Elena Klenina | Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań (original) (raw)
Videos by Elena Klenina
The Roman legionary camp Novae, one of the most important strongholds on the border of the Empire... more The Roman legionary camp Novae, one of the most important strongholds on the border of the Empire has been among the most well studied objects of this type in the area of the Lower Danube. During the long-time Polish-Bulgarian archaeological and interdisciplinary studies beginning in 1960 at the site of the legionary camp and the Roman and Early Byzantine town of Novae have made it possible to identify and analyze a number of elements constituting its urban and architectural uniqueness. A significant section of the latera praetorii in Novae have exposed. The question on the presence of a legionary arsenal as well as fabrica and its location remains open. The recent studies of Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan (Poland) have been concentrated in the northern part of the arsenal. The arsenal located 35 m to the south from via principalis consisted of two rectangular buildings, 8.45 m wide and 42.6 m long each, arranged along the long sides of the rectangular courtyard (20m × 42.6m).
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Books by Elena Klenina
Wydział Historii Uniwersytetu im. A.Mickiewicza w Poznaniu, 2022
![Research paper thumbnail of A.B. Biernacki, E. Klenina, NOVAE – NA KRAŃCU ŚWIATA RZYMSKIEGO. [seria Klenina E. (ed.) Novae. Studies and Materials VII]. Poznań 2020, Wydawnictwo Wydziału Historii UAM, 180 str. ISBN 978-83-66355-42-2 Full text](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/67361344/thumbnails/1.jpg)
](Wydawnictwo Wydziału Historii UAM, 2020
The book can be ordered: mariolam@amu.edu.pl
Instytut Historii UAM, 2018
The book can be ordered: mariolam@amu.edu.pl
Instutyt Historii UAM, Poznan , 2018
Haec studia amici et collegae Andrei B. Biernacki septuagennio dicant
full text of the book
Vol II - part 1 - book chapters 1-4. /FULL TEXT/ 1- Kamen Dimitrov , Currency Circulation in Nova... more Vol II - part 1 - book chapters 1-4. /FULL TEXT/ 1- Kamen Dimitrov , Currency Circulation in Novae and Coins from the Episcopal Complex in Novae (378-612 A.D.) 2- Elena Ju. Klenina. Some Aspects of the Economic Development of Novae (Moesia Secunda) in the 5th - 6th Cent. A.D. 3- Bożena Stawoska Jundziłł. Earthenware Oil Lamps from the Episcopal Complex in Novae (Exploration of 1998-2006) 4 - Fvgenija Genceva. Metal Items from the Episcopal Complex in Novae.
Vol II - Part 2 - book chapters 5 - 11 /FULL TEXT/ 5 - Andrzej B.Biernacki, Byzantine Iron Helmet... more Vol II - Part 2 - book chapters 5 - 11 /FULL TEXT/
5 - Andrzej B.Biernacki, Byzantine Iron Helmets from the Ptochotrophion of the Episcopal Complex in Novae (Moesia Secunda)
6 - Monika Nowak, Some Utility Items from the Episcopal Residence in Novae
7 - Pavlina Vladkova, Items Made of Bone and Horn from the Episcopal Complex in Novae
8 - Daniel Makowiecki, Marzena Makowiecka, Pieces of Animal Bones from the Auxiliary Buildings (the Ptochotrophion) of the Episcopal Complex in Novae
9.- Oleg P. Żuravlev, Bone Material from the Episcopal Residence in Novae
10 - Denis Ju. Ponomariev, Vladimir P. Simrnov, A DNA Analysis of a Bone Fragment from a Reliquary in the Smaller Basilica of the Episcopal Complex in Novae.
11- Svetlana Tajkova - The Results of Study of Bird Bones Remains from the Excavations of the Episcopal Complex in Novae.
Book chapters by Elena Klenina
Institute of Archaeology, Belgrade, 2023
The subject matter of arsenals (Lat. “armamentaria”) is still among the least investigated aspect... more The subject matter of arsenals (Lat. “armamentaria”) is still among the least investigated aspects of Roman military camps and cities. In most cases, their locations have been established based on the available few written and epigraphic sources as well as on the occurrence of weapons and military gear.
The past Polish-Bulgarian archaeological and interdisciplinary studies at the site of the legionary camp and the Roman and Early Byzantine town of Novae have made it possible to identify and analyze a number of elements constituting its urban and architectural uniqueness. Polish and Bulgarian missions have exposed a significant section of the latera praetorii. The via quintana and the via principalis divided the camp into three districts: the latera praetorii, the praetentura and the retentura. In the latera were the arae, the auguratorium, the tribunal, horrea or carnarea, as well as the armamentarium.
Studies carried out in the course of previous science and research projects related to uncovering the large legionary baths and the bishopric complex in Novae led to the discovery of a monumental complex, the only one of its kind in this part of the Roman Empire, which represents several architectural and construction stages. The team found remains of five monumental pillars, 5.20 × 1.40 m each. Their uniqueness stems from the fact that they were built from rectangular rusticated limestone blocks — a method previously found in Novae only in defensive walls, towers and gateways. Passageways between the pillars are 5.50–5.70 m wide. During the successive stages of the structure’s use, it underwent substantial modifications, which improved its functioning and characteristics. Thus, the passageways between the pillars were neatly replaced with walls and at least eight new pillars were built of stone and brick, of the size of 1.80 × 1.60 m, laid out in two rows of four. The research team has proposed the hypothesis that in the second local stage, the arsenal operated in conjunction with the fabricae which produced and repaired artillery for the Legio I Italica.
Previous results of long-lasting Polish-Bulgarian archaeological studies in Novae clearly indicate that the main representative structures of the legionary camp were located within the latera pretorii to the west of the principia in the direction of the porta principalis. The fact that an arsenal used to be located in this place, which in the second phase of its operation was connected with the fabricae, shows how unique this complex was, situated beside three other crucial complexes: the legionary bath to the east, the alleged praetorium to the south and the complex of the barracks, conceivably occupied by a Roman ala, to the west.
ISBN 978-86-6439-091-0
Athens, Επιτροπή Ποντιακών Μελετών, 2022
INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM DEDICATED IN MEMORY OF VICTOR I. SARIANIDI (ATHENS 5-8 MAY 2016)
![Research paper thumbnail of Klenina E. Armamentaria or/and Fabricae? An Attempt at Identifying the Locations of the Arsenals of Novae (Moesia Inferior). Preliminary Results of the Study. In: Klenina E. (ed.) Actum atque tractatum [= Novae. Studies and Materials VIII] (Poznań) 41-66 ISBN 978-83-66355-71-2](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/81495654/thumbnails/1.jpg)
](Wydawnictwo UAM, 2022
Excavations conducted during the years 1997–2001, 2011 and 2015–2019 by the International In-terd... more Excavations conducted during the years 1997–2001, 2011 and 2015–2019 by the International In-terdisciplinary Archaeological Expedition “Novae” of the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań re-sulted in the discovery of an impressive facility, unique in this part of the Roman Empire. It is situat-ed in the latum praetorii sinistrum of the legionary camp of Novae, 35.0 m south of the via principal-is and west of the large legionary baths. The facility consists of two rectangular buildings, each 8.45m wide and 42.6m long, arranged along the long sides of a rectangular courtyard (20.0m × 42.6m). The acquired movable archaeological sources, including numismatic finds, and the results of radiocarbon tests indicate that the facility was probably erected between the years 124 and 129 AD; architectural features suggest that it served as an arsenal until the early 4th century AD.
