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Articles by Alana N . Newman

Ancient History Magazine , 2019

Féminités hellénistiques: Voix, genre, représentations , 2020

Journal of Mediterranean Archaeology, 2017

This study evaluates wall paintings at the palace of Knossos, specifically the gender of figures ... more This study evaluates wall paintings at the palace of Knossos, specifically the gender of figures that were previously considered ambiguous due to perceived inconsistencies in the representation of their skin color, costume, and physicality. Special attention is paid to the dark-skinned individual in the Captain of the Blacks Fresco, the red hand holding a necklace in the Jewel Fresco, and the white-skinned bull-leapers of the famous Taureador Frescoes. Methodologically, this study employs Butler’s theory of gender performativity, wherein repeated stylizations on the body’s surface, such as dress and adornment, are seen to produce gender identity. Since the frescoes are not the product of a modern Western society with dualistic gender categories, using presentist preconceptions to interpret the representation of gender identities in ancient art is unhelpful. Gender is conceptualized here outside binary confines, and I apply instead a queer approach utilizing a perspective of gender fluidity. Moreover, this study refers to Chapin’s (2012) analysis of the naturalistic portrayal of human development in Bronze Age murals, especially with respect to the depiction of primary and secondary sex characteristics, and considers these characteristics, together with skin tone, costume, and gesture as performatives that materialize gender. After analyzing the frescoes, it becomes clear that the gendered components layered upon those ‘ambiguous’ figures are not contradictory, but rather meaningful elements working together to create alternative gender identities.

Papers by Alana N . Newman

Journal of Greek Archaeology

Between 1953 and 1956 the Hellenistic Stoa of Attalos was converted into a museum. It currently h... more Between 1953 and 1956 the Hellenistic Stoa of Attalos was converted into a museum. It currently houses the finds from excavations carried out by the American School of Classical Studies in the Athenian agora since 1931. Laura Gawlinski’s The Athenian Agora Museum Guide is a well-written guidebook to this unique museum. The aim of this book is to provide the reader with supplementary historical, archaeological, and cultural information not only about the artefacts displayed in the museum, but also about the building itself. Indeed, Gawlinski makes a commendable effort to emphasise the distinct vantage point, that the visitor has to experience finds from the agora in a restored building from the ancient site.

Journal of Mediterranean Archaeology, 2018

This paper examines how wall reliefs featuring the image of Arsinoë II in Egyptian temples commun... more This paper examines how wall reliefs featuring the image of Arsinoë II in Egyptian temples communicate her divinity through the iconography of the queen’s representation as well as through the display context of the relief works themselves. The Mendes Decree issued by Ptolemy Philadelphos ordered that his deified sister-wife Arsinoë II (hereafter Arsinoë) was to be a synnaos thea, or temple-sharing goddess, and that her likeness be erected in all temples across Egypt. It is unsurprising then that the portrait of the deified Arsinoë appears in situ on reliefs found at the Temple of Horus in Edfu, the Temple of Khonsu in Karnak, and the Temple of Isis in Philae.

The display contexts of the temple reliefs depicting Arsinoë are analyzed using a methodological approach based on Byron Shafer’s concept of the ‘three zones of increasing sacredness’ regarding the ritualized landscape of the Egyptian temple. Shafer assigns three zones – primary, secondary, and tertiary – to spaces of the temple complex based on the accessibility of these areas to the general population. The primary zone of sacredness was the inner sanctuary of the temple. This area was an exclusive space because it was restricted to the public and only accessible by higher clergy members. The next zone is the colonnaded forecourt, which was of secondary sacredness. This space was available to all levels of the priesthood as well as to community representatives on ritual occasions. The final area is the tertiary zone of sacredness comprised of the dromos (or the Egyptian ẖft-ḥr) – an alley leading to the pylon, or gateway, of the temple proper. The dromos was within the perimeter walls of the sacred precinct; a space that was unrestricted and open to the public.

