Fortifications and siege machines of Bagratid Armenia at the end of IX – in the middle of XI century (original) (raw)
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Fortifications, defence systems, structures and features in the past, Zbornik Instituta za arheologiju / Serta Instituti Archaeologici, 2019
This edition brings the conference papers from the 4th International Conference on Mediaeval Archaeology organised by the Institute of Archaeology in Zagreb in 2017. It is a result of efforts of the medievalists of the Institute of Archaeology to establish continued international gathering of the academic community in Zagreb in order to discuss current archeological topics on mediaeval archeology. The 4th International Scientific Conference on Mediaeval Archaeology Fortifications, defence systems, structures and features in the past, organized by the Institute of Archaeology in cooperation with the Croatian Institute of History, took place from the 7th till the 9th of June 2017 in Zagreb. Our wish was to encourage the researchers to present, through this topic, their knowledge on technical solutions of certain defensive elements of different fortifications, different manifestations and changes in the organization of defensive structures and systems over time, with regard to the causes of those changes and identification of possible patterns of defence systems, structures and features in a certain area, region or in a certain archaeological or historical period. Since the aim of the scientific conference was to perceive the given topic in an interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary manner, we are pleased that in this book, besides the papers dealing with mediaeval fortifications, we have the opportunity to publish 37 papers that study the defence systems in the preceding and following periods (Prehistory, Antiquity, Modern Period) and that archaeological studies are complemented by the studies of historians, art historians and architects as well.
Atlantis Press, International Conference on Art Studies, State Institute for Art Studies, Moscow, 2017
—The Shirak district, part of the province of Ayrarat, since the 8 th century is the domain of the Bagratides, a noble family of Armenia, which rose to power after the Arab domination over the region. The first 'Golden Age' of Ani is interrupted when the armies of the Byzantine emperor Constantine IX capture the city in 1045. In spite of these conflicts, the territory remains prosperous and flourishing during the 12 th and 13 th centuries. Then, the decline of commerce in the region, together with the development of conflicts, leads to the gradual abandonment of the city. In 1921, the treaty of Kars defines the Akhurian River as the new border between Turkey and the Soviet Empire, thus splitting the ancient province in half. The goal of this brief article is to explain how the possibility given through about 15 years to a French archaeological team, including historians, archaeologists and architects, to work in the different parts of the ancient Shirak Region, torn apart by modern history, has made possible to rise new questions and to sketch new interpretations of his ancient history, based on the study of less considered or almost forgotten monuments, along the boundary river. This work focused on the results of investigation of several fortified sites and ruined churches in the Akhurian valley, Dashtadem and Aruch, and it has been the occasion for new collaboration with Armenian scholars.
A fidelity made of stone. The Armenian Architecture seen from the Vayots-Dzor’ fringe
2020
This research focuses on medieval architectures in the Armenian region of Vayots Dzor. The research mission is carried out since 2014 by the University of Florence, School of Architecture. In this paper, we show the results of a part of this research focusing on ancient buildings in the cities of Areni, Noravank and Yegheghis. We propose a series of unpublished cartographic elaborations showing the main flows of spreading of architectural typologies in Armenia, and then we focus on the analysis of the main religious structures of the village of Yegheghis. These analyses are based on architectural graphic elaborations to investigate the architectural Design, Space and Composition of medieval Armenian structures. The aim is to highlight the elements that define their architectural shape: the compositional rules, the structural design and the relationships between plan and elevation. Starting from the architectural analysis on religious buildings, we investigate the Armenian architect...
Arms and armour of Bagratid Armenian noblemen (late 9th – mid 11th centuries). General overview
This paper is a continuation of the poster which examines some types of weapons and armors by analyzing written sources which was presented at the conference: "Nouvelles recherches sur l'Arménie ancienne / New Research on Ancient Armenia, Geneva, 8-9 June 2018" Link to the poster where you can find illustrations to this article - https://www.academia.edu/36769320/Poster\_presentation\_\_ARMS\_AND\_ARMOUR\_OF\_BAGRATID\_ARMENIAN\_NOBLEMEN
Defensive Architecture of the Mediterranean. XV to XVIII centuries /Editorial Publicacions Universitat d’Alacant, 2017
Los contenidos de esta publicación han sido evaluados por el Comité Científico que en ella se relaciona y según el procedimiento de la ``revisión por pares´´. © editor Víctor Echarri Iribarren © de los textos: los autores © 2017, de la presente edición: Editorial Publicacions Universitat d'Alacant. www.publicaciones.ua.es/ Imprime: ISBN: 978-84-16724-75-8 (Vol. V) Depósito legal: A 493-2017 FORTMED -Modern Age Fortifications of the Mediterranean Coast, Alicante, October 26th, 27th, 28th 2017 223 Defensive Architecture of the Mediterranean. XV to XVIII centuries / Vol V / Echarri Iribarren (Ed.)
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.
FIRST COLLOQUIA CERANEA INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE, 2019
Byzantine arms and armour were researched by many historians. For this reason, Byzantine military history received a dominant position in medieval historiography that provoked the situation, where the military history of small nations (under Roman influences) was written from the Byzantine perspective. So, our task is to change this conception and bring medieval Armenian military sphere to light. The idea is to analyse the relief on the door of Msho Arakelots monastery where four equestrians and one infantryman are depicted make comparisons with other Armenian, Byzantine and Muslim sources. Unfortunately, Armenian written sources are less important for us because they give only general information about weapons and armour without their detailed description. In this relief spherical mace head and sword with sleeve cross-guard are presented which have many parallels with Byzantine archaeological and figurative sources. No less important is the depiction of the military trumpet because it is the first image of this object in Armenian art, which we can compare to pictures from Madrid Skylitzes (XII c.). In addition, the only defensive weapon, which is presented in this relief, is round shield with flower ornament. We have many depictions of round shields in Armenian miniatures and reliefs from X–XI c. Moreover, this relief is one of the few where stirrups and chape of the scabbard are shown. It is important information because these pictures can be compared with other Byzantine archaeological sources to reconstruct their real look. The conclusions are that the majority of Armenian weapons have similarities to the Byzantine one but no less important are Muslim influences which we have found in some examples. Located between two civilizations (Byzantine and Muslim), Armenians adopted the best examples of military sphere creating their own culture. Moreover, thanks to the comparative analysis we will prove the idea that medieval figurative sources is a good and more or less accurate source for studying medieval military history and our research will serve as evidence for this.