No single analytical technique is usually sufficient to attribute a marble object unambiguously to a particular quarry source in the Mediterranean world, and a number of research groups have emphasized the importance of using a... more
No single analytical technique is usually sufficient to attribute a marble object unambiguously to a particular quarry source in the Mediterranean world, and a number of research groups have emphasized the importance of using a multi-method approach. One exception to this rule is Cape Vathy on the island of Thasos in the northern Aegean, an important marble source in antiquity. Cape Vathy appears to have been the only significant source of dolomitic marble used in the Mediterranean region. Stable isotope analyses of classical sculptures made of dolomitic marble are all consistent with a Thasian origin, indicating that a simple, inexpensive, and essentially non-destructive "dolomite test" can be used to determine whether a marble piece is from Cape Vathy.
Several hundred samples were collected from Greek and Roman statues and reliefs in museums and private collections in Europe and the United States that appeared to have been carved in marble from Cape Vathy on Thasos. X-ray diffraction (XRD) was used to test for the presence of dolomite, with the finding that 75% of the "Thasian" appearing sculptures were in fact dolomitic. Stable isotope analyses of the dolomitic sculptures have reconfirmed their Thasian attribution; these analytical data serve to further refine the isotopic field for Thasian marble and may potentially allow the identification of discrete quarry areas exploited at different times in the past. Isotopic analyses of the calcite marble sculptures add to the more than 100 analyses that we have reported at ASMOSIA III and IV. As the number of sculptures with quarry attributions grows, contributions are made to our understanding of chronological, geographic, and art historical patterns in marble use.
Several hundred samples were collected from Greek and Roman statues and reliefs in museums and private collections in Europe and the United States that appeared to have been carved in marble from Cape Vathy on Thasos. X-ray diffraction (XRD) was used to test for the presence of dolomite, with the finding that 75% of the "Thasian" appearing sculptures were in fact dolomitic. Stable isotope analyses of the dolomitic sculptures have reconfirmed their Thasian attribution; these analytical data serve to further refine the isotopic field for Thasian marble and may potentially allow the identification of discrete quarry areas exploited at different times in the past. Isotopic analyses of the calcite marble sculptures add to the more than 100 analyses that we have reported at ASMOSIA III and IV. As the number of sculptures with quarry attributions grows, contributions are made to our understanding of chronological, geographic, and art historical patterns in marble use.
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A stable isotope provenance study was performed on 31 ancient marble sculptures from the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki. The sculptures all come from northern Greek contexts and date from the Classical through Roman Imperial... more
A stable isotope provenance study was performed on 31 ancient marble sculptures from the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki. The sculptures all come from northern Greek contexts and date from the Classical through Roman Imperial periods. The relatively large number of samples provides a unique opportunity to investigate the use and procurement of sculptural marble in northern Greece during antiquity. The tests were performed in two separate installments, and the results of only the first group have been incorporated (partially) in the first volume of the catalogue of marble in the museum (Despinis et al., 1997).
When the stable isotope ratios of the clacitic marbles are coupled with macroscopic observations of each sample it becomes clear that a very substantial portion of the marble comes from the Pentelic quarries and a relatively small share comes from the Paros 1 (Lychnites) and Paros 2 (Chorodaki) quarries. Several other ancient quarries are also represented, including Cape Vathy on Thasos, Prokonnesos, perhaps Afyon, and possibly a regional quarry at Mount Bermion near Veria in west-central Macedonia. As a final exercise, stylistic and archaeological data for the sculptures are related to the quarry allocations to shed light on the exploitation, trade history, and utilization of marble in northern Greece.
When the stable isotope ratios of the clacitic marbles are coupled with macroscopic observations of each sample it becomes clear that a very substantial portion of the marble comes from the Pentelic quarries and a relatively small share comes from the Paros 1 (Lychnites) and Paros 2 (Chorodaki) quarries. Several other ancient quarries are also represented, including Cape Vathy on Thasos, Prokonnesos, perhaps Afyon, and possibly a regional quarry at Mount Bermion near Veria in west-central Macedonia. As a final exercise, stylistic and archaeological data for the sculptures are related to the quarry allocations to shed light on the exploitation, trade history, and utilization of marble in northern Greece.
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Cathodoluminescence and stable isotopic analysis are used to distinguish various types of marble employed for architectural decoration at Thessaloniki in the collection of the Rotunda Museum. Marble from the three main quarries of Thasos... more
Cathodoluminescence and stable isotopic analysis are used to distinguish various types of marble employed for architectural decoration at Thessaloniki in the collection of the Rotunda Museum. Marble from the three main quarries of Thasos - Aliki, Cape Fanari, and Cape Vathy - is identified, and the stylistic association fo the various pieces are analyzed. Stone carvers in Thessaloniki and in the quarries of Thasos appear to have at times been heavily dependent on "Prokonnesian" models, but production in Thessaloniki often takes an independent course. The various quarries onThasos also prove to some degree to have distinctive roles.
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Seventy-six sculptures have been proven to be dolomite by X-ray diffraction (XRD), and their marble is assumed to come from the quarries of Cape Vathy on Thasos. These sculptures are analyzed to show how dolomite spread around the... more
Seventy-six sculptures have been proven to be dolomite by X-ray diffraction (XRD), and their marble is assumed to come from the quarries of Cape Vathy on Thasos. These sculptures are analyzed to show how dolomite spread around the Mediterranean and beyond in Hellenistic and Roman times and also to demonstrate that that in some cases the use of dolomitic marble in various places can be connected with Thasian sculptors. The converse of this linkage between materials and craftsmanship may also be true: the presence of calcitic sculpture on Thasos itself is apparently connected with non-Thasian artists. In at least one case, a fashion in Roman Imperial hairstyles seems also to have been linked to the use of Thasian dolomite.
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In Origen's Contra Celsum, Celsus, the pagan critic of Christianity, displays his familiarity with a selection of biblical heroes who were to have durable popularity in Christian art. Celsus' suggestions of alternative heroes for... more
In Origen's Contra Celsum, Celsus, the pagan critic of Christianity, displays his familiarity with a selection of biblical heroes who were to have durable popularity in Christian art. Celsus' suggestions of alternative heroes for Christians to worship have a surprising resonance in the visual arts of early Christianity. The biblical heroes named by Celsus Jonah and Daniel appeared early and often in Christian art and proved to have great staying power as well. Some of his non-biblical heroes also resonated in the art of both the early Christians and their pagan rivals. Orpheus, whom Celsus also proposed for veneration, was in fact a subject of considerable interest to Christians and Jews. Some of Celsus' suggestions of heroes more worthy of veneration than Jesus seem truly provocative or frivolous. Herakles, the first of the heroes cited by Celsus, remained more competitive than either Orpheus or Asklepios far into the Christian Roman Empire.Keywords: Asklepios; biblical heroes; Celsus' suggestions; Christian art; Daniel; Herakles; Jonah; Origen's Contra Celsum; Orpheus; Roman Empire
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Research Interests: Art and De Gruyter
Ever since its appearance in the exhibition "The Age of Spirituality" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York in 1977, the decorated ceramics of Late Antiquity have taken their place within the canon of Early Christian... more
Ever since its appearance in the exhibition "The Age of Spirituality" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York in 1977, the decorated ceramics of Late Antiquity have taken their place within the canon of Early Christian artistic expression. Their figural decoration presents an engaging mixture of biblical, non-biblical Judeo-Christian, secular, and mythic themes. This chapter attempts to clarify a few of these areas of ambiguity, in particular the role played by the story of Saint Thecla, a tale that held a significant place in cult and popular art. In the long tradition of African red slip ware (ARS) pottery, the relief-decorated wares of the later period are the most intriguing for students of early Christianity. The traditions of early Christian art make it even more probable that the female orans is Thecla rather than a martyr of the great age of persecutions.Keywords: African red slip ware (ARS) pottery; early Christian art; Saint Thecla
Research Interests: Christianity, Art, Early Christianity, Pottery, Cult, and 5 moreMartyr, Apotheosis, Emblem, Brill, and Saint
For Clement of Alexandria the true gnostic was a virtual saint, whose search for perfection can be compared to the efforts of a vigorous athlete. The soul of a gnostic, according to Clement, is comparable to the body of the athlete in its... more
For Clement of Alexandria the true gnostic was a virtual saint, whose search for perfection can be compared to the efforts of a vigorous athlete. The soul of a gnostic, according to Clement, is comparable to the body of the athlete in its strength and health. The search for perfection also requires another worldly virtue: that of courage, which, in the case of the true gnostic, is based on spiritual knowledge. In Classical times, acrobats appeared at Greek symposia, along with many other kinds of entertainers. Clement's attitude toward wealth cannot be explained in simple terms, for it has many aspects, not only social and cultural, but also moral and biblical. It was ultimately the intellectual and economic elite with whom our Alexandrian identified him. His elitist language combined with criticism of misused wealth was intended to induce the wealthy to accept his version of the new religion.Keywords: acrobats brave; Clement of Alexandria; economic elite; spiritual knowledge
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New perspectives are provided on late antique cults, popular entertainment, and the decoration of Christian churches through a fresh look at Christian writings, popular ceramics, and elite works of mosaic, metalwork, and marble sculpture.