Analyzing the wall reliefs depicting Arsinoë within these three sacred zones helps to characterize the audience of the queen’s image, and subsequently, elucidate the nuanced messages conveyed by the iconography of her representation. The aesthetics of Arsinoë’s image inside a primary zone of sacredness impact the viewer, such as a priest, differently than her portrait would when placed on a pylon of the perimeter wall of the sacred precinct through which all levels of society would pass. Thus, this paper describes the gradation of the message of divinity and legitimacy expressed by Arsinoë’s portrait on wall reliefs within the Egyptian temple complex.

This paper focuses on the portraiture of the early Ptolemaic queen Arsinoë II, whose image appear... more This paper focuses on the portraiture of the early Ptolemaic queen Arsinoë II, whose image appears on coins, cameos, oinochoai (a type of wine jug), and on relief and freestanding sculpture. It examines how the iconographic elements comprising her image symbolized specific cultural meaning. As a methodology, this paper uses film theorist Richard Dyer’s concept of Fashion to argue that the creators of the queen’s portraiture, the Ptolemaic royal couple, intentionally selected visual symbols relating positive information about their dynasty. In his analysis of the film star as a Phenomenon of Production, Dyer includes fashion as a component demonstrating the manufactured nature of the star by the Hollywood studio. Fashion refers to the star’s ability to establish norms of attractiveness and communicate social meaning through visual representations. Applying this theoretical framework to the portraiture of a Ptolemaic queen enables an understanding of the deliberate ideology communicated by her image. The prevalent theme of femininity in Arsinoë’s image illustrates this point and is used as a case study in this paper. Specific iconographic elements occurring in the queen’s portraiture, such as her veil, chiton, and transparent clothing acted as symbols conveying feminine ideals of appearance and behaviour. By exploring these attributes, it is possible to demonstrate not only the manufactured nature of early Ptolemaic portraiture, but also to reveal the values consciously expressed by royal female iconography.

This paper uses Richard Dyer’s concept of fashion as a methodology to examine the significance of... more This paper uses Richard Dyer’s concept of fashion as a methodology to examine the significance of the iconography of Arsinoë II. In his analysis of the film star as a phenomenon of production, Dyer includes fashion as a component demonstrating the manufactured nature of the star by the Hollywood studio. Fashion refers to the star’s ability to establish norms of attractiveness and communicate social meaning. Applying this theoretical framework to the portraiture of a Ptolemaic queen enables an understanding of the deliberate ideology communicated by her image. The prevalent theme of femininity in Arsinoë’s image illustrates this point. Specific iconographic elements such as Venus rings, the veil, the chiton, the knotted dress, and transparent clothing convey various feminine ideals. By exploring these attributes, it is possible to demonstrate not only the manufactured nature of early Ptolemaic portraiture, but also to reveal the values expressed by royal female iconography.

The Hellenistic sculptural groups known as symplegmata (sing., symplegma; literally ‘twisted toge... more The Hellenistic sculptural groups known as symplegmata (sing., symplegma; literally ‘twisted together’) often exhibit a contrast between a beautiful female character and a grotesque, hairy male. Typically, these works imply sexual violence instigated by the male. An example of this is the Satyr and Maenad symplegma, a Roman copy of a Hellenistic original, now in the Museo Nuovo in Rome. This paper examines the timelessness and fantasy provoking capability of the beauty v. beast theme of the Greaco-Roman tradition through a comparison of George Waggner’s 1941 Classic horror film 'The Wolf Man' and the Satyr and Maenad symplegma. Like the sculpture in Rome, 'The Wolf Man' juxtaposes the attractiveness of its heroine Gwen (Evelyn Ackers) with the bestiality of the Wolf Man (Lon Chaney Jr). This juxtaposition occurs most acutely in the film’s climatic scene when the titular monster viciously attacks the beautiful Gwen recalling the aggression displayed in the symplegma. The psychological states of the Wolf Man and Gwen during this scene are also reminiscent of the respective mental aspects of satyrs and maenads. Both the Wolf Man and satyr stand on the boundary between beast and man, failing in their attempts at humanity due to their lustful nature, while their female “companions” share a frenzied mental state. Therefore, by comparing 'The Wolf Man' and the Satyr and Maenad symplegma, this paper demonstrates the enduring effect of the beauty v. beast theme across time and culture.