ACTUM ATQUE TRACTATUM, Novae.Studies and Materials, vol.VIII, In Memoriam Maria Chichikova, 2022
Abstract The subject of the chapter is a history of the 60-years of research in the Roman militar... more Abstract
The subject of the chapter is a history of the 60-years of research in the Roman military camp and EarlyByzantine city of Novae conducted by scientists from Adam Mickiewicz University. The former Roman legionary camp and Early-Byzantine town of Novae is located 4 km east of the present city of Svištov (northwestern Bulgaria, the Roman province of Moesia), on a steep cliff on the bank of the Danube. In the spring of 1960,
this area was selected as the site of long-term Polish-Bulgarian archaeological studies following a scrutiny of written sources and surface finds by two Polish scholars: Prof. Kazimierz Majewski of the University of Warsaw, Associate Prof. Stefan Parnicki-Pudełko, Ph.D., of the Adam Mickiewicz University of Poznań, and Prof. Dimităr Dimitrov of Bulgarian Academia of Science.
Keywords: Novae, Roman legionary camp, Early-Byzantine town, research, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań
Warsaw University, 2021
Studies dedicated to professor Piotr Dyczek on the occasion of his 65th birthday. Changes in g... more Studies dedicated to professor Piotr Dyczek on the occasion of his 65th birthday.
Changes in geopolitical situation in the Black Sea basin as a result of the Roman expansionist policy in Asia Minor caused the transformation of trade relations in the region. Greek cities of the south Black Sea littoral merged in the Roman Empire received a new impetus to economic development. Commercial wine production required a significant amount of containers for transportation. Heraclea Pontica was one of the main wine exporter in the area under consideration in the Roman period. Amphorae from Sinope were also widespread in the Black Sea region in the 2nd–3rd centuries AD, though they were not very numerous. In the Roman period, the cities of Bosporus became popular suppliers of wine and salsamenta. Containers that presumably belong to the Zeest types 72–73 are found in the Kingdom of Bosporus and the cities of the northern coast of the Black Sea (Chersonesus, Neapolis Scythica and Olbia) as well as in Novae, Histria etc.
ΥΠΟΥΡΓΕΙΟ ΠΟΛΙΤΙΣΜΟΥ ΚΑΙ ΑΘΛΗΤΙΣΜΟΥ, Athens, 2021
Prof. Marin Drinov Academic Publisheing House, 2002
Prof. Marin Drinov Academic Publishing House, 2002
The Roman legionary camp Novae, one of the most important strongholds on the border of the Empire... more The Roman legionary camp Novae, one of the most important strongholds on the border of the Empire has been among the most well studied objects of this type in the area of the Lower Danube. During the long-time Polish-Bulgarian archaeological and interdisciplinary studies beginning in 1960 at the site of the legionary camp and the Roman and Early Byzantine town of Novae have made it possible to identify and analyze a number of elements constituting its urban and architectural uniqueness. A significant section of the latera praetorii in Novae have exposed. The question on the presence of a legionary arsenal as well as fabrica and its location remains open. The recent studies of Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan (Poland) have been concentrated in the northern part of the arsenal. The arsenal located 35 m to the south from via principalis consisted of two rectangular buildings, 8.45 m wide and 42.6 m long each, arranged along the long sides of the rectangular courtyard (20m × 42.6m).
28 views
Wydział Historii Uniwersytetu im. A.Mickiewicza w Poznaniu, 2022
Wydawnictwo Wydziału Historii UAM, 2020
The book can be ordered: mariolam@amu.edu.pl
Instytut Historii UAM, 2018
The book can be ordered: mariolam@amu.edu.pl
Instutyt Historii UAM, Poznan , 2018
Haec studia amici et collegae Andrei B. Biernacki septuagennio dicant
full text of the book
Vol II - part 1 - book chapters 1-4. /FULL TEXT/ 1- Kamen Dimitrov , Currency Circulation in Nova... more Vol II - part 1 - book chapters 1-4. /FULL TEXT/ 1- Kamen Dimitrov , Currency Circulation in Novae and Coins from the Episcopal Complex in Novae (378-612 A.D.) 2- Elena Ju. Klenina. Some Aspects of the Economic Development of Novae (Moesia Secunda) in the 5th - 6th Cent. A.D. 3- Bożena Stawoska Jundziłł. Earthenware Oil Lamps from the Episcopal Complex in Novae (Exploration of 1998-2006) 4 - Fvgenija Genceva. Metal Items from the Episcopal Complex in Novae.
Vol II - Part 2 - book chapters 5 - 11 /FULL TEXT/ 5 - Andrzej B.Biernacki, Byzantine Iron Helmet... more Vol II - Part 2 - book chapters 5 - 11 /FULL TEXT/
5 - Andrzej B.Biernacki, Byzantine Iron Helmets from the Ptochotrophion of the Episcopal Complex in Novae (Moesia Secunda)
6 - Monika Nowak, Some Utility Items from the Episcopal Residence in Novae
7 - Pavlina Vladkova, Items Made of Bone and Horn from the Episcopal Complex in Novae
8 - Daniel Makowiecki, Marzena Makowiecka, Pieces of Animal Bones from the Auxiliary Buildings (the Ptochotrophion) of the Episcopal Complex in Novae
9.- Oleg P. Żuravlev, Bone Material from the Episcopal Residence in Novae
10 - Denis Ju. Ponomariev, Vladimir P. Simrnov, A DNA Analysis of a Bone Fragment from a Reliquary in the Smaller Basilica of the Episcopal Complex in Novae.
11- Svetlana Tajkova - The Results of Study of Bird Bones Remains from the Excavations of the Episcopal Complex in Novae.
Institute of Archaeology, Belgrade, 2023
The subject matter of arsenals (Lat. “armamentaria”) is still among the least investigated aspect... more The subject matter of arsenals (Lat. “armamentaria”) is still among the least investigated aspects of Roman military camps and cities. In most cases, their locations have been established based on the available few written and epigraphic sources as well as on the occurrence of weapons and military gear.
The past Polish-Bulgarian archaeological and interdisciplinary studies at the site of the legionary camp and the Roman and Early Byzantine town of Novae have made it possible to identify and analyze a number of elements constituting its urban and architectural uniqueness. Polish and Bulgarian missions have exposed a significant section of the latera praetorii. The via quintana and the via principalis divided the camp into three districts: the latera praetorii, the praetentura and the retentura. In the latera were the arae, the auguratorium, the tribunal, horrea or carnarea, as well as the armamentarium.
