Additionally, thanks to major concentration of animal bones, the finds allowed research into the meat diet of the inhabitants of Olbia in the 4th century AD. The bone finds also seem to confirm a climate change in that century too.
Narodziny Grecji (Early Greece) 1 są jednym z pomnikowych podręczników historii Grecji i rozpoczy... more Narodziny Grecji (Early Greece) 1 są jednym z pomnikowych podręczników historii Grecji i rozpoczynają bardzo prestiżową i zasłużoną oksfordzką serię podręczników akademickich "Fontana History of the Ancient World". Oswyn Murray wzbudził tym dziełem niemało kontrowersji, kiedy w 1978 roku pojawiło się pierwsze wydanie, zaś w chwili ukazania się drugiego wydania (1993) było to już dzieło klasyczne. Autor przedstawił swoją wizję epoki i sformułował nowatorskie hipotezy doskonale udokumentowane cytatami z antycznych źródeł oraz danymi archeologicznymi. Niektóre spośród tych hipotez zmieniły nasze postrzeganie epoki. Główną rolę odegrały tu źródła i z tego powodu w pracy nad przekładem dzieła Murraya niezbędne było takie ich tłumaczenie, żeby z tekstu jasno wynikała zasadność stawianych przez autora hipotez. Wymagało to oczywiście sprawdzania wszystkich cytowanych utworów w oryginale i przeglądania ich dotychczasowych tłumaczeń na język polski. Niekiedy okazywało się, że autorzy polskich przekładów pewne teksty zinterpretowali odmiennie od Murraya i ich przekład w żaden sposób nie może stanowić punktu wyjścia rozważań autora Narodzin Grecji. Należało zatem "poprawiać" istniejące tłumaczenia, wyjaśniając jednocześnie powody odchodzenia od znanych (a często jedynych) polskich wersji. Niekiedy okazywało się natomiast, że dotąd nie dokonano żadnego polskiego przekładu, co niewiele ułatwiało pracę, gdyż i tutaj Murray opowiadał się często za jedną z kilku możliwych interpretacji tekstów. Jeśli dodać do
Athlete, Hymen or Meleager? An intaglio from Olbia , 2023
An intaglio found during National Museum in Warsaw excavations at the Olbia Pontica site in
2018 ... more An intaglio found during National Museum in Warsaw excavations at the Olbia Pontica site in 2018 depicts a young male figure with a torch. This gem, made of carnelian, is dated to the end of the first century BC and the beginning of the first century AD. The identification of the figure engraved on stone considers three different possibilities: athlete, Hymen and Meleager, and discusses it in the context of an unknown possible sculptural model for the representations as well as remarks on personal choice of subjects to be engraved on gemstones. The find is contextualized from a historical and archaeological point of view within Roman-period Olbia Pontica. It is postulated that the gem may have belonged to a high-ranking Roman officer or a member of the local elite, and it is important testimony for the early presence of Romans in Olbia or at least their contacts with the indigenous population.
The author presents in the paper the result of his research on the presence of the memory of Olbi... more The author presents in the paper the result of his research on the presence of the memory of Olbia as an ancient Greek colony in the literature and history of the Jagiellonian state of Poland and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The pa- per is a preliminary report rather, because the results of the literature search, which was originally intended to illustrate the state of knowledge about the history of research on today’s archaeological site, exceeded all the expectations of the author. The role of Olbia, also allegorical or purely rhetorical, both in the culture and politics of the Polish-Lithuanian state in the 15th–17th centuries turned out to be much greater than one could have expected. This is due to the broader manner of that epoch (Renaissance and Baroque), the use of ancient scenography and ancient references when describ- ing contemporary events. For this reason, the article only signals this issue by illustrating it with selected examples. The presentation of all the sources identified by the author will require a more extensive publication. The most impor- tant types of references to ancient Olbia/Borysthenes indicated in the article are the use of ancient names – city, river, inhabitants – when describing the struggle with the Turks, Tatars, and Muscovites. Also, the geographical orientation on the northsouth axis according to the ancient image of these territories and not their actual location relative to the centre of the state. A very important discovery is the oldest, according to the author’s knowledge, description of the territories around Olbia found in the diplomatic document of the chancellery of King Sigismund II Augustus (1542). We will find there unique and extremely important information about the existence of a crossing near ancient Olbia.
The authors present an analysis of the bone material obtained during the excavations of the Polis... more The authors present an analysis of the bone material obtained during the excavations of the Polish-Ukrainian archaeological mission in Olbia in 2016–2018. Particular attention is paid to the analysis of the chronologically homogeneous deposit of about 6,000 bones, which are mostly raw materials or semi-finished products and rarely the final products for a workshop producing bone tools. This analysis allows for the determination of the meat part of the diet of Olbia inhabitants at the turn of the 4th and 5th centuries, as well as assumptions related to the climate prevailing in Olbia at that time.
As the title suggests, this work is only first volume of the final publication of German-Serbian ... more As the title suggests, this work is only first volume of the final publication of German-Serbian excavations at Gamzigrad in the Zaječar District in eastern Serbia. It is very important archaeological site, one of Serbia’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites.1 The ruins itself were well known and have been excavated since 1953 by Serbian archaeologists as well as being mentioned in several publications previously (Herder 1846 [first mention]: 20–21; Kanitz 1861: 8–9; Breithaupt 1861 and few mentions in Serbian literature, Serbian excavations: Vasič 2007 and Żivić 2011). However, it was not until the 1980s that an inscription was found during excavations that allowed for final identification (Srejović 1985).The archaeological site is located south of the Danube River, near the present city of Zaječar. Its unique position on the map of archaeological sites in Europe is a consequence of being the location of the complex including palace and temples called Felix Romuliana built by the emperor G...
In the paper will be presented the results of archaeological research done by a Polish-Ukrainian ... more In the paper will be presented the results of archaeological research done by a Polish-Ukrainian team in the years 2016-2018 at the archaeological site Olbia Pontica. The main result of this excavations is the thesis, strongly documented in the archaeological finds, that the last inhabitants of Olbia left this place at the beginning of the 5th century AD and that during the last period of its existence Olbia was strongly connected with the Cherniakhov culture. Additionally, thanks to major concentration of animal bones, the finds allowed research into the meat diet of the inhabitants of Olbia in the 4th century AD. The bone finds also seem to confirm a climate change in that century too.
Narodziny Grecji (Early Greece) 1 są jednym z pomnikowych podręczników historii Grecji i rozpoczy... more Narodziny Grecji (Early Greece) 1 są jednym z pomnikowych podręczników historii Grecji i rozpoczynają bardzo prestiżową i zasłużoną oksfordzką serię podręczników akademickich "Fontana History of the Ancient World". Oswyn Murray wzbudził tym dziełem niemało kontrowersji, kiedy w 1978 roku pojawiło się pierwsze wydanie, zaś w chwili ukazania się drugiego wydania (1993) było to już dzieło klasyczne. Autor przedstawił swoją wizję epoki i sformułował nowatorskie hipotezy doskonale udokumentowane cytatami z antycznych źródeł oraz danymi archeologicznymi. Niektóre spośród tych hipotez zmieniły nasze postrzeganie epoki. Główną rolę odegrały tu źródła i z tego powodu w pracy nad przekładem dzieła Murraya niezbędne było takie ich tłumaczenie, żeby z tekstu jasno wynikała zasadność stawianych przez autora hipotez. Wymagało to oczywiście sprawdzania wszystkich cytowanych utworów w oryginale i przeglądania ich dotychczasowych tłumaczeń na język polski. Niekiedy okazywało się, że autorzy polskich przekładów pewne teksty zinterpretowali odmiennie od Murraya i ich przekład w żaden sposób nie może stanowić punktu wyjścia rozważań autora Narodzin Grecji. Należało zatem "poprawiać" istniejące tłumaczenia, wyjaśniając jednocześnie powody odchodzenia od znanych (a często jedynych) polskich wersji. Niekiedy okazywało się natomiast, że dotąd nie dokonano żadnego polskiego przekładu, co niewiele ułatwiało pracę, gdyż i tutaj Murray opowiadał się często za jedną z kilku możliwych interpretacji tekstów. Jeśli dodać do
In: Boltryk Yu.V. (ed.). Arkheolohichni doslidzhennia v Ukraini 2018, Kyiv, p. 124-128, 2020
Юго-восточная часть цитадели Ольвии. Ольвия-2018. Участок Р-23 / South-Eastern part of Citadel of... more Юго-восточная часть цитадели Ольвии. Ольвия-2018. Участок Р-23 / South-Eastern part of Citadel of Olbia Pontike. Olbio-2018. Plot R-23. Roman, Late Antique / Chernyahov periods.
