Late Roman Lamps

Some 630 lamps in the J. Paul Getty Museum represent production centers that were active across the ancient Mediterranean world between 800 B.C. and A.D. 800. Notable for their marvelous variety—from simple clay saucers that held just oil and a wick to elaborate figural lighting fixtures in bronze and precious metals—the Getty lamps display a number of unprecedented shapes and decors. Most were made in Roman workshops, which met the ubiquitous need for portable illumination in residences, public spaces, religious sanctuaries, and the grave. The omnipresent oil lamp is a font of popular imagery, illustrating myths, nature, and the activities and entertainments of daily life. Presenting a largely unpublished collection, this extensive catalogue is an invaluable resource for specialists in lychnology, art history, and archaeology alike.
Featuring zoomable images and multiple views of every lamp, an interactive map drawn from the Ancient World Mapping Center, and linked bibliographic references, this open-access, custom catalogue, along with its object data, is available for free online and in multiple formats for download, including PDF, MOBI/Kindle, and EPUB. A paperback reference edition is also available for purchase.

Of the lighting equipment known from Naukratis, oil lamps are best represented with over 330 pieces known to have come from the site. The assemblage allows us to trace the changing uses of lamps within Egyptian and Greek societies over time. In the New Kingdom, olive oil was an commodity imported by the elite, but by the Roman period castor, sesame, linseed and olive oil were widely available for use in lamps. This chapter discusses the production and use of these utilitarian objects that also held important religious and ritual meaning, which can be discovered from the deposition practices reflected in the archaeological context.

Istituto di archeologia (Zagabria, Croazia) tra 2001 e 2008 ha condotto gli scavi archeologici sul sito Ilok-Castello dei principi di Ilok. Durante le indagini, sono state trovate le tombe del I sec. d. C. ma anche gli strati e le fosse databili dal I sec. d. C. fino alla fine del IV sec. d. C. Da queste unità stratigrafiche provengo anche numerosi frammenti delle lucerne in ceramica. Maggior parte delle lucerne si può attribuire alle lucerne a volute. Per alcuni frammenti è stato possibile definire la tipologia precisa (lucerne con becco triangolare o invece quello arrotondato), ma alcuni sono stati troppo piccoli per poter farlo. Sono state trovate alcune raffigurazioni sui dischi di questo tipo delle lucerne: rosette, animali o persone. Pochi frammenti appartengono alle lucerne a canale. Dal II sec. d. C. a Ilok non abbiamo molti reperti – almeno in questo sito archeologico della città di Ilok. I reperti più numerosi del periodo romano trovati a Ilok sono quelli del III e IV sec. d. C. Da questo periodo abbiamo dei frammenti e lucerne complete invetriate (Iványi XXII). La quantità della ceramica invetriata romana tardo antica a Ilok è grande e si suppone la produzione entro provincia Pannonia Inferior dei prodotti, ma anche nella vicina Moesia Superior. Le lucerne invetriate avrebbero la stessa provenienza, come altro vasellame invetriato.