Studies carried out in the course of previous science and research projects related to uncovering the large legionary baths and the bishopric complex in Novae led to the discovery of a monumental complex, the only one of its kind in this part of the Roman Empire, which represents several architectural and construction stages. The team found remains of five monumental pillars, 5.20 × 1.40 m each. Their uniqueness stems from the fact that they were built from rectangular rusticated limestone blocks — a method previously found in Novae only in defensive walls, towers and gateways. Passageways between the pillars are 5.50–5.70 m wide. During the successive stages of the structure’s use, it underwent substantial modifications, which improved its functioning and characteristics. Thus, the passageways between the pillars were neatly replaced with walls and at least eight new pillars were built of stone and brick, of the size of 1.80 × 1.60 m, laid out in two rows of four. The research team has proposed the hypothesis that in the second local stage, the arsenal operated in conjunction with the fabricae which produced and repaired artillery for the Legio I Italica.
Previous results of long-lasting Polish-Bulgarian archaeological studies in Novae clearly indicate that the main representative structures of the legionary camp were located within the latera pretorii to the west of the principia in the direction of the porta principalis. The fact that an arsenal used to be located in this place, which in the second phase of its operation was connected with the fabricae, shows how unique this complex was, situated beside three other crucial complexes: the legionary bath to the east, the alleged praetorium to the south and the complex of the barracks, conceivably occupied by a Roman ala, to the west.
ISBN 978-86-6439-091-0
Athens, Επιτροπή Ποντιακών Μελετών, 2022
INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM DEDICATED IN MEMORY OF VICTOR I. SARIANIDI (ATHENS 5-8 MAY 2016)
Wydawnictwo UAM, 2022
Excavations conducted during the years 1997–2001, 2011 and 2015–2019 by the International In-terd... more Excavations conducted during the years 1997–2001, 2011 and 2015–2019 by the International In-terdisciplinary Archaeological Expedition “Novae” of the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań re-sulted in the discovery of an impressive facility, unique in this part of the Roman Empire. It is situat-ed in the latum praetorii sinistrum of the legionary camp of Novae, 35.0 m south of the via principal-is and west of the large legionary baths. The facility consists of two rectangular buildings, each 8.45m wide and 42.6m long, arranged along the long sides of a rectangular courtyard (20.0m × 42.6m). The acquired movable archaeological sources, including numismatic finds, and the results of radiocarbon tests indicate that the facility was probably erected between the years 124 and 129 AD; architectural features suggest that it served as an arsenal until the early 4th century AD.
ACTUM ATQUE TRACTATUM, Novae.Studies and Materials, vol.VIII, In Memoriam Maria Chichikova, 2022
Abstract The subject of the chapter is a history of the 60-years of research in the Roman militar... more Abstract
The subject of the chapter is a history of the 60-years of research in the Roman military camp and EarlyByzantine city of Novae conducted by scientists from Adam Mickiewicz University. The former Roman legionary camp and Early-Byzantine town of Novae is located 4 km east of the present city of Svištov (northwestern Bulgaria, the Roman province of Moesia), on a steep cliff on the bank of the Danube. In the spring of 1960,
this area was selected as the site of long-term Polish-Bulgarian archaeological studies following a scrutiny of written sources and surface finds by two Polish scholars: Prof. Kazimierz Majewski of the University of Warsaw, Associate Prof. Stefan Parnicki-Pudełko, Ph.D., of the Adam Mickiewicz University of Poznań, and Prof. Dimităr Dimitrov of Bulgarian Academia of Science.
Keywords: Novae, Roman legionary camp, Early-Byzantine town, research, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań
Warsaw University, 2021
Studies dedicated to professor Piotr Dyczek on the occasion of his 65th birthday. Changes in g... more Studies dedicated to professor Piotr Dyczek on the occasion of his 65th birthday.
Changes in geopolitical situation in the Black Sea basin as a result of the Roman expansionist policy in Asia Minor caused the transformation of trade relations in the region. Greek cities of the south Black Sea littoral merged in the Roman Empire received a new impetus to economic development. Commercial wine production required a significant amount of containers for transportation. Heraclea Pontica was one of the main wine exporter in the area under consideration in the Roman period. Amphorae from Sinope were also widespread in the Black Sea region in the 2nd–3rd centuries AD, though they were not very numerous. In the Roman period, the cities of Bosporus became popular suppliers of wine and salsamenta. Containers that presumably belong to the Zeest types 72–73 are found in the Kingdom of Bosporus and the cities of the northern coast of the Black Sea (Chersonesus, Neapolis Scythica and Olbia) as well as in Novae, Histria etc.
ΥΠΟΥΡΓΕΙΟ ΠΟΛΙΤΙΣΜΟΥ ΚΑΙ ΑΘΛΗΤΙΣΜΟΥ, Athens, 2021
Prof. Marin Drinov Academic Publisheing House, 2002
Prof. Marin Drinov Academic Publishing House, 2002
The military thermae in Chersonesus Taurica considered in the paper represent the most typical de... more The military thermae in Chersonesus Taurica considered in the paper represent the most typical design and execution of this widespread Roman facility. Moreover, they also testify to the scale of the Roman influence on the distant outskirts of the Ancient world. The architectural models and techniques of construction developed in the Roman Empire were applied throughout its territories, including such peripheral and neighbouring areas as Chersonesus Taurica.
Instytut Historii UAM Poznan, 2018
The archaeological material described herein, which has been acquired in the form of well-stratif... more The archaeological material described herein, which has been acquired in the form of well-stratified and dated assemblages, has provided a basis for a development and practical application of a de-tailed classification of building ceramics from late-Byzantine Chersonesus, dividing it into groups according to the composition of the paste. Although the medieval tiles of south-western Crimea have been studied for a long time, their chronology still has not been reconstructed in a definitive manner. Nevertheless, the present authors’ methodology, classification and tentative dating confirm the chronological data of earlier literature acquired through examination of other categories of ar-chaeological material, in particular concerning the history of the investigated city blocks in the 14th century, and identify tiles from between mid-10th and the 12th century and from the 12th–13th centuries.
The book can be ordered: mariolam@amu.edu.pl
STUDIA ACADEMICA ŠUMENENSIA, 10, 2023
Greco-Roman Cities at the Crossroads of Cultures: The 20th Anniversary of Polish-Egyptian Conservation Mission Marina el-Alamein
Research Square (Research Square), May 17, 2023
Archaeologia Bulgarica, 2023
The present paper provides an overview of the building ceramic material used during the functioni... more The present paper provides an overview of the building ceramic material
used during the functioning of a Byzantine Christian complex with a five-apse church and of a dwelling house in Chersonesos. The aim of this work is to broaden our knowledge of Byzantine ceramic construction material based on an in-depth analysis of items discovered during the excavation of block # 55 in the western part of Chersonesos using the techno-morphological method. Our investigation was carried out to clarify the origin and dating of some subgroups and variants of flanged tiles.
This work makes a significant contribution to the study of Byzantine building ceramics, constituting the first attempt to construct a relative chronology of building periods in the history of the important Byzantine provincial town of Chersonesos in Crimea. It is based on a comprehensive and comparative analysis of building ceramics found during the excavation of blocks # 45 and # 55. Earlier similar analyses of roof tiles did not yield significant results due to the inaccurate dating of the material. The present study is expected to contribute to our understanding of the technological specifics of tile production in the Byzantine provinces and its chronology. The research provides a relevant insight into the specific shapes, context distribution and the associated chronology of Byzantine tiles.
DACIA LXVI, 2022, 2023
For the first time this paper presents the data on quarrying activity related to the development ... more For the first time this paper presents the data on quarrying activity related to the development of the Roman military camp and Early‑Byzantine city of Novae. The study analyses new information about the quarries in Moesia Inferior and the production of the elements from the local organodetritic limestone. The discussed high‑quality organodetritic limestone came from quarries between the present villages of Hotnica and Samovodene (province of Veliko Tărnovo). From the second quarter of the 2nd century AD onward, at least two quarries operated there, in Kornica and Mogilite. A third one, which supplied Nicopolis ad Istrum, was at Sevlievo, near the present village of Kamenec. After a field walk research, the present authors believe that the most possible and feasible route of transportation of architectural elements and details to Novae was the eastern one, through the rivers of Rosica, Jantra and Danube. The total distance to be covered by riverboats from Nicopolis ad Istrum to Novae would amount to 113 km; the distance on water route from Hotnica to Rosica (near Nicopolis ad Istrum) is approximately 12 km. An unsettled issue concerns the location of stonecutters’ workshops. No satisfactory evidence of the operation of stonecutters’ workshops in Novae, Iatrus, or Nicopolis ad Istrum (buildings, tools, intermediate products, or waste products) is available.
Античная Древность И Средние Века 2009 Вып 39 К 60 Летию Д И Н Профессора В П Степаненко, 2009
Studies of mensae ponderariae, or σηκώματα, are important for the understanding of economic proce... more Studies of mensae ponderariae, or σηκώματα, are important for the understanding of economic processes in the Roman Empire. After the pioneer studies undertaken in the 19th century, modern scholars did not pay due attention to these items for a long time. The authors of this paper propose a more systematic approach to the research, focusing only on several ancient tables for measuring capacities found in the North-Western Pontus region. The first stage of the investigation consists of thorough direct observations, gathering data from museum collections, photography, and graphic documentation of samples. An analysis of epigraphic sources gives an opportunity to study the economic processes related to the supply of the Roman army at the Danube limes and the trade relationships in the Black Sea region. The compilation of a corpus of mensae ponderariae from this region would be of paramount significance for the further study of economic history.
АРХЕОЛОГИЧЕСКИ ОТКРИТИЯ И РАЗКОПКИ ПРЕЗ 2019. КНИГА II , Sofia 2020, 2020
ARCHAEOLOGICAL DISCOVERIES AND EXCAVATIONS IN 2019, BOOK 2, Sofia 2020
Archaeologia Bulgarica, ХХIV, 1 , 2020
Planned archaeological research of block # 45 began in 2010 under the Ukrainian-Polish inter-disc... more Planned archaeological research of block # 45 began in 2010 under the Ukrainian-Polish inter-disciplinary scholarly project “The Topography of Chersonesus Taurica” headed by the present authors. In the western corner of the block, remnants of a Byzantine house were unearthed, belonging to the recently discovered Christian temple complex of the two-aisle basilica. In one of the rooms (probably the ptochotrophium) in a layer of débris dated to after AD 1313, a stone miniature of a cruciformchurch was found, broken into a dozen pieces. Comprehensive comparative studies substantiate the supposition that it was used as an artophorion or a reliquary. The design of its interior excludes the hypothesis that it was an architectural model of a church. The application of the artifact should be related to the nearby Christian church. In view of the stratigraphic-and-archaeological properties of the find as well as the fact that most church-shaped stone reliquaries which have been encountered so far, are dated to the 11th – 13th centuries, this item may be dated to the 12th – 13th centuries.
Aрхеологически Oткрития и Pазкопки през 2018 г., Archaeological Discoveries and Excavations in 2018, Sofia 2019,, 2019
BULLETIN OF THE NATIONAL ARCHAEOLOGICAL INSTITUTE, , 2018
BULLETIN OF THE NATIONAL ARCHAEOLOGICAL INSTITUTE, 2018
AN ATTEMPT AT IDENTIFYING THE LOCATION OF THE ANCIENT AGORA IN CHERSONESUS TAURICA Planned arch... more AN ATTEMPT AT IDENTIFYING THE LOCATION OF THE ANCIENT AGORA IN CHERSONESUS TAURICA
Planned archaeological research of block No. 45 began in 2010 under the Ukrainian-Polish interdisciplinary scholarly project “The Topography of Chersonesus Taurica” headed by the present authors. Large areas in the south-western part of the block were investigated, while the north-eastern part remained inaccessible due to the presence of structures from the 19th and 20th cent. The aim of the operation was to establish the layout and functions of the buildings in the center of Chersonesus. A
close study of archive documents and of analogous structures is covered before this project suggested that the buildings in this block were municipal community facilities. The architect who designed the
layout of this Hellenistic city applied the same pattern as in Priene (Asia Minor). The similarity of the planning of the two cities gave rise to the assumption that the Ancient agora was located somewhere in block No. 45, of an area of app. 65,3x130,7 m (200x400 Doric feet).
The excavation work of 2010–2013 exposed a number of foundations of ruined community facilities and confirmed that in the Antiquity a considerable portion of the block had been free of buildings and
the ground had been carefully leveled by using filling material, prior to the laying of a stone pavement,
from which only single slabs are now extant. Some sections of masonry have been preserved as they
were subsequently used for the foundations of Byzantine structures.
Important feature of an agora was a mensa ponderaria or a sзkфma. When investigating block No. 45, fragments of two such tables were found. One of them comes from a block of limestone with characteristic
recesses, which was fitted into the wall of the southern corner of the new early-Byzantine basilica. The block obviously was a part of a mensa ponderaria. The acquired archaeological material warrants the hypothesis that the trading agora of Chersonesus was located in block No. 45 and functioned there from the early 3rd cent. B.C. to the end-4th cent. A.D. Based on the layouts of the most similar small agorae (in Olbia, Philippopolis, Nicopolis ad Istrum, Priene, Ephesus, Assus etc.), a reconstruction may be attempted.
Key words: agora, Tauric Chersonesus, mensa ponderaria, architecture, ancient period.
