Time and Cosmos: A Zoomorphic Cosmological Monument of the Late Antiquity (original) (raw)
Related papers
Time and Cosmos: A Zoomorphic Cosmological Monument of Late Antiquity
Folklore: Electronic Journal of Folklore, 2010
The protome of the ram from West Bulgaria is a lunisolar calendar of parapegmatic type from the period of antiquity (2nd-4th century AC), which imparts encoded calendrical, cosmological and cosmogonic information. On the protome there are marked synodic, sidereal, and draconic months; lunar, solar and draconic years, as well as different time periods-seasons and cycles. One of the images on the protome's body can be interpreted as an image of the Draco constellation around the fixed point of the North Pole in the centre of the ecliptic. The symbols of seven luminaries-the Sun, the Moon and five planets-which were known at the beginning of the first millennium are also featured on the protome. In the context of the monument, the presence of the astronomical concept of the world axis and the centre of the ecliptic means that the creators of the ram's protome perceived it as an omphalos, the sacred centre of the world, the zoomorphic model of the world mountain and the world tree. The suggestion is confirmed by the structural particularities of the protome, by the images of mythological characters and by scenes of cosmogonic motifs. The given artefact represents the conceptualisation of the world in a generalised, syncretised and interdisciplinary way through the language of astronomy, mythology and calendaristics. In the period of antiquity, time and space were perceived as a united integer and as an endless divine beginning connected with the universe and its divine essence. The calendar is an attempt to comprehend the phenomenon of an infinite and cyclic time and use it in practice during the terrestrial life.
Aestimatio: Critical Reviews in the History of Science
, an extraordinarily rich exhibition of over 100 items related broadly to time was held at the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World (ISAW) at New York University. The objects came from 26 international museums and collections, and included sundials of varying types, scale, and materials; clepsydras; star-globes; calendars and parapegmata; inscriptions; mosaics; sarcophagi; statuettes, reliefs; tablets; seal stamps; an altar; vessels; papyri; gems; rings; coins; and a cameo (have I missed anything?!). This book is the catalog for the exhibition.
The time period in Greek prehistory defined as the ‘Bronze Age’ lasts roughly for two millennia. From the later part of the period, the 2nd millennium BC, we have both texts and other material culture remains as sources of evidence for a discussion on how time was perceived, defined and even administered. Time in human terms is understood and delegated on the basis of the movements of celestial bodies, namely the sun, the moon and the (visible) planets, they therefore constitute the focus of interest here. First the evidence of written texts is examined, mostly the Linear B records dating to the later half of the millennium. It has long been established that the Linear B tablet registrations make explicit references to years and months, and some of the month names were also recorded and are in this way known. The parameters of month definition on the tablets pertain to religious practices and events, but what was of course of interest to the authorities was the administrative and economic aspect of this time management. Along with the textual evidence, there is also a more challenging set of evidence, that of material remains in general. We have iconographic evidence on seals and preserved seal impressions of the sun, the moon, the sky and the stars. Recent archaeological finds include a possible sun-decorated warrior armor from Pylos in Messenia as well as more seal iconographic evidence, that have the potential to update the discussion on the importance of celestial symbols and Minoan-Mycenaean iconography and religion. Iconographic evidence appears to be more challenging because it allows for a variety of interpretations with its inherent ambiguity. The meaning and eventual importance of celestial bodies in Aegean iconography of the 2nd mill. BC is assessed and discussed in conjunction with the previously known textual evidence.
From October 19, 2016-April 23, 2017, ISAW mounted an exhibition entitled Time and the Cosmos in Greco-Roman Antiquity. This ground-breaking show aimed to explore the ways in which time was conceived, organized, and recorded in the Greco-Roman world. The spectacular objects in the exhibition included artifacts that illustrated thetechnology of ancient timekeeping and the social role and perception of time, as well demonstrated the perspective of time’s role in the universe, the environment, and human destiny. The exhibition was curated by Alexander Jones, Professor of the History of the Exact Sciences in Antiquity at ISAW, who is also part of the Antikythera Mechanism Study and Research team. There was a fully illustrated catalogue- Oxford/Rrinceton University Press- with at least seven thematic essays that accompanied the exhibition as well as a host of public program. The ancient Greeks and Romans contributed more than any other past civilization to the rise of time's dominion over individual and public life. Adapting ideas from Egypt and Babylonia, they divided the day into hours, and invented sophisticated instruments and devices to mark their passage. This exhibition aimed to explore the ways that time was organized and kept track of in the Greco-Roman world, and how it was conceived in relation to the Cosmos. The displayed objects included artifacts illustrating the technology of ancient time reckoning and the social role, perception, and visualization of time and cosmos; the selection also highlighted the contrasting formative roles of indigenous Greek and Roman cultural practices and contact with the civilizations of Mesopotamia and Egypt as well as the peoples of northwest Europe. The exhibition was organized around two themes: the Tools of Time Reckoning, exploring the material resources that gave temporal structure of the daily life of private individuals and the community in public spheres such as religion, commerce, and law, and Reflections of Time and Cosmos, concerning ancient representations of time, the universe, and their power to shape the environment and human destiny. One of the most important, requested pieces for loan, was an inscription in the Museum of the Ancient Agora’s collection, Stele with an Inscribed Reconciliation Agreement, and that because the cultic and civic aspects of Greek lunar calendars can be seen clearly in this inscription, which commemorates the arbitrated resolution of a dispute over cultic responsibilities between two groups within the Athenian genos called the Salaminioi in the mid-fourth century BCE. The stele specifies the sharing of religious duties (in particular the assignment of priesthoods and payment of expenses for sacrifices) between the two groups and specific sacrifices are mentioned by name and associated with particular months or dates. Many international Institutions partnered with ISAW (The Louvre Museum, the British Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Getty Museum, e.t.c., while the requested pieces from Greece truly made this exhibition project exceptional highlight the fundamental role Greece played in the development of western concepts of time The project was accompanied by the Annual lecture: Georgios Spyropoulos: “Herodes Atticus and the Greco-Roman world: Imperial Cosmos, Cosmic Allusions, Art and Culture in his estate in Southern Peloponnese (lecture/paper with honorarium)”, which is currