Szymon Popławski | Austrian Academy of Sciences (original) (raw)

Papers by Szymon Popławski

Antiquity 2024: Project Gallery, 2024

Ancient geographers and travellers of the early nineteenth and twentieth centuries described loca... more Ancient geographers and travellers of the early nineteenth and twentieth centuries described localities on the northern coast of Egypt, including the Hellenistic-Roman town ruins known today as Darazya. Impressive Second World War structures are also scattered there. Research initiated in 2021 will broaden insights into the history of the region.

Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2024

This paper presents new archaeological information concerning the development of suburban space i... more This paper presents new archaeological information concerning the development of suburban space in the ancient Roman port of Berenike in Egypt. Excavations conducted over the past decade in a small animal cemetery located around what was, most likely, a cult structure have produced evidence showing that rubbish dumping was accompanied by other activities, specifically the burial of companion animals. Artifact analysis, especially the faunal and malacological remains, which are divided into four functional phases established on the grounds of a detailed stratigraphical examination, highlights how this zone evolved into an area for servicing the pack animals, camels and donkeys that constituted the backbone of the trade and goods supply train between the Red Sea coast and the Nile Valley during the peak period of this transcontinental port (1st-2nd centuries CE). In this context, the apparent dissonance between a sacred zone, that is, the animal cemetery, and the (un)controlled deposition of urban waste in one and the same area is also considered.

The list represents the documented record of authorship as of 11.10.2024

Studies in Ancient Art and Civilization, 2022

Although structures within the ancient settlement in Marina el-Alamein were built almost exclusiv... more Although structures within the ancient settlement in Marina el-Alamein were built almost exclusively of local limestone, no remains of ancient quarries have been found. The author calculates the cubature of stone used in the construction of the houses, based on the knowledge of the applied building solutions. The resulting data make it possible to address the question of the city managing the works without its own quarry, sourcing limestone from subterranean structures alone.

Virtual Archaeology Review, 2023

Hand gestures play an important role in human communication. Although the study of their repertoi... more Hand gestures play an important role in human communication. Although the study of their repertoires and roles for past communities is a popular field of research, there has thus far been no attempt to study their visibility during public events. The aim of this study was to determine the maximum number of people who could see hand gestures well enough to understand their meaning. Using gestures taken from ancient Roman rhetorical treatises, which we divided into three classes related to the detail of the gestures (fingers, hand, arm), we conducted a series of experiments to determine the maximum distance from which each class of gestures could be seen. We used the results, including regression analysis, to conduct visibility analyses for two case studies, one on the rostra on the Late Republican Forum Romanum in Rome and the other on Pyramid no 3 in the centre of Late-Classical Mayan Tikal. We used the calculation of the areas where gestures were visible to estimate crowd sizes by drawing on observations of the behaviour of people during contemporary public gatherings. They show not only how many people could have potentially seen the gestures, but also what percentage of the theoretically available space could have been occupied by people who potentially saw them. We believe that the results presented and the methodology used can be used to analyse any public space, regardless of place and time.

Thetis. Mannheimer Beiträge zur Archäologie und Geschichte der antiken Mittelmeerkulturen Band 27, 2023