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Papers by Alfred Twardecki
2018 depicts a young male figure with a torch. This gem, made of carnelian, is dated to the end of the first
century BC and the beginning of the first century AD. The identification of the figure engraved on stone
considers three different possibilities: athlete, Hymen and Meleager, and discusses it in the context of an
unknown possible sculptural model for the representations as well as remarks on personal choice of subjects
to be engraved on gemstones. The find is contextualized from a historical and archaeological point of
view within Roman-period Olbia Pontica. It is postulated that the gem may have belonged to a high-ranking
Roman officer or a member of the local elite, and it is important testimony for the early presence of
Romans in Olbia or at least their contacts with the indigenous population.
colony in the literature and history of the Jagiellonian state of Poland and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The pa-
per is a preliminary report rather, because the results of the literature search, which was originally intended to illustrate
the state of knowledge about the history of research on today’s archaeological site, exceeded all the expectations of the
author. The role of Olbia, also allegorical or purely rhetorical, both in the culture and politics of the Polish-Lithuanian
state in the 15th–17th centuries turned out to be much greater than one could have expected. This is due to the broader
manner of that epoch (Renaissance and Baroque), the use of ancient scenography and ancient references when describ-
ing contemporary events. For this reason, the article only signals this issue by illustrating it with selected examples.
The presentation of all the sources identified by the author will require a more extensive publication. The most impor-
tant types of references to ancient Olbia/Borysthenes indicated in the article are the use of ancient names – city, river,
inhabitants – when describing the struggle with the Turks, Tatars, and Muscovites. Also, the geographical orientation on
the northsouth axis according to the ancient image of these territories and not their actual location relative to the centre
of the state. A very important discovery is the oldest, according to the author’s knowledge, description of the territories
around Olbia found in the diplomatic document of the chancellery of King Sigismund II Augustus (1542). We will find
there unique and extremely important information about the existence of a crossing near ancient Olbia.
2018 depicts a young male figure with a torch. This gem, made of carnelian, is dated to the end of the first
century BC and the beginning of the first century AD. The identification of the figure engraved on stone
considers three different possibilities: athlete, Hymen and Meleager, and discusses it in the context of an
unknown possible sculptural model for the representations as well as remarks on personal choice of subjects
to be engraved on gemstones. The find is contextualized from a historical and archaeological point of
view within Roman-period Olbia Pontica. It is postulated that the gem may have belonged to a high-ranking
Roman officer or a member of the local elite, and it is important testimony for the early presence of
Romans in Olbia or at least their contacts with the indigenous population.
colony in the literature and history of the Jagiellonian state of Poland and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The pa-
per is a preliminary report rather, because the results of the literature search, which was originally intended to illustrate
the state of knowledge about the history of research on today’s archaeological site, exceeded all the expectations of the
author. The role of Olbia, also allegorical or purely rhetorical, both in the culture and politics of the Polish-Lithuanian
state in the 15th–17th centuries turned out to be much greater than one could have expected. This is due to the broader
manner of that epoch (Renaissance and Baroque), the use of ancient scenography and ancient references when describ-
ing contemporary events. For this reason, the article only signals this issue by illustrating it with selected examples.
The presentation of all the sources identified by the author will require a more extensive publication. The most impor-
tant types of references to ancient Olbia/Borysthenes indicated in the article are the use of ancient names – city, river,
inhabitants – when describing the struggle with the Turks, Tatars, and Muscovites. Also, the geographical orientation on
the northsouth axis according to the ancient image of these territories and not their actual location relative to the centre
of the state. A very important discovery is the oldest, according to the author’s knowledge, description of the territories
around Olbia found in the diplomatic document of the chancellery of King Sigismund II Augustus (1542). We will find
there unique and extremely important information about the existence of a crossing near ancient Olbia.