Art and Archeology

More than 20 years after presenting his first interpretation of the mosaic from the House of Aion in a paper entitled “Uwagi na temat mozaiki z Domu Aiona w Nea Paphos (Cypr)” (Meander 9/10, 1987, p. 421-438, in Polish, and translated to English: « The Immortality of the Human Soul and the Dionysiac Mysteries in the 4th Century Allegory [in Connection with the Interpretation of the Mosaic from the “House of Aion” at Paphos in Cyprus]»), where he proposed reading the five mythological panels (1. Leda and Zeus; 2. Dionysus on Mount Nysa; 3. The Dionysian thiasos; 4. Apollo and Marsyas; 5. The Apotheosis of Cassiopeia) as an allegory of the destiny of the human soul and body, starting with conception and ending with the liberation of the soul and its apotheosis, the author now enhances his initial interpretation with numerous reflections concerning the historical context of this work of art, created in the years 320-360.
If, according to the author, the mosaic is a “Hymn” in honour of the pagan gods, Man (his soul) and his place in the (pagan) universe, then at the same time it polemicises with the Christian faith and its God, Jesus Christ.
The author puts forward numerous new solutions relating to the mosaic’s iconography and iconology. Analysis of the mosaic also leads him to propose a solution to the as-yet unanswered question regarding the absence of images of the crucified Christ in Christian art of the 3rd and 4th centuries, up until 420/430, when the first images of Christ on the cross appear.
CONTENTS:
Introduction
1. Research to-date (recap)
2. Description of mosaic (recap)
2.1. Composition of five mythological scenes
2.2. Brief iconographic description of mythological panels
2.3. Outline of individual iconographic elements and their respective roles
2.4. The pagan gods’ air of majesty and dignity as an expression of piety
3. A few words about the pagan reaction
4. An apology of pious human life according to pagan principles and a polemic on the Christian model of Man and his theological idol, Jesus Christ
4.1. Divine intervention in the act of human conception (allusion to/polemic on the Annunciation to the Virgin Mary)
4.2. The Epiphany of Dionysus (an allusion to the Epiphany of Christ – Theou Pais)
4.3. The procession and dissemination of Dionysian order (allusion to/polemic on Christ’s entry into Jerusalem)
4.4. The error of Marsyas (polemic on/allusion to the error of Jesus the Messiah): arrest, sentencing for arrogance and lack of piety (asebeia) and condemnation to a martyr’s death
4.5. The anabasis (or anagoge psyches) of a ‘beautiful soul’ (allusion to/polemic on the Ascension of Christ)
5. A few words on the mosaic programme prior to final conclusions
Final conclusions

The late Antique mosaic of Orpheus decorated a small room, approximately 18 m2 in area, connected with two even smaller ones, in 4 m2 and the other 2 m2 in area, belonging most likely to a small funerary chapel (or tomb) discovered in the ancient necropolis by the Damascene Gate in Jerusalem; it was discovered in 1901 by H. Vincent.
The author proposes a new interpretation of the iconographic program of the Orpheus myth used by wealthy Christians in a sepulchral context (see Olszewski M.T. «Orphée endeuillé de la mosaïque funéraire de Jérusalem», in Rey Mimoso-Ruiz, B. ed., Actes du colloque «Orphée entre Soleil et ombre», à l’Institut Catholique de Toulouse du 16 au 17 novembre 2007, Inter Lignes, numéros spécial – mars 2008, pp. 205-214, 226). He also proposes a new interpretation of the role Orpheus played in Roman funerary art, concentrating on the importance of the play on words and the visual and textual punning that was popular in ancient art and especially in funerary art. He rejects the popular interpretation of Orpheus as Christ in the Roman catacombs and proposes to interpret the image as that of Orpheus, bard of the departed souls, without any ahistorical connection with Christ. The program of the mosaic from Jerusalem is thus explained as a play on the words Orpheus-orphanos and Chiron (Chi-Rho) and Pan [Παν(τοκράτωρ)].The frequently used Christian funerary formula of resting in peace, Christ or the Lord corresponds
perfectly with the mood created around the mythical bard.
Orpheus’ universal role as singer and musician moving even the most stony of hearts, extolling the beloved departed, is absolutely justified in the context of a 6th-century Christian tomb. Orpheus is a popular and neutral figure, meaning that in effect it does not constitute a threat to Christian theology and can be tolerated by the educated Christians of Jerusalem.

This paper describes the structure of the design fields and the patterns of symmetry on four contemporary utilitarian vessels from Quinua, Peru, and demonstrates how this structure materializes  the way in which the community is organized with regard to vertical zonation, the structure of the irrigation system, and patterns of dual descent.