Summary
The aim of this research, focusing on representations of light and the symbolism of early Christian lamp decorations, has been to examine and summarise the existing knowledge of the symbolism of light in the Mediterranean region and the models by which this symbolism was manifested in the early Christian visual culture. Lamps with Early Christian representations, whose cult significance and decoration are in direct relation with the symbolic aspects of light, are considered in the context of transculturality of Late Antiquity, as well as political and religious changes that marked the period. Thus, the research focus has been transferred from iconographic analysis to interdisciplinary iconological research, which, apart from the meaning of the image, examines the role of objects in certain cultural and religious contexts, as well as the observer's attitude towards the lamp as the vessel of light. In order to identify the aspects of light symbolism it was necessary to observe the beginnings of the interaction of man with fire, the first source of artificial light, presumed to instigate the earliest cult actions. The cult role of light and fire as archetypal symbols, as well as of the lamps perceived as mediators through which light symbolism is manifested, was subsequently analysed within the various religious practices of the Mediterranean. Particular attention is dedicated to the meaning of light, fire and lamps in the Old and New Testaments, being the direct source of Christian symbolism of light.
The research has confirmed that in the Mediterranean religious practice, cult actions related to light and fire occupy a prominent place, and that similar aspects of light and light objects’ symbolism are manifested in various civilisations. The basic aspects of light symbolism in Christianity were borrowed from Judaism, however, precisely during the period of the Late Antiquity the Christian thought was strongly influenced by Neoplatonism, which manifested itself both in the light symbolism and in Christian visual culture as a whole. In Christianity, light is one of the constitutive phenomena, particularly explored in theological thought, where light is perceived as divine emanation and material phenomenon whose nature is closest to the transcendental divine essence. In addition, light had a very important role in the formation of sacral space, where the practical and symbolic functions of light were inextricably intertwined, which is most directly expressed through ever-burning altar lamps, as a reminder of Christ’s perpetual presence in the temple and among the faithful. Thus, the tradition of perceiving the lamp as a divine symbol in the Mediterranean has gained a new dimension in Christianity through direct identification of the lamp with God. Lamps also had a significant status in cults of martyrs and relics, likewise being the most common votive gifts. The amalgam of the flame being the symbol of Christ with Christian motifs represented on decorated lamps transformed these objects into miniature portable sanctuaries, always at the believer’s disposal. The research has confirmed the assumption that the symbolic meaning of the lamp surpasses its practical function, and that the lamp is a symbol in itself. Although the quality of the craftsmanship or embellishment of lamps did not affect their basic role, the production and decoration of lamps intended for sacral context were given special attention. Being a utility object, the lamp represents a marker of Christian identity, in similar fashion it symbolised the idea of romanitas at the time of Roman expansion. In Christian homes the very lighting of the lamp bore a symbolic meaning and was associated with moments reserved for prayer. Finally, the lamp was often laid into graves, being one of the rare funerary contributions accepted in Christianity.
By means of their function, decoration and context of findings, the lamps from Central Balkans fit into the currents of the Mediterranean world. Similar to other parts of the Empire, these lamps illustrate the general phenomena and tendencies present in the visual culture of Late Antiquity. The lamps display a gradual disappearance of pagan and secular themes in favour of Christian themes. In addition, the motifs on the lamps reflect the cultural syncretism of the period and show the ways in which pagan images were incorporated into Christian visual culture and received new Christian meanings through the process of interpretatio christiana. The lamps testify about modifications in cult practices, and the formation of new religious habits, such as pilgrimage for the sake of piety or healing, as well as the importance of olive oil in Christian cult practice. Simultaneously, they show that some aspects of the light and lamps symbolism are archetypal and universal, able to endure despite religious changes. The research likewise indicated the possible connection between representations on lamps and other objects of Christian visual culture, guarding the collective memory of local Christian martyrs, documenting the existence of cults forgotten over time. The particular attention was dedicated to objects that reflect the mentioned aspects and tendencies, through their decoration, symbolism and context of findings.
Shifts in the manner of using lamps and lamp equipment testify about the needs of the new religion related to the organisation of sacred space, where various lighting effects are used to show that Christ the True Light is always with those who believe in Him. For the purpose of illuminating new Christian churches, the older types of lamps were gradually being abandoned in favour of glass lamps, which better corresponded to the requirements of Christian cult practice, for symbolic, but also practical reasons. The importance of light in Christian sacral buildings is demonstrated by the fact that in the late antique period, the lighting of private spaces was becoming more and more simple, returning to primitive ways of illumination and to improvised lamps, while at the same time lighting in sacral buildings received greater attention, hence the lighting of churches became regulated by imperial laws. The research proved that the meaning of the glass lamp lit on the altar – being a symbol of eternal light and the presence of immanent and transcendent God, whose nature is fully expressed through light – was formed in Late Antiquity and has endured in unaltered form until today despite great changes in the artificial lighting systems introduced by contemporary age. Finally, the cease of oil lamp and olive oil usage in the domestic context during the first half of the seventh century, signified a sort of interruption with the ancient tradition in this region. The connections were to be re-established after the Christianisation of the Slavs, who, upon accepting the Christian religion, became involved in the spiritual and cultural tradition of the Mediterranean.


Key words: light, lamp, Mediterranean, Late Antiquity, Christianisation, Central Balkans, private piety, creation of identity
Scientific area: History of Art
The narrow scientific field: History of Medieval Art

This study aims at delivering an overview of the Roman and Late-Antique lamps from the island of Naxos in the
Cyclades. All lamps come from three distinct excavation contexts, namely from the sanctuaries at Hyria and Sangri
(Gyroulas) and from rescue excavations in the town of Naxos: none dates later than the Early Byzantine period. The
majority among them are imported from different areas in the Mediterranean, while a few are locally made by the use
of moulds that have been associated with them. These last are naturally the most intriguing as they give away hints on
the local taste, preferences, influences and the aptitude of the native lamp-makers. Hopefully, as similar material gets
published from more islands in the Cyclades, it will help build a much needed corpus of the lamps that the island
workshops shaped at that time.