Археологически Открития и Разкопки през 2017 г.; Archaeological Discoveries and Excavations in 2017, Sofia, 2018
Światowit, Supplement Series C: Pontica et Caucasica, vol. 1, , 2017
E.Klenina, A. B. Biernacki, A New Christian Complex in Chersonesos: Architecture and Chronology, ... more E.Klenina, A. B. Biernacki, A New Christian Complex in Chersonesos: Architecture and Chronology, in: A New Christian Complex in Chersonesos: Architecture and Chronology, Światowit, Supplement Series C: Pontica et Caucasica, vol. 1, ed,M. Matera, R. Karasiewicz-Szczypiorski, Warszawa 2017, pp.105 -119, /eng.resume/
NOVAE – SECTOR Xz. NEW ARCHITECTURAL COMPLEX IN THE LEGIONARY CAMP IN NOVAE Andrzej B.Biernacki, ... more NOVAE – SECTOR Xz. NEW ARCHITECTURAL COMPLEX IN THE LEGIONARY CAMP IN NOVAE
Andrzej B.Biernacki, Elena Klenina
The excavations in “Section X – Polish“ of the site are carried out within the framework of a long-term agreement and joint research programe of the Institute of Archaeology of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences in Sofia (Bulgaria) and the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań (Poland). The fieldworks on the western side of the large legionary baths complex in Novae revealed monumental stone pillars erected using opus quadratum technique, as well as smaller pillars – remains of a later reconstruction, which are parts of a larger architectural complex (fig. 1-2). Phase I of the construction of these structures has been preliminarly dated to the reign of Antoninus Pius (138-161).Phase II of reconstruction
was dated to the third decade of the 3rd c. AD. Phase III belongs to the final quarter of the 3rd – beginning of the 4thc., and phase IV corresponds to the second and third quarters of the 4thc. AD. The structure had been demolished at the beginning of the 5th c. AD when the area was leveled prior to commencing works on the construction of the Novae bishopric complex. Originally, the eastern section of the newly discovered complex was probably connected to the front of the grand legionary baths. During the excavation works the researchers uncovered a rich collection of movable finds, e.g. a Dacian iron rhomphaia and a fragment of lorica squamata. Another notable find is a limestone statue plinth with a Greek inscription, reused as a section of the wall, which has been dated to the reign of Emperor Gordian III.
Edizioni Ca’ Foscari - Venice University Press, 2022
In the Byzantine time, Chersonesos, called Cherson since the sixth century, was a fortified city ... more In the Byzantine time, Chersonesos, called Cherson since the sixth century, was a fortified city functioning as the outpost of the Empire on its northern border. Chersonesos provided a signifi-cant connection between countries of the West and the East in the period. The trade relations of the city with various regions of the Black Sea, the Mediterranean, and the East are a subject of investigation. Important data on trade networks were obtained during the joint Polish-Ukrainian project carried out from 2001 to 2013. This study shows that Cherson continued to import wine, olive oil, and tableware from the Aegean region, Syria, Asia Minor, as well as from the Golden Horde and China.
Each season of the long-lasting Polish-Bulgarian exploration of the Roman legionary camp and the ... more Each season of the long-lasting Polish-Bulgarian exploration of the Roman legionary camp and the later Roman and Early-Byzantine city of Novae yields a very abundant and diversified collection of archaeological sources, among them Ancient sculptures. In the course of conservation work in the south-western section of the complex of the legionary bath in 2013, a fragment of a limestone statue which obviously portrays a sphinx, was discovered, of the height of 0,52 m, the maximum width of 0,33 m and minimum width of 0,19 m, 0,21 m thick. In its present condition, it is a headless torso with a partly preserved single wing, made of local crumbly limestone (biopellsparite). On the extant portion of the underbelly, four pairs of animal nipples are visible. Also the lower portion of the neck is extant. The wing, growing out of the torso, features eleven small down feathers and six primary remiges. Some feathers have been badly broken off. Extinct parts of the statue are the other wing, the head, the fore legs and the hind section of the body of the portrayed animal, including the hind legs. The entire preserved fragment of the sculpture has been much damaged and many pieces have been broken off, which increases the difficulty of identifying its exact purpose. On the back of the statue, there is a rectangular flat area, as in sculptures which were used as bases or supports of Roman tables and candelabra; sculptures on Roman tombstones also had this feature.
In 1928, within the structure of the defensive wall in the Roman castle of Dimum (now Belene), a fragment of a sculpture made of organogenous detrital limestone was discovered, representing the torso of a sphinx. The extant piece is 0,48 m long, 0,34 m tall and 0,24 m wide. It shows the front part of a woman’s trunk including a section of the neck. It features two female breasts with the nip-ples visible. In its lower part, the torso becomes an animal’s underbelly with extant four pairs of small nipples. On both sides, wings grow out of the torso. The better preserved one consists of three arcu-ated strips of small down feathers. The first strip, at the shoulder, consists of six down feathers, the second of five, and the third one of as few as four, from under which five secondary remiges pro-trude. Of the other wing, only the section directly at the torso is extant, consisting of three straight strips of small down feathers. The first and the second strip feature five down feathers each, and the third one, only four. Only an impression is preserved of the secondary remiges. On either side of the torso, under the wings, the outline of ribs is distinguishable. The head, the hind part of the trunk and the fore and hind legs are extinct.
Upon a comparative study, both sculptures may be tenably identified as sphinxes. The motif of the sphinx, originating from the Ancient Orient and Egypt, was later taken up by the Hellenistic art and eventually, around the year 30 B.C., emerged in Roman imagery as the symbol of hope. At the time of Caesar, it appeared on coins together with Sibyl. Octavian sealed his documents with an effi-gy of the sphinx. Cistophorus coins minted in Pergamum in the year 27/26 B.C. bore the image of the sphinx, which augured the beginning of a new era and was also associated with the prophecy and se-cret of Octavian. Likewise, an image of this mythical creature appears on the pauldrons of the armor of Augustus’ statue in Prima Porta. The same motif occurs on candelabra, bronze tables, murals, al-tars, tombstones and marble urns. In sepulchral art, they are obviously decorative, of an apotropaic nature. They may also be related to the myth of Oedipus. Furthermore, images of sphinxes on sar-cophaguses, tombstones and individual statues were used to guard graves or necropolises; an instance of this practice is the sphinx of Colchester, dated to 43–75 A.D., a statue of a sitting lion with a woman’s head, shoulders and breasts, holding the deceased’s head in the claws of its fore paws. This is a representation of the triumph of death over life. Of a higher artistic quality is the sphinx tomb guardian from Roman mausoleum of Orange (France) —a naked female bust decorated with a plas-tron, with a phalera in its center. The woman’s face is preserved; it has a very refined expression, while the model’s carefully combed hair reaches halfway down her neck. This statue probably comes from the 1st cent. B.C.-1st cent. A.D. A sphinx of a similar design is kept at the archaeological mu-seum of Zadar; found at the Ancient necropolis of Aenona, it is tentatively dated to the late Anto-nine or the Severan dynasty (late 2nd–3rd cent.). Another sphinx found in Aenona has strongly stressed feminine features but wears no jewelry. In the Ancient city of Luna (Etruria), a fragment of a sphinx has been discovered, dated to between the late 1st cent. B.C. and mid-1st cent. A.D., which constituted the base of a marble table. Further instances of this design of sphinxes are two sculptures found in Side and dated to the 3rd cent. A.D.