Excavations at Berenike (Red Sea coast of Egypt) in winter 2022 concentrated in the Hellenistic h... more Excavations at Berenike (Red Sea coast of Egypt) in winter 2022 concentrated in the Hellenistic hydraulic-bath area (one trench and extensions) and in and around the Roman-era Isis temple (six trenches/areas and extensions). Remains excavated in the Hellenistic hydraulic area were of a typical bath of that time including “tholos” hip bathtubs and remains of basins, lead piping, etc. After abandonment and robbing, early Roman burials appeared amid the ruins of the bath. Excavations in the Isis temple cleared the entirety of the courtyard down to the latest paved floor, continued a trench south of and abutting the temple and partially excavated another trench north of and adjacent to the temple. Excavations also continued at the temple entrance and in a trench inside the temple itself. Results from the temple were noteworthy. In addition to approximately 14 inscriptions in Greek, Latin and Hieroglyphs dating from the first to the fourth century AD, there were numerous large and small stone and metal sculptural remains. Excavations recorded marble fragments of a head of a statue of Buddha, which likely joined with portions of a statue torso excavated in 2018. The marble statue dated c. 90-140 AD. Next to the marble Buddha statue excavations also documented an inscription in Brahmi script/Sanskrit language and Greek of the mid third-century AD. It is evident that from at least the first through fourth or fifth centuries AD individuals and groups from throughout the ancient Mediterranean, Egypt, Africa, southern Arabia and the Indian Sub-Continent visited and made dedications in the Isis temple. The temple was
learly a focal point for those seeking protection from or thanking the goddess for good fortune in their commercial maritime endeavors.

Water and Fire – The History of a Mound of Ash Water Management in Hellenistic Berenike, Its Environmental and Logistical Setting, 2022

Archaeological work since 2014 in the Hellenistic areas of Berenike, a key port on Egypt's Red Se... more Archaeological work since 2014 in the Hellenistic areas of Berenike, a key port on Egypt's Red Sea coast, founded by Ptolemy II Philadelphus in c. 275 , has brought extensive evidence of water-related structures: a rock-cut well located inside a rebuilt early-Hellenistic gate and a nearby cistern with an associated rainwater-collection system, that has changed the way in which the sources and uses of water in Hellenistic Berenike is understood today. The research started with the excavation of an ash mound, a characteristic landmark in the western part of the site, which is now believed to be the rubbish dump from the furnace that heated a Hellenistic bathhouse. At this stage in the research, it can be argued that Hellenistic Berenike had suffi cient water available on site not only for drinking (hence potable), and agricultural and industrial uses, but also for public bathing. This article summarises the current state of research, presenting recent discoveries of a Hellenistic date at the site within their archaeological, architectural and environmental contexts.

Ägypten und Levante XXXII, 2022

Since 2018, archaeological excavations have been carried out at the junction of two main roads in... more Since 2018, archaeological excavations have been carried out at the junction of two main roads in the city of Berenike. Following a geophysical survey, fieldwork began to verify significant anomalies that indicated the presence of a monumental structure with a regular layout at the intersection of the cardo and decumanus. During the three excavation seasons, two of four pedestals were discovered, on which single columns forming a four-column monument, the tetrastylon, would have stood. This article summarises the archaeological work and architectural analyses, and attempts to place the structure within the broader urban context.

Open Archaeology, 2022

The article examines a blocked-out capital discovered in Berenike on the Egyptian coast of the Re... more The article examines a blocked-out capital discovered in Berenike on the Egyptian coast of the Red Sea. The artefact was reused in a Late Antique installation just outside the courtyard wall of the main city sanctuary, the Isis Temple. Its distinctive, highly simplified form is typical of Ptolemaic influence in the area. This article places the fragment in its archaeological context, accompanied by a detailed architectural description and analysis of the phenomena of blocked-out capitals. The authors demonstrate that the capital under discussion does not represent an unfinished stonework, but rather an intentional stylization. Its simplification is most likely inspired by the form of Corinthian capital that was common in Egypt between the second and third century AD. The discovery of this capital implies that there were buildings with classical architectural traits in Berenike, a theory that has previously not been supported by the excavated remains.

Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean, 2021

The article discusses the stratigraphy and chronological phasing of a late antique trash deposit ... more The article discusses the stratigraphy and chronological phasing of a late antique trash deposit discovered just outside the north wall of the Isis Temple courtyard. It appears to be consumption waste collected from a large-scale event taking place in the immediate vicinity over a short period of time. Several elements of architectural decoration were found among the rubble, including three fragments of ‘Ionic’ cornice blocks that are an indication of the presence of at least one building with a classical-style architecture in the urban landscape. The fragments are quite unusual in the southern part of the Eastern Desert of Egypt and the first and somewhat unexpected attestation of this style recorded from Berenike.

Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean, 2020

The monumental rock-cut tombs of the Graeco-Roman necropolis at the site of Marina el-Alamein on ... more The monumental rock-cut tombs of the Graeco-Roman necropolis at the site of Marina el-Alamein on the Egyptian Mediterranean coast, today a sightseeing icon following restoration work by the Polish team, have produced significant information about the town, its inhabitants, and burial traditions. Different aspects of the tombs and their content have already been discussed, but without going into the details of the architectural building process. This paper focuses on ancient quarrying and masonry techniques in an effort to reconstruct the process as applied to the large hypogea. An estimate of the volume of stone material sourced during the execution of the underground parts of these tombs was compared with the reconstructed demand for stone ashlars used in the aboveground superstructures. The issue to be examined in this context is whether the tomb hypogea could have produced a surplus of stone building material, thus serving as a quarry for the city itself.

Thesis Chapters by Szymon Popławski

unpublished Phd, 2024

Phd thesis under the supervision of Prof. Rafał Czerner. The ancient remains in the Marina el-... more Phd thesis under the supervision of Prof. Rafał Czerner.

The ancient remains in the Marina el-Alamein area are unique for a number of reasons. Their proximity to Alexandria means that at present they are probably the only place that allows such intensive and extensive study of the relics of architecture under its direct influence. The impossibility of fully studying the ruins of Alexandria, which have been destroyed over the years with the development of the great modern metropolis, creates an opportunity to search for answers to researchers' questions precisely at el- Alamein. Studies of architectural detail have brought us closer to the appearance of Alexandria's buildings. At the same time, work on the remains of houses discovered at el-Alamein now presents the largest group of excavated Greco-Roman-type residential buildings in Egypt. As the study of the relics of the settlements at el-Alamein progressed, the need arose to bring together the building techniques discussed in fragments so far into one comprehensive study. This was able to happen due to the author's unique opportunity to undertake parallel archival studies and field work. In 2018 and 2019 were the last activities of the conservation mission of the Wroclaw University of Technology at the Marina el- Alamein site. Starting in 2021, on the other hand, the first such work at the Marina el-Alamein site, El Darazya. In addition, the work makes use of a site visit and documentation of the Qassabat el Gharbiya tomb kiosk located about five kilometers from the seacoast, south of the el- Alamein railroad station.

The main part of the work is a collective discussion of the ancient construction techniques observed in the el-Alamein area, so the dissertation has been organized to make the most of the material acquired. At the outset, the author presents the research problem, the need for the study and the methodology adopted in the course of the work. This is followed by a presentation of the historical period and the situation of the ancient settlements of the el-Alamein area. Subsequent chapters start from a broad research horizon to finally focus on the region under study. The core of the work is a discussion of construction techniques done in the order of the building process. Archival materials, published excavation reports and thematic studies, and the author's work in the field became the starting point for the study. The traditional presentation of groups of techniques is accompanied by analyses using modern research methods. Each chapter attempts to provide a simple typology of the solutions used and the extent of their use. Finally, the author also conducts a search for the provenance of the construction techniques described. The work is crowned with a summary of current knowledge. The author draws preliminary conclusions about the workshop of the inhabitants of el-Alamein and presents it against the background of the period.

The effect of the work is mainly to fill a gap in the current knowledge of provincial construction in Greco-Roman Egypt. The uniqueness of the study undertaken consists in the full presentation of structural solutions in architecture of a small, everyday scale. Such a study was made possible thanks to the multiple relics of buildings discovered and excavated, which formed the starting point for the research undertaken. Getting familiar with the issue made it possible to define new research problems. The author analyzes what the structural solutions used can tell us about the inhabitants - the builders. A parallel path of research is the question of the influence of the course of the construction process on the current reconstructions of the studied reality.