(The contribution of the ecological thinking in the history of material culture studies. Some brief reflections)

The history of material culture has become an important tool in order to achieve a better knowledge of given landscapes and increase their cultural wealth. These studies are very useful for planning different typologies of land valorisation, such as ecomuseums. At the same time, they acquired an essential value to promote new forms of sustainable development and cultural tourism. After an initial discussion about the history of the concept of material culture, above all with relation to recent theoretical trends of biological and natural sciences, the paper will show the potentialities of these historical and scientific studies to analyse the management of natural resources during the history of a given settlement and the relationships between productive human activities and the environment of cohabitation. In such a way, the material proofs of the past could be a useful information source to recognize persistences, changes and vocations of a given landscape.

Fornlämningar var tidigare en del av människors vardagslandskap, de ingick i en närmiljö och omgärdades av traditioner, berättelser och var på så sätt symboler
både för den stora och för den lilla historien (Burström et al. 1996). Idag är hotet mot fornlämningarna det som ofta diskuteras, eller att de upplevs vara ett hinder för utvecklingen, både när det gäller privata och offentliga intressen. I den här artikeln är syftet att använda fornlämningsplatsen Pilane på Tjörn (Bohuslän, Sverige) som exempel för diskussioner om hur vi kan iscensätta, tolka och använda kulturmiljön. I artikeln kommer diskussionerna att röra sig om förhållandet arkeologi och konst hur den samtida konsten kan användas i arbetet
med att iscensätta en plats sett i motsats till skylten som trots allt är det vanligaste sättet att kommunicera arkeologi och historia i kulturlandskapet. Syftet är att också utifrån en praktik diskutera teoretisk tematik och på så sätt föra samman teori och praktik, något som ofta är separerad när det kommer till kulturmiljövårdens arbete med att tolka och levandegöra landskap och fornlämningar.

In the Tassili mountains in Algeria, there is a stone structure that points to 85° East. This stone structure consists of a tumulus, about 4 meters (13 feet) in diameter, and a row of six stone markers, in a line pointing toward the east. Although the azimuth orientation of this structure could be as much as five degrees to the north of the equinox sunrise point, it still may serve as an equinox marker, considering that the heliacal risings (with the sunrise) of certain stars or constellations functioned as heralds of the equinoxes and solstices for the ancient astronomers.

In this paper, I report the azimuth orientations of three compass-shaped monuments at a fourth site in the Tassili mountains of Algeria. Some of the compass-shaped structures of Tassili are oriented to the summer or winter solstice. Mapping these monuments, and documenting their azimuth orientations, provides useful data for our study of the ancient culture that built the monuments.

ÍBERO DE CINE: Ciclo "CINE Y ARQUEOLOGÍA"
Organiza: Junta de Andalucía, Consejería de Cultura. Oktana - Casa de Cultura.
Coordina y presenta: Miguel Dávila Vargas-Machuca
Auditorio del Museo Íbero (Jaén), del 3 de octubre de 2018 al 2 de enero de 2019.
03 Oct - Ágora (Alejandro Amenábar, ESP, 2009)
10 Oct - Faraón (Jerzy Kawalerowicz, POL, 1966)
31 Oct - La Momia (Karl Freund, USA, 1932)
07 Nov - La esfinge (Franklin J. Schaffner, USA-NED, 1981)
21 Nov - Altamira (Hugh Hudson, ESP-FRA, 2016)
28 Nov - En busca del arca perdida (Steven Spielberg, USA, 1981)
12 Dic - Jasón y los Argonautas (Don Chaffey, UK-USA, 1963)
19 Dic - En busca del futuro perdido (Alfonso Par y Luis Quevedo, ESP, 2016)
02 Ene - Astérix: la Residencia de los Dioses (Louis Clichy y Alexandre Astier, FRA-BEL, 2014)

This paper provides a preliminary chronostratigraphic and palaeoenvironmental framework for the Late Pleistocene archaeological sequence at Melikane Rockshelter in mountainous eastern Lesotho. Renewed excavations at Melikane form part of a larger project investigating marginal landscape use by Late Pleistocene foragers in southern Africa. Geoarchaeological work undertaken at the site supports in-field observations that Melikane experienced regular, often intensive, input of groundwater via fissures in the shelter’s rear wall. This strong hydrogeological connection resulted in episodic disturbances of the sedimentary sequence, exacerbated by other processes such as bioturbation. Despite this taphonomic complexity, a robust chronology for Melikane has been developed based on tightly cross-correlated accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) 14C with acid-base-wet oxidation stepped-combustion (ABOx-SC) pretreatment and single-grain optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating. The results ...