According to the present author, all of the above artifacts belong to Type I of the statues of the sphinx, which may be further divided into Subtypes A and B, the latter distinguished by decorative jewelry girdling the breasts of the woman’s torso. Type II, of a slightly different design, is represent-ed by a sculpture found on Monte Cognolo at Lanivium (near Rome), dated to 120–140 A.D. Its characteristic is a more masculine torso, with the chest covered by peculiar scale-like down feathers. The breast is less pronounced and deprived of nipples. There are also down feathers on the upper sec-tions of the sphinx’s fore legs. The item was apparently used as the support of a stone table. An earli-er example of this type II of Sphinx made from tufa sculpture, found in a Roman villa of the Prisco property at Boscoreale dated 79 years A.D.
The statue found in Novae must be classified as Type II of the images of the sphinx. It is empha-sized that it clearly came from a provincial workshop where the workers had only mediocre skills as both stonecutters and sculptors. Since it is made of second-rate crumbly limestone (biopellsparite), a material available locally in Novae and its environs, it may have been produced in this city. The sphinx of Novae may be dated to the 2nd cent. A.D., and possibly the first half of that century.
Conversely, the statue discovered in Dimum must be classified as Type IA. In comparison with the artifact from Novae, it plainly shows a better quality of the sculptor’s skills, a more careful repre-sentation of anatomical details and superior visual decoration. It is made of highly crystalline organo-genous detrital limestone quarried in Hotnica (near Nicopolis ad Istrum). This is yet another piece of evidence proving that the workshop at the latter location employed better skilled stonecutters and sculptors. The sphinx of Dimum is dated to between the late 2nd and the early 3rd cent. A.D.
Mensae ponderariae, or σηκώματα were an important element of market squares in ancient cities. Th... more Mensae ponderariae, or σηκώματα were an important element of market squares in ancient cities. They were used for inspecting weight of grains, salt, and liquids being set in a public place in vicinity or directly in agora. Such tables had cavities, in most cases rough, on their surface. They were a little bigger than corresponding bronze measuring vessels (mensurae) that should be taken into account while determining their capacities. Larger cavities had broad apertures or metal pipes in their bottoms so that contents could be poured out directly in containers (wineskins, amphorae, or other vessels).
In the Roman period, inscriptions situated on the front side of the tables usually mentioned magistrates who controlled and inspected public cargos, trade, and especially measures and weights (cura urbis). They ordered these tables after taking office on their own will or following instruction. City magistrates were also responsible for ratio of weights and measures (mensuras exaequandas) that, according to the inscription on the table from Pompeii, contributed to consolidation of the state. Aedili were the most frequently mentioned among the officials who controlled weights and measures. Duumviri fulfilled control functions, too (Gaspari, Novšak 2012: 201).
In the territory of Thrace, two such tables were found. A fragment of rectangular mensa ponderaria of the first centuries A.D. with six typical cup-shaped cavities arranged in two rows and a relief image of caduceus on its surface was discovered in the town of Sandanski in the Southern Bulgaria (Димитрова-Милчева 2002: 275). The other fragment belonging to a massive stone table with preserved six cavities in two rows was found in emporium Piritensium near Nicopolis ad Istrum in the Northern Bulgaria (Gerov 1988: 119, 155-156). This measuring table is dated back to the 3rd century A.D. Inscriptions naming corresponding measures of capacity have survived on its surface, in front of every cavity. In the lower line, in front of the first round hollow, there is an inscription HMINA (ἡμίνα) – the Roman unit of volume of liquid and bulk materials which corresponds to the Greek kotyle, or ½ sextarius. In front of the second cavity of the same line, we managed to read the word ΞEΣTHC (ξέστης). This is the Greek unit of volume corresponding to the Roman sextarius. The word is followed by letters OIN being additional information to the main measure. The whole text can be understood as ξέστης οἴν(ου) – a special unit for measuring volume of wine. The next cavity in this line, square in shape, is also inscribed: ΣHMOΔ[.]Ν – probably σημόδι(ο)ν. Two letters MO are clearly visible in front of the following square hollow which preserved partially. The word is obviously to be read as μό(διος).
The inscription HMEIN (ἡμεῖνα) is distinctly seen in the upper row. The adjacent hole marked as ΞEΣTHC ΕΛΗΡ was apparently intended for measuring volume of olive oil: ξέστης ἐλ(αι)ηρ(ός).
In the Northern Black Sea region, a fragment of massive mensa ponderaria with three cavities of the same period was found in the quarter No. 45 of Tauric Chersonesos. The fragment of large limestone block was mounted into the wall of the southern corner of the Early Byzantine basilica. It is obvious that in the Early Byzantine period the table had been broken into several unequal pieces which were used as building material during the erection of basilica together with other architectural details and elements of large ancient public buildings. Maximum preserved length of the fragment is 94.0 cm, its maximum preserved width is 47.0 cm, and its height is 18.1 cm. The entire table could be as long as 1.15 cm. Three cavities for measuring volumes of products have partially survived on its surface. Two of them had apertures in their bottoms.
Table 1. Dimensions of hollows of mensa ponderaria from Chersonesos
№ п/п Upper diameter Lower diameter Depth Volume in liters Volume in Roman measures
1. 13 cm - 9,5 cm 0,55 sextarius
2. 26 cm 6 cm 16,3 cm 3,275 congius
3. 28 cm 12 cm 19,7 cm 6,185 2 congia
Mensa ponderaria of the Roman time from Chersonesos was likely to have three cavities. A similar weights and measures table was found in Leptis Magna (Libya).
A small fragment of mensa ponderaria (No. НЗХТ 7/37561) was discovered in the layer of fire of the first half of the 14th century in the room No. 2 of the quarter No. 45 in Chersonesos. The table was made of local fine-grained sandstone. Its dimensions are 7.8 x 8.8 cm, and its height is 2.2 and 2.6 cm. It was also reused as building material for a Byzantine structure. This fragment belonged to an earlier table, probably, a Hellenistic one, and served for measuring bulk products, among them salt.
Mensae ponderariae are known in many ancient cities of the Mediterranean. However, in the North-Western Black Sea region they are represented only by few fragments (Frayn 1993: 113). The most famous weights and measures tables are the mensa installed in a narrow niche of portico near the temple of Apollo in Pompeii (CIL X 793) and two mensae from the building specially designed for keeping official measures (ponderarium) in Tivoli not far from Rome (CIL XIV 3687–3688) (Corti 2001: 220–221; Fig. 5). A similar stone table with six holes of different diameters is exhibited at the entrance to macellum in Dion (Greece). Another marble mensa ponderaria with five cup-shaped cavities was found in the immediate neighborhood of agora in Assos (Turkey). It is 110.3 x 45.8 x 21.6 cm in size. There are traces of abbreviated ancient Greek names of units for measuring volumes of liquid and bulk products on the table surface in front of every hole except one (B). These are kotyla (A), έστες (С), choix (D), and τρι-choix (E) (Tarbell 1891: 441–442). A mensa ponderaria of similar type dated back to the first centuries A.D. was discovered in Emona (Slovenia). Its dimensions are 180 x 50 x 26 cm. The researchers who found this artifact managed to calculate that the first (biggest) hollow comprised 13.67 l, or 1.566 modia, and the next ones, 4.32 l (0.495 modia) and 1.86 l (0.213 modia) correspondingly (Gaspari, Novšak 2012: 200).
The number of cavities in mensae ponderariae could be no more than three. We know two examples, and the both originate from the Western Mediterranean. One of them, a square table bearing three hollows with proportions 1 : 2, 1 : 4, and 1 : 16, was discovered at the foot of acropolis in Salina (Sicily), and the other one, at the marketplace in Leptis Magna (Libya).
Mensa ponderaria from Montellano (Spain) of the first centuries A.D. somewhat differs in shape. It is an irregular block (78 x 49 x 19 cm) with five holes for measuring which held 4.5 l (semodius), 1.5 l, 0.2 l, 0.2 l (hemina), and 0.1 l (quartarius) correspondingly. Presumably, the table was used for measuring volume of wheat or barley and maybe lime and sand (Fernández Gómez 2004: 132; Lange 2010: 277–278). Mensae ponderariae close in shape were also found in the islands of Thasos and Delos (Greece), in Wiesloch (Germany), Lamezia (Italy), and Side (Turkey).
The remnants of the Ancient city of Chersonesos have been explored for 185 years now. In 1827, fi... more The remnants of the Ancient city of Chersonesos have been explored for 185 years now. In 1827, first three Early-Christian churches were uncovered by a lieutenant of the Russian Black Sea fleet K. Kruze. Archeologists and historians have shown particular interest in the topography of this Byzantine city, whose buildings have been fairly well preserved. Modern scholars were at first interested in the Early-Christian relics located on the territory of the site. In 1888, the Imperial Archaeological Commission (St. Petersburg) started the program of excavations in Chersonesos, conducted by K. Koscjuško-Valjužinič. During twenty years of his work, this scholar discovered several basilicas and cruciform churches of the Early-Byzantine period.
This paper will be focused on the Christian topography of Chersonesos and architecture of the Early-Christian churches of the 5th–6th cent.
The churches are divided into two essential categories. One is basilicas with apses which are semicircular both outside and inside. There are three such edifices in Chersonesos: Uvarov basilica (the 5th–6th cent.), the 1935 basilica (built in the mid-6th cent.) and the Basilica in a Basilica (whose first period of construction was in the 6th cent.). Another category consists of six basilicas whose apses are polygonal outside. These are: the Western basilica (6th–7th cent.), the Basilica on the hill (6th–7th cent.), the Northern basilica (6th cent.), the 1932 basilica (6th–7th cent.), the basilica at the cathedral (6th cent.) and the Eastern basilica (6th–7th cent.).
The walls of the principal basilicas of Chersonesos were erected in the opus mixtum technique. Clear evidence of this is provided by the Uvarov basilica and the baptistery in the Uvarov complex as well as the Western basilica. All the Chersonesos churches had similar roofs: earthenware ridge roofs laid on wooden rafter framing above the nave, and pent roofs above the aisles and the narthexes. The apses were covered with conchae.
The proposed classifications, based on the similarities of designs and forms, demonstrate that the early-Christian churches of Chersonesos. At the same time, a variety of influences is also noticeable, resulting in a highly interesting mixture of building forms and techniques of various origins. Still, the main source of inspiration was Constantinopolitan, Greek and Syrian rather than Western Roman.
Early-Byzantine city of Novae (Moesia Secunda) on the southern bank of the Danube River maintaine... more Early-Byzantine city of Novae (Moesia Secunda) on the southern bank of the Danube River maintained various trade relations with the towns of the Black Sea Coast and Eastern Mediterranean regions in the 5th - 6th centuries. Findings of amphorae and tableware testify to the character and directions of these relations. During recent years the finds of new ceramic complexes gave opportunity to clarify duration of trade contacts and to determine the time of changing the direction of these relations. Moreover, trade relations that had not been known in scientific literature before, such as with some centers in Minor Asia and Northern Africa, were revealed.
In 2007 - 2008, in the northern part of Episcopal complex in Novae, to the south of via principalis, a large rectangular in plan building was discovered; this building was destroyed by fire at the end of the 5th or the very beginning of the 6th century AD. The excavations were undertaken within the frameworks of Polish-Bulgarian scientific-research project "The Bishopric of Novae: History, Architecture and Everyday Life" headed by Dr A.B. Biernacki. A large number of amphorae LRA1, LRA2, LRA 3, LRA 4, manufactured in the region of the Aegean Sea and the towns of the Eastern Mediterranean as well as North African amphorae of types 29, 37, 38, 45, 46 and 49 (by Bonifay 2004) were discovered. In the same premise a large red-lacquered dish with stamped ornament was found; such dishes were manufactured in ceramic shop Sidi Marzouk Tounsi on the territory of modern Tunisia in c. 460-520/530 AD. The premise perished, probably, as a result of the earthquake in 518. Therefore, the materials discovered by us testify to trade relations of Novae in the period from 497 to 518. Recovery of trade relations should be ascribed with abolition of tax 314 in 497-498. Further trade was impeded with presence of the Goths on the territory of Thrace and Moesia II. In 488 the Ostrogoths began their campaign to Italy; in 497 the Emperor Anastasius acknowledged Theodoric the Great as a ruler of Italy. New administrative division and creating customs region of provinces of Moesia II, Scythia and Pontus Polemaniacus facilitated trade contacts. Contacts with Asia Minor became the closest one.
Ancient Chersonesos situated in the south-western part of the Crimean peninsula had been a key tr... more Ancient Chersonesos situated in the south-western part of the Crimean peninsula had been a key trade centre on the Black Sea since the moment of its foundation in years 422/421 BC up to the 13th century AD when trade representatives of Genoese Republic appeared in the region. (Fig. 1) Comfortable disposition of the city between two small bays was of critical importance in the development of trade relations. (Fig. 2-3)
At the beginning of the 20th century K.K. Koscjuško-Valjužinič was the first one who assumed that there should have been a port in Quarantine bay. Important archaeological researches were undertaken in the 60s of the 20th century. In the course of archaeological works remains of stone construction flooded by the sea were discovered. Remains of building materials are in the sea at the distance up to 40-45 m and are situated at 70-115 m from the Port defence line. Constructions found under water were at the distance of 14 m from one another. (Fig. 4/1, 5/1) Ceramic material is presented mainly with amphorae of Byzantine period. These constructions are piers of Chersonesos port built in the 9th – 10th centuries from marble and limestone columns and covered with stone blocks with adjoined remains of wooden piles and platform. (Fig. 7) Unfortunately, works to deepen the bay in the post-war period destroyed the original ground relief completely. Variations in the level of the sea brought the changes in configuration of the western coast of Quarantine bay in the place of the port location. In the ancient period it considerably ran into the coast line. At Byzantine time the sea receded back that enabled to transfer the defence constructions further to the east. Probably, the main part of the port with auxiliary constructions and building berths is nowadays between ancient and Byzantine Port defence lines.
