An Early Byzantine Building Next to the Main Gate at Capidava (original) (raw)
Related papers
Contributions to the Study of the Middle Byzantine Defence Walls at Capidava (1912-2012)
Brukenthal. Acta Musei, XIV.1, 2019
Capidava is a castellum built on the Danubian frontier as early as the years of the Dacian war of emperor Trajan (101-102; 105-106 AD). It remained under Roman rule until the second decade of the 7th century AD. Forgotten after being definitively abandoned by the Byzantines at the middle of the 11th century AD, the site gradually gained attention in the first two decades of the 20th century due to the stone quarry which cut off the native limestone rock on which ancient Capidava was set. During an archaeological field trip in 1912 Vasile Pârvan identified the fortification from Capidava and Pamfil Polonic sketched a first situation plan of the ruins. A systematic research began in 1924 led by Grigore Florescu, one of the close students of the Magister as coordinator. The present study exploits a second plan drawn by Pamfil Polonic during the field trip of 1912. The plan is kept in the Library of the Romanian Academy in the Manuscripts and Rare Book Section - P. Polonic Archive and was virtually unknown up until now. The plan illustrates the orderly aspect of the ancient defensive programme and offers additional valuable observations. Starting from each of the corner towers 2 and 6, on NW and SE sides, Pamfil Polonic points out additions to the fortress on which he will further offer more information in Natura. Revistă pentru răspândirea științei [Nature. Magazine for the proliferation of science], XXIV, 7, 1935. These triangular extensions of the inhabited area undoubtedly pertain to the Middle Byzantine stages of Capidava. The current study exhaustively sums up the information on the Middle Byzantine defence wall, starting with the first reports of its discoverer (Grigore Florescu) in Dacia (Journal of Archaeology and Ancient History, old series) to the systematic research reports published by Zeno Pinter, Marian Țiplic and Claudia Urduzia, which recently checked in 11 research campaigns (2001-2012) in extra muros the existence of the SE extension. The study discusses the course, the constructive details, the preserved areas, analogies and hypothesis concerning the moment when this fortification of stone and earth with an outer ditch was erected. This late fortification system was running round three sides, overlapping the Roman curtains of the castellum. Keywords: Kale-köy/ Calachioi, Capidava, stone quarry, Vasile Pârvan, Pamfil Polonic, 3rd of August 1912 survey, Grigore Florescu, National Museum of Antiquities, Romanian Commission on Historical Monuments, Roman castellum, Middle Byzantine defence wall.
Archaeologia Bulgarica ХХVIII, 1 (2024), 103-108, 2024
251 Mamaloukos Anastasiadis [2024] Byzantine houses of Cappadocia (IN ENGLISH – SUMMARY IN TURKISH)
Stavros Mamaloukos - Dimitris Anastasiadis, Some notes on the byzantine houses of Cappadocia, Valonia 1 (2024), 65-90, 2024
The study reviews the remnants of the rock-cut Byzantine elite houses of Cappadocia, unique examples of residential buildings of that period, which are still preserved in fairly good condition. The aim of the following study is to discuss issues of building planning, typology and, secondarily, morphology concerning the Byzantine residence complexes in Cappadocia. The study is based on the relevant scientific research and on the reexamination of examples of houses known from literature. It presents the spaces that make up the houses of Cappadocia, and note their primary characteristics and function, to the extent possible. Particular attention is paid to ceremonial and transitional spaces: courtyards, porticoes, vestibules and main halls. It outlines the common design principles of the complexes, and attempts a typological classification of the elite houses based on the organization of their nucleus, namely the courtyard, transitional space, and hall. Considering the elite houses of Cappadocia not only as a regional-independent group of buildings but also as part of Byzantine residences in general, examines the issue of the origin and evolution of the Byzantine house. It points out possible morphological influences from the capital and other building examples, and the distinctive features of the houses as result of the special local conditions. In terms of the chronological order, and the evolution through time of the house architecture of Cappadocia, current research shows that the main elements of the elite house of the area can be traced back to the 6th century. Elite houses of Cappadocia must be considered as an architectural exploration, which, based on the architectural prototypes of the era and on local conditions, attempted to produce an optimal house model for this remote outpost of the Byzantine Empire.
Açıksaray “Open Palace”: a Byzantine rock-cut settlement in Cappadocia
Byzantinische Zeitschrift, 2014
Courtyard complexes formed entirely out of the volcanic rock mass in Cappadocia, in Central Anatolia, differ from the other rock-cut structures in the region, in both scale and elaboration of design. There are more than forty such complexes in Cappadocia, either gathered in one location or isolated. Located on the Nevşehir-Gülşehir road, Açıksaray contains nine such complexes in close proximity, many of which feature monumental façades as well as reception areas and utilitarian spaces such as large stables around a courtyard. This paper, in the light of survey results, presents site analysis and architectural readings that lead the discussion of the nature and stages of occupation at Açıksaray. By doing this, the paper aims to bring new insights to the discussion on courtyard complexes, adding details and nuance to our understanding of the Açıksaray settlement, while noting similarities with other settlements in the region. Underlining the secular and elite character of the Açıksara...
Archeologia dell‘Architettura, 2023
The paper aims to shed light on building site procedures linked to the construction of ecclesiastical complexes in the early Byzantine Mediterranean (4th-7th c. AD). Archaeological, epigraphic, and literary sources are reassessed to get novel insights into logistical customs and recurrent dynamics in relation to several aspects of the preparatory and executive phases of ecclesiastical construction sites, focusing on buildings from capital cities (Constantinople, Ravenna) and minor provincial sites as well. Special attention is paid to evidence of project strategies, such as modularity and design traces, as well as to material features of stone artefacts useful to boost our knowledge about workmanship procedures adopted by workshops both to improve and speed up production. In the final section, an architectural energetic approach, rarely deployed in late antique studies, is adopted to further advance the analysis about the impact of stone production and related craftsmanship on the logistics, times, and costs of the construction site. Such a novel and holistic approach turns out to be crucial to get a thorough understanding of a great array of phenomena traditionally claimed in literature, such as technological development, mass production, and rough export of marble elements. Overall, the contribution intends to show the heuristic potential of an integrated approach to ancient constructions in order to unveil their key role in driving both economic and social growth in the relevant contexts.