Among the lamps found in excavations executed by the University of Bologna in via del Foro of Suasa (Ancona), there are five very interesting specimens of African production (Forms Atlante VIII and X), including one with busts of the Apostles on the shoulder.
If we consider the samples of domus dei Coiedii, we have from Suasa a total of about twenty items (the imitation items are roughly as many).
The few African lamps found in the Marche region are distributed mainly along the coast and are present both in cities and in rural sites; the imitation lamps seem to be more spread in rural and inland areas.
Figurative subjects of these lamps are very common: in particular Christological monograms, crosses, symbolic animals and the episode of the Pathfinders of Canaan appear among the Christian ones.

MYNDOS ASAR/TAVŞAN ADASI
GEÇ ANTİK DÖNEM KANDİLLERİ
Sinan MİMAROĞLU*
ÖZ
Karia kentlerinden birisi olan Myndos, günümüzde Muğla İli, Bodrum İlçesi, Gümüşlük Beldesi sınırları içerisinde yer almaktadır. Antik Kentin hemen karşısında bulunan Asar/Tavşan Adası, kentin limanını korumak için oldukça önemli bir noktada yer almaktadır. Adada yapılan çalışmalar sonucunda ortaya çıkarılan yapı katmanları, en erken Hellenistik dönemden itibaren başlar. Geç Antik Dönemde tepe üzerinde kurulan İ.S. 5. yüzyıla tarihlenen kilise etrafında adanın topoğrafyasına uygun olarak yerleşimler yapılmıştır. Bu mekanların erken tabakaları tahrip ederek belli bir yerleşim dokusu içinde planlandıkları tespit edilmiştir. Ortaya çıkarılan bu mekanların sivil amaçlı değil, doğrudan kilise ile ilişkili yapılar olduğu düşünülmektedir ve adadaki
mimari buluntuların büyük bir manastır kompleksi olduğu fikrini
kuvvetlendirmektedir. En son tabakayı ise, Geç Bizans Dönemine tarihlendirilen sur duvarları temsil etmektedir. Bu makalede, Myndos kentinde 2009-2013 yılları arasında antik kentin limanını koruyan Asar/Tavşan Adası üzerinde sürdürülen kazı çalışmaları sırasında bulunmuş pişmiş toprak kandiller ele alınmıştır. Bu kandillerin
sayısal olarak büyük çoğunluğunu Küçük Asya Tipi (Ephesos) kandiller oluşturmaktadır. İki örnekle temsil edilen Afrika Kırmızı Astarlı Kandilleri Myndos Asar/Tavşan Adası’nın ticari faaliyetlerini göstermesi açısından önemlidir. Yapılan analoji çalışması sonuncunda Myndos Asar/Tavşan Adası kazılarında ele geçen kandilleri İ.S. 6. yüzyılın başı- 7. yüzyılın başı arasına tarihlendirilmesi önerilmektedir.
Anahtar Kelimeler: Myndos, Asar/ Tavşan Adası, Geç Antik Dönem Kandil, Seramik.
Myndos Asar Island Late Antique Lamps


ABSTRACT
Myndos ancient city which was one of the ancient Caria cities in the ancient geography, is today located
in Gümüşlük town of Bodrum district in Muğla province in southern Turkey.
Locating right across Myndos ancient city Asar/Tavşan Island has a crucial place to protect the harbor of
the city. Structural layers came to light as a result of the excavation digs belong to early Hellenistic period in
Asar Island. Some settlement relevant to the topography of the island had been located around the church that built on the hill in the late antiquity and dates back to A.D. 5th . It is determined that new settling had been
planned in a new placement settlement pattern on the old layers. It is considered that these unearthed placements
settlement was were not for civil uses but directly related to the church and it is a monastery complex.
historical findings empower the idea of the monastery complex. The last layer is composed of the fortification
walls that date back to Late Byzantine period. Terra-cotta lamps dealt in this essay were found during the
excavation carried out between 2009 and 2013 in Myndos city on Asar/Tavşan Island that protects the ancient
city harbor. The most of lamps are Asia Minor type (Ephesos). There are only two African Red Slip type
lamps. Terra cotta lamps indicate the presence of a trade in the Myndos/Asar Island. It is suggested that the
lamps were in use between A.D. 6-7. th century depending on their analogy.
Keywords: Myndos, Asar/Tavşan Island Late antiquity Lamps, ceramic