Underwater works were performed outside the defence wall of Chersonesos in Pesochnaya bay or Circular bay as it was called up to the beginning of the 20th century. The researches were undertaken in the place where Z. Arkas indicated the existence of an ancient pier which had been disassembled during building Sevastopol slaughter-house in the 19th century. (Fig. 4/2, 5/2) As a result of studying the sea bottom, a considerable amount of large fragments of amphorae dating to the ancient period that had been delivered from the southern coast of the Black Sea, islands in the Aegean Sea (Thasos, Chios) and amphorae of Byzantine period, tiles and bricks were found. (Fig. 11-12) It became possible to ascertain that near the eastern coast of the bay in the 1st century AD a ship with goods of light-clay amphorae with double-barrelled hands from Heraclea Pontos had sunk. (Fig. 9-10)
Some underwater researches were undertaken on the northern coast of Chersonesos site; however, impetuous process of corrosion of the coast line as well as strong surf disabled researchers of any opportunities to find material confirmation of the existence of piers here. Meanwhile, invaluable archive data remained at our disposal. Describing Chersonesos site in the first half of the 19th century Z. Arkas points to the existence of two piers on the steep northern coast. (Fig. 4/3-4; 5/3) They were marked on the maps of that time, and, besides, there is a graphic picture of one of the piers at the foot of the steep coast and a staircase leading to it. (Fig. 8) The piers were cut in hard rock and were at the distance of 320 m from each other, behind the line of the northern defence constructions. The first pier, situated to the north-eastern from “Uvarov basilica”, was 6.4 m in width, height and length. The second pier in the district of “Basilica 1935” was considerably smaller; it was 1/3 of the size of the first one. Judging by the preserved description, both piers were identically designed: block walls were faced with ashlars on mortar, the centre was filled with stones. Due to this mortar it is possible to determine the period of functioning by the time not earlier as the first centuries AD. Apparently, they were primarily used by small fishing-boats, that delivered fresh catch and unloaded it near trade and handicraft districts and, probably, fishing market. The piers on the northern coast were used in the period from March till October.
The commercial port of ancient Chersonesos was situated in Quarantine and Pesochnaya bays. The main anchorage was in deep Quarantine bay where ships closed down temporarily could be left for winter. In Pesochnaya bay, most probably, there were additional berths for merchant ships arriving to Chersonesos in summer from the coasts of the Southern Black Sea coast (Heraclea, Sinope). In Byzantine period this part of the port was practically not used in the view of safety.
COLLOQVIA ANATOLICA ET AEGAEA ANTIQVA II International Conference "TERRACOTTA FIGURINES IN THE GREEK AND ROMAN EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN: PRODUCTION AND DIFFUSION, ICONOGRAPHY AND FUNCTION", June 2-6, 2007 / Izmir, Turkey, 2007
Chersoneses in Taurica was found not later than the end of the 5th century BC in the southwest pa... more Chersoneses in Taurica was found not later than the end of the 5th century BC in the southwest part of the Crimean Peninsula by the Doric Greeks. The religion of Chersoneses citizens from the moment of the foundation of the town was naturally connected with agriculture and, in particular, to wine growing. The most honored gods of the Greek pantheon here were Demeter and Cora-Persephone, Dionysos, and Heracles.
The representations of Demeter and Cora form the most numerous group in the collection of terracotta figurines of National reservation of Tauric Chersoneses. The heyday of these cults in Chersoneses was the 4th-3rd centuries BC. They were produced in local workshops in this period. Demeter was shown often as a portly woman with plump lips, a large chin, and two large wrinkles on the neck. The head is decorated with a garland of fruits and leafs, ears with large earrings. A similar type of Demeter, figurine, was produced in Olbia. In the Roman period, another original type of terracotta figurines appeared in Chersoneses. It figured Demeter muffled in a raincoat, with crossed hands on the chest. These figurines were expressed votive nature.
The most widespread image of a Cora-Persephone in Chersoneses was the representation of the goddess as a young girl on a background of the veil above a head. In the left hand she holds a bird or flower, rarely the pomegranate. Local masters created the original type of protoma to be reflected the dual nature of the goddess. The woman is figured naked up to the hips and lets her hair down to the shoulders; on her head a diadem and round earrings in her ears. In the Roman period, the image of Cora lost the dual character and began to play the role of the goddess of the underground kingdom until the Late Roman times.
Terracotta figurines enable to speak about the obviously domestic nature of a cult to Demeter and Cora. Figurines of these goddesses were discovered in domestic sanctuaries in Chersoneses and also its chora.
LCRW6 : 6th International Conference on late Roman coarse ware, cooking ware and amphorae in the ... more LCRW6 : 6th International Conference on late Roman coarse ware, cooking ware and amphorae in the Mediterranean: Archaeology and archaeometry, land and sea: pottery routes : Agrigento, 24-28 maggio 2017 : book of abstracts / a cura di Valentina Caminneci, Maria Concetta Parello, Maria Serena Rizzo. - Palermo: Regione siciliana, Assessorato beni culturali e identità siciliana, Dipartimento beni culturali e identità siciliana, 2017. ISBN 978-88-6164-456-4
by Ergun LAFLI, Alev Çetingöz, Melih Veziroglu, Isabelle Bertrand, Salvo Micciché, Gabriella Tassinari, Marcio Teixeira-Bastos, Julio Miguel Román Punzón, Paolo Vitellozzi, Simone Michel-von Dungern, Dr. phil. habil., Maurizio Buora, Roksana Chowaniec, Ciupercă Bogdan, Jasmina S. Ciric, Elena Almirall Arnal, Carolina Naya Franco, Achim Irina, Chiara Ballestrazzi, Fabio Bosco, Andrzej B. Biernacki, Elena Klenina, Athina Chroni, Lilian Karali, Cristea Stefana, Gabriela Filip, Amanda Gómez Checa, Elizaveta Krasnodubets, Anna Namoylik, Germana Perani, Torben Schreiber, Alina (Muşat) Streinu, Dan Pîrvulescu, Claudia Tozzi, Eleni Tsatsou, and Radu Ardevan
Ancient Greek, Roman and Byzantine engraved gems in the eastern Mediterranean and Black Sea area. An international e-conference on archaeological and archaeogemological approaches, 2024
E. Laflı/M. Buora, Five unpublished Late Roman unguentarium stamps from western Asia Minor, in: E. Klenina (ed.): Novae. Studies and materials 8, Uniwersytet im. Adama Mickiewicza w Poznaniu, Actum atque tractatum (Poznań: Uniwersytet im. Adama Mickiewicza w Poznaniu, Wydział Historii UAM), 2022
This article will be displayed in Academia beginning from January 1, 2023, as it can be filed on ... more This article will be displayed in Academia beginning from January 1, 2023, as it can be filed on freely accessible online archives no earlier than three years after the release of its journal. Please e-mail me for obtaining this brief article before 2023: elafli@yahoo.ca
In this short paper, five formerly unknown Late Roman unguentarium stamps will be presented. These stamps have been found at some sites in western Asia Minor.
Keywords: Late Roman unguentaria, Early Byzantine ampulla, stamps, monogram, Early Byzantine period, sigillography, western Asia Minor, Turkey.