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The southeastern section of the Domus Augustiana, the great terrace projecting out from the palatine "hippodrome" and looming over the Circus Maximus has always been dramatically visible, but has received relatively little attention.... more
The southeastern section of the Domus Augustiana, the great terrace projecting out from the palatine "hippodrome" and looming over the Circus Maximus has always been dramatically visible, but has received relatively little attention. Excavation between 1964 and 1970, however, revealed bathing pools on suspensurae and Tetrachic brick stamps. The rooms on the terrace can therefore be identified as the "thermae in palatio" built by Maxentius. This article offers a reconstruction of the missing structures.
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Fourteen pieces of Roman furniture connected with the theme of Neo-Attic style are analyzed. The sculptures come from museums in Boston and central Italy and from private collections. Pentelic, Parian and Carrara marble are identified on... more
Fourteen pieces of Roman furniture connected with the theme of Neo-Attic style are analyzed. The sculptures come from museums in Boston and central Italy and from private collections. Pentelic, Parian and Carrara marble are identified on the basis of ratios of stable isotopes of carbon and oxygen, supplemented in some cases by petrographic analysis and in others by optical identification of grain size. Stylistic analysis is used to explore the questions of exportation from Athens to Italy, production in Italy by immigrant sculptors, and the use of various marbles by workshops in Italy.
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Samples were taken from various Roman objects that seemed to be marble from Dokimeion (Afyon) in Phrygia and from some typologically and stylistically related objects. Ratios of stable isotopes of carbon and oxygen were determined, and a... more
Samples were taken from various Roman objects that seemed to be marble from Dokimeion (Afyon) in Phrygia and from some typologically and stylistically related objects. Ratios of stable isotopes of carbon and oxygen were determined, and a preferred quarry of origin was chosen on the basis of the marble’s macroscopic characteristics. The art-historical problems connected with some of the pieces are further explored. Marble from Dokimeion proves to have been favored for a group of large craters and was exploited on occasion by Neo-Attic workshops, which normally seem to have used Pentelic marble. Dokimeian marble was used by several workshops producing high quality capitals based in west-central Asia Minor. The marble seems to have been a major material for architectural decoration in Pamphylia and was used by Phrygian workshops in Italy. The marble was exploited for figural sculpture in Pamphylia – perhaps extensively. Marble from Ephesus also seems to have been used for architectural decoration at Perge in Pamphylia.
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This is a collection of inscriptions referring "to the wearer". Some have been mistranslated and others have been ignored even when the objects on which they are written have been discussed. A ring in Boston serves as a point of... more
This is a collection of inscriptions referring "to the wearer". Some have been mistranslated and others have been ignored even when the objects on which they are written have been discussed. A ring in Boston serves as a point of departure for a neglected tradition of Greek portable epigraphy.