The city of Rhodes was an important harbour in the Hellenistic period, and although its political role in the Roman period was significantly diminished, it never ceased to be a key hub for trade. The catastrophic earthquake of AD 515 marked the transition from the Late Roman to the Early Byzantine period in Rhodes. The glorious ancient city shrunk in size; its streets, which had been laid out according to the Hippodamian grid, were encroached upon and large basilicas were founded on the sites of ancient sanctuaries. A significant portion of the city has been uncovered over the past few years by rescue excavation, revealing houses, mansions, streets and extensive cemeteries, all yielding a large quantity of finds. This study focuses on the recording, study and publication of the corpus of the Late Antique lamps dating from the 3rd to the 7th centuries as found in these rescue excavations in the town of Rhodes. The lamps of this period from Rhodes and the other Dodecanesian islands are almost unknown in the published literature. The aim here is to present the diachronic changes in the artistic sensibility and preferences of this particular market. An integral component in this process are topographical observations regarding the Early Byzantine town of Rhodes, giving some details about the extent of the building remains. In addition, facets of the economic and commercial activities of the island during Late Antiquity are highlighted. Subjects such as the transformation/adaptation of the ancient city to new circumstances are also debated. For some lamps, analyses of the clay have been undertaken and the results are presented.

In April and May 2008, the Archaeological Museum Zadar carried out revisory archaeological excavations of the remains of the Church of St. Victor at Telašćica on Dugi Otok Island. The plan of the church was fully supplemented and defined thanks to the excavations. On the basis of the mobile finds, it was established that the church was most probably constructed in the second half of the 5th or beginning of the 6th century. In the pre-Romanesque
period, it experienced significant architectural changes, and it was equipped with new modern stone church furnishings. It was again renovated in the late medieval period.

The ceramic lamps presented in this paper originate from the upper layers of a site in Pula's St Theodore's quarter, where a rescue archaeology investigation was conducted between 2005 and 2009. The stratigraphic unit in which these lamps were found is above the Classical Antiquity layer-it has, however, been disturbed by subsequent interventions: both Classical Antiquity period and Late Antiquity period lamps were found in the same layer. This paper discusses lamps that can be typologically determined to be those with volutes, with round nozzles, with potter's stamps (Firmalampen) and Late Antiquity ("African") lamps.

Keramičke svjetiljke prezentirane člankom potječu iz gornjih slojeva lokaliteta u četvrti sv. Teodora u Puli, gdje je između 2005. i 2009. godine provođeno zaštitno arheološko istraživanje. Stratigrafska jedinica unutar koje su pronađene ove svjetiljke nalazi se iznad antičkog sloja, ali je poremećena naknadnim intervencijama te su se u istom sloju našle antičke i kasnoantičke svjetiljke. Ovim člankom obrađene svjetiljke mogu se tipološki odrediti kao one s volutama, s okruglim nosom, s radioničkim pečatom (Firmalampen) i kasnoantičke ("afričke") svjetiljke.

The Museum of Hatay (Antioch on the Orontes, today Antakya, southeastern Turkey) preserves a mummiform bronze lamp of great interest, so far unpublished (accession no. 7587). The lamp, in the shape of a mummified Osiris, has only a few parallels; it contains inscriptions with magical formulas that can be paralleled in other magical texts. Our specimen belongs to a very small group of so-called mummy lamps on which recently Jean-Louis Podvin has focused in his study. We may add another item from Alexandria. This lamp has been on display for many years in the museum of Hatay, Antakya, but its inscriptions had so far remained unnoticed. They bring us back to the world of magic: the lamp is in a good state of preservation and is of a large size. Because of its inscriptions, the lamp could belong to the equipment of a place of worship. It might be supposed to have been carefully hidden during the persecution against magic and magical practices in Antioch, especially in the 4th cent. A.D. Perhaps a similar fate could have preserved the lamp from Canosa, discovered in a partition wall. This bronze find enriches the small group of osiriform lamps known until now. It allows us to know further evidence of Osiris worship in ancient Syria. The inscriptions present us with an hitherto unattested epithet next to well-known formulas.

Lamps are a significant tool employed not only in pottery studies, but also in various fields of archaeological research, due to their extended standardization. Nevertheless, easily acquired copies produced with the surmoulage technique can often lead to faulty interpretations. The study of technical details and clay composition can help distinguish imports from copies. Asia Minor and African type lamps from an urban context in Philippi, dating from 5th to 7th century AD, studied under this scope, reveal various fabrication traits and distinctive features for each type. After having considered these sets of characteristics, it has been concluded that almost every single example of the first type seems to be imported from various Asia Minor productions centers. On the contrary, the majority of African type lamps are imitations of the original products, though still imported, either from the eastern Aegean coast or from Greek mainland.