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Some Roman sarcophagi have unfinished surfaces that are partly chiseled and partly smooth. These irregular formations have been interpreted as the unfinished or damaged surfaces of an entablature, and such sarcophagi have been interpreted... more
Some Roman sarcophagi have unfinished surfaces that are partly chiseled and partly smooth. These irregular formations have been interpreted as the unfinished or damaged surfaces of an entablature, and such sarcophagi have been interpreted as reused architectural blocks. Examination of numerous sarcophagi in two museum collections, however, shows that smooth surfaces are common and unconnected with architectural forms. Instead they are a product of cutting with a saw. Sarcophagi were shipped from Aegean quarries to workshops in central Italy almost always shaped only with chisel and pick. Shipwrecked cargoes and inspection of quarries have revealed that at times unfinished chests were joined together in clusters of two or three. At their destination the clusters were separated making use of a saw and creating smooth surfaces. The combination of roughly chiseled and smoothly sawn surfaces would occur when the joined sarcophagi had been of unequal size.
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Research Interests: Geology, Stable Isotopes, Roman Marble trade and distribution, Late Antique Sculpture, Early Christian Architecture, and 11 moreRavenna, Roman Sarcophagi, Early Byzantine, Late Antique, Early byzantine architecture, Ambo, Early Byzantine Architectural Sculpture, Sarcophagi, X ray Fluorescence, Early Christian and Byzantine Sculpture, and Roman and Early Christian Sarcophagi
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The case for and against quarrying on Paros in Late Antiquity has been made on the basis of the art historical and scientific study of the Katapoliani, the most important Early Byzantine church on the island. While most stone in the... more
The case for and against quarrying on Paros in Late Antiquity has been made on the basis of the art historical and scientific study of the Katapoliani, the most important Early Byzantine church on the island. While most stone in the building is reused, EPR spectroscopy has indicated that some elements, including column shafts, were newly quarried. The various positions on the issue are reviewed, and some column shafts of 390 AD from the church of S. Paolo fuori-le-mura, Rome, which are said by Prudentius to be Parian, are studied with stable isotopes of carbon and oxygen.
Research Interests: Early Christianity, Archaeometry, Byzantine Architecture, Early Christian Art, Late Roman Archaeology, and 8 moreRoman Trade Networks, Roman Marble trade and distribution, Byzantine Architectural Sculpture, Early Christian Architecture, Byzantine art, Roman Marble Quarries, Prudentius, and Roman Archaeology
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Quarries and artifacts of colored marble in Algeria have been sampled and their stable isotopes of carbon and oxygen analyzed. These laboratory data have been supplemented by macroscopic observations of color and structure. In many cases... more
Quarries and artifacts of colored marble in Algeria have been sampled and their stable isotopes of carbon and oxygen analyzed. These laboratory data have been supplemented by macroscopic observations of color and structure. In many cases it has been possible to attribute the marble ofnartifacts to quarries in Greece, Turkey, Tunisia, and Algeria itself. In some cases macroscopic and isotopic data contradict one another, and in others it seems clear that the marble came from currently unknown quarries.
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Quarries at Cap de Garde, Djebel Filfila and Mahouna in Algeria are characterized isotopically and in terms of their grain size and optical characteristics. On this basis the marble of architectural decoration from the cities of Hippo... more
Quarries at Cap de Garde, Djebel Filfila and Mahouna in Algeria are characterized isotopically and in terms of their grain size and optical characteristics. On this basis the marble of architectural decoration from the cities of Hippo Regius, Rusicade, Calama, Thibilis and Caesarea is assigned to these quarries, as well as to Carrara in Italy and Proconnesus in Asia Minor.
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Many Greek and Roman sculptures in the Louvre appear to be made of coarse-grained, very white dolomitic marble from the north Aegean island of Thasos, and permission was given to test twelve of them in a non-destructive way using a mobile... more
Many Greek and Roman sculptures in the Louvre appear to be made of coarse-grained, very white dolomitic marble from the north Aegean island of Thasos, and permission was given to test twelve of them in a non-destructive way using a mobile X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometer. Coarse-grained, white dolomitic marble sources were rare in antiquity, and if these Thasian-looking sculptures proved to be dolomitic rather than calcitic, it is highly likely that they were in fact made of Thasian marble. Ten of the twelve sculptures did prove to be dolomitic marble and therefore very probably Thasian in origin. This new information makes it possible to expand and enrich our knowledge of the exportation of marble from Thasos in both geographic and chronological terms. The tests furthermore confirm that dolomitic marble from Thasos was preferred for colossal replicas of Athena of the Velletri type and also reveal that a group of imperial portraits in Algeria were carved from marble blocks from...
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Dolomitic marble sculptures are identified in Rome, New York City, and Urbisaglia in east-central Italy by means of x-ray diffraction and the application of acid to the surface of marble. Stylistic and typological comparisons are used to... more
Dolomitic marble sculptures are identified in Rome, New York City, and Urbisaglia in east-central Italy by means of x-ray diffraction and the application of acid to the surface of marble. Stylistic and typological comparisons are used to identify a prefabricated Thassian product at Urbisaglia. Specialized uses of Thassian dolomite by local sculptors are spotlighted at Rome. Stylistic analysis also indicates that most sculptors carving dolomite in Rome had no evident connection with Thassos or Macedonia. In most cases, the dolomite seems to have been exported as raw material.
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Biblical apocalyptic texts provided material to enhance the visionary experience of paradise in funerary art, and in the minor arts. The process of enhancement took place in an evolutionary way and in different parallel traditions.... more
Biblical apocalyptic texts provided material to enhance the visionary experience of paradise in funerary art, and in the minor arts. The process of enhancement took place in an evolutionary way and in different parallel traditions. Ezekiel's vision of the future temple with its palm trees was also an important source: his vision contributed to the formation of the concepts of paradise and the transmission of a new law to a Christian authority. In the East, where the book of Revelation was often regarded with suspicion, Ezekiel played a more prominent role as a source for apocalyptic works of art. Early Christian apocalyptic works tend to be flexible in their treatment of sources. Biblical inspiration can at times be quite specific and literal, but usually apocalyptic works of art display conspicuous divergences from the texts.Keywords: biblical apocalyptic texts; book of Revelation; early Christianity; Ezekiel's vision; funerary art
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Isotopic testing of samples from the quarries of white marbles on the coast in eastern Algeria makes it possible to give a preliminary characterization of the Filfila quarries and to separate them isotopically from the nearby quarries of... more
Isotopic testing of samples from the quarries of white marbles on the coast in eastern Algeria makes it possible to give a preliminary characterization of the Filfila quarries and to separate them isotopically from the nearby quarries of Cap de Garde. Inspection and isotopic testing of artifacts from museums and sites in Algeria and elsewhere make it clear that architectural decoration was produced in marble from both quarries and was exported throughout the central Mediterranean, reaching Tunisia, western Libya, and central Italy. The most widespread product seems to have been vividly marked column shafts, primarily from Cap de Garde but also from Filfila. Other forms of architectural decoration, including capitals and plaques of streaked marble, were widely distributed as well. An early and unusual acanthus pillar in Cap de Garde or Filfila marble is carved in a rich Hellenistic style. In the 3rd century AD, capitals made of plain white marble from the two quarries closely follow designs seen in central Italy
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Manr Greek and Roman sculptures in the Louvre appear to be made of coarse-grained, very white dolomitic marble from the north Aegean island of Thasos, and permission was given to test twelve of them in a non-destructive way using a mobile... more
Manr Greek and Roman sculptures in the Louvre appear to be made of coarse-grained, very white dolomitic marble from the north Aegean island of Thasos, and permission was given to test twelve of them in a non-destructive way using a mobile X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometer. Coarse-grained, white dolomitic marble sources were rare in antiquity, and if these Thasian-looking sculptures proved to be dolomitic rather than calcitic, it is highly likely that they were in fact made of Thasian marble. Ten of the twelve sculptures did prove to be dolomitic marble and therefore very probably Thasian in origin. This new information makes it possible to expand and enrich our knowledge of the exportation of marble from Thasos in both geographic and chronological terms. The tests furthermore confirm that dolomitic marble from Thasos was preferred for colossal replicas of Athena of the Velletri type and also reveal that a group of imperial portraits in Algeria were carved from marble blocks from...
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Architectural decoration in coarse-grained white and greyish marble dating from Hellenistic to Early Byzantine times was investigated making use of cathodoluminescence and isotopic analysis. The principal focus was Macedonia, where it was... more
Architectural decoration in coarse-grained white and greyish marble dating from Hellenistic to Early Byzantine times was investigated making use of cathodoluminescence and isotopic analysis. The principal focus was Macedonia, where it was possible to separate marble from Thasian, Macedonian mainland, and Prokonnesian (Marmara) quarries. Samples came from artifacts in Thessaliniki, Amphipolis, Philippi, Dion, Veria, Serres, and Kipià. Samples from quarries at Philippi and Dion (Sendoukia) were also tested. Marble from Thasos was found in virtually all of the sites investigated. Several Thasian quarries were represented: those of Aliki, Cape Fanari, Cape Vathy, and the acropolis of Limenas. Some piece of decoration also proved to be made of marble from the quarries at Philippi. Samples from farther afield also proved to be Thasian. Aliki marble was identified in Late Antique/Early Byzantine architectural decoration of central Greece (Thebes and Athens) and southern Italy (Paestum). Marble from Aliki and Cape Fanari was identified at Arles on the Mediterranean coast of France. The architectural sculptures are given a a preliminary analysis from a typological and stylistic point of view, and an assessment is made of the origin and location of the workshop that produced them. A preliminary effort is made to assess if they are works produced near the building site or at the quarry and if they are the products of local or migratory craftsmen.
Research Interests: Late Antique Architectural Decoration, Byzantine Architectural Sculpture, Roman Architecture, Roman Marble Quarries, Greek and Roman Architecture, and 4 moreEarly Byzantine Archaeology, Roman Marble trade and distribution, Early Byzantine Sculpture, Roman Architectural Decoration, and Marbles in roman provinces
Some of the most elaborate and detailed descriptions of early Christian churches by a Latin writer are given by the nobleman Pontius Meropius Paulinus, who is usually known as Paulinus of Nola, after the city where he became bishop in the... more
Some of the most elaborate and detailed descriptions of early Christian churches by a Latin writer are given by the nobleman Pontius Meropius Paulinus, who is usually known as Paulinus of Nola, after the city where he became bishop in the latter part of his life. He was born in Bordeaux around 353, of a wealthy family that had extensive properties in Aquitania, Gallia Narbonensis, Latium, and Campania. He received an education appropriate to his noble stature and became the prize student of Ausonius, also a native of Bordeaux, who was the tutor of the (future) emperor Gratian and a celebrated poet at court.
It appears that relief-decorated African Red Slip Ware, the leading ceramic of Early Christian times, was terminated rapidly in the 440s, at the beginning of the Vandal take-over of Tunisia. The production and exportation of "smooth... more
It appears that relief-decorated African Red Slip Ware, the leading ceramic of Early Christian times, was terminated rapidly in the 440s, at the beginning of the Vandal take-over of Tunisia. The production and exportation of "smooth wares" (that is, without relief decoration) in this region, however, continued unabated. Apparently the main body of traditional Roman customers for the figure-decorated relief ware had been formed by the elite classes of this home region of the pottery. According to historical sources they were impoverished and oppressed by the Vandals, the termination of this kind of pottery was an apparent consequence. Like a good manager of any period, the new Vandal masters appear to have terminated an unprofitable line of merchandised. A corollary of the phenomenon is that the Vandals themselves did not take over the Roman upper and upper-middle class taste for ceramics with literary allusions.
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Since 1993 samples from some 118 sculptures in museums and private collections throughout the world have been proven to be dolomitic marble. Visual examination confirms that the dolomite comes from Cape Vathy on Thasos, the only major... more
Since 1993 samples from some 118 sculptures in museums and private collections throughout the world have been proven to be dolomitic marble. Visual examination confirms that the dolomite comes from Cape Vathy on Thasos, the only major source of dolomitic sculptural marble in antiquity. These identifications have helped to extend the chronological and geographic frontiers of Thasian exportation. The identifications have also made i possible to track workshops favoring Thasian dolomite in Macedonia and the Rhone valley. In the latter case, at least, these shops also made use of large-grained calcitic marble. Thasian dolomite seems to have been favored for particular sclpturl roles in Ephesos and Vienne. In a few cases, prefabricated sculptures seem to have been exported from Thasos. It also seems possible to identify traveling sculptors from Rome and Asia Minor who worked the dolomitic marble in the Rhone valley.
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... (70) D. Constantinidis, BCH Suppl., I ... On ne trouve pas en effet de chapiteau ionique comparable aux magnifiques chapiteaux à imposte de Constantinople (en particulier des Saints-Serge-et-Bacchus et de Sainte-Sophie), de Stobi, de... more
... (70) D. Constantinidis, BCH Suppl., I ... On ne trouve pas en effet de chapiteau ionique comparable aux magnifiques chapiteaux à imposte de Constantinople (en particulier des Saints-Serge-et-Bacchus et de Sainte-Sophie), de Stobi, de Thessalonique, de Néa-Anchialos, du ...
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A stable isotope provenance study was performed on 31 ancient marble sculptures from the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki. The sculptures all come from northern Greek contexts and date from the Classical through Roman Imperial... more
A stable isotope provenance study was performed on 31 ancient marble sculptures from the Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki. The sculptures all come from northern Greek contexts and date from the Classical through Roman Imperial periods. The relatively large number of samples provides a unique opportunity to investigate the use and procurement of sculptural marble in northern Greece during antiquity. The tests were performed in two separate installments, and the result of only the first group have been incorporated (partially) in the first volume of the catalogue of marble sculpture in the museum (Despinis et al., 1997).
When the stable isotope ratios of the calcitic marbles are coupled with macroscopic observations of each sample it becomes clear that a very substantial portion of the marble comes from the Pentelic quarries and a relatively small share comes from the Paros 1 (Lychnites) and Paros 2 (Chorodaki) quarries. Several other ancient quarries are also represented, including Cape Vathy on Thasos, Prokonnesos, perhaps Afyon , and possibly a regional quarry at Mount Bermion near Veria in west-central Macedonia. As a final exercise, stylistic and archaeological data for the sculptures are related to the quarry allocations to shed light on the exploitation, trade history, and utilization of sculptural marble in northern Greece.
When the stable isotope ratios of the calcitic marbles are coupled with macroscopic observations of each sample it becomes clear that a very substantial portion of the marble comes from the Pentelic quarries and a relatively small share comes from the Paros 1 (Lychnites) and Paros 2 (Chorodaki) quarries. Several other ancient quarries are also represented, including Cape Vathy on Thasos, Prokonnesos, perhaps Afyon , and possibly a regional quarry at Mount Bermion near Veria in west-central Macedonia. As a final exercise, stylistic and archaeological data for the sculptures are related to the quarry allocations to shed light on the exploitation, trade history, and utilization of sculptural marble in northern Greece.
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In the exhibition catalogue Gods, Humans, Masks, Petar Banov has presented a fine bronze statuette of Athena, which he justly describes as „richly draped…. pretty and excellently modeled“ (fig. 1). He reports that the statuette comes from... more
In the exhibition catalogue Gods, Humans, Masks, Petar Banov has presented a fine bronze statuette of Athena, which he justly describes as „richly draped…. pretty and excellently modeled“ (fig. 1). He reports that the statuette comes from Gigen, ancient Ulpia Oescus, near the Danube
in northeastern Bulgaria, and dates it to the second or third century CE. The statuette has an exceptional iconographic interest in presenting Athena voting at the trial of Orestes. The statuette is also an unusual example of replacing stable Classical drapery with turbulent Hellenistic archaistic drapery.
in northeastern Bulgaria, and dates it to the second or third century CE. The statuette has an exceptional iconographic interest in presenting Athena voting at the trial of Orestes. The statuette is also an unusual example of replacing stable Classical drapery with turbulent Hellenistic archaistic drapery.
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Capitals of Imperial times were produced in a two-step process; first, the basic parts were shaped, and then the detail of the foliage and moldings was put in. The first stage, a "schematic capital", came to be considered a finished... more
Capitals of Imperial times were produced in a two-step process; first, the basic parts were shaped, and then the detail of the foliage and moldings was put in. The first stage, a "schematic capital", came to be considered a finished product in its own right. The paper is primarily a study of the composite version. The many examples found in Rome and its ancient harbor city, Ostia, have been collected, and a chronolgical sequence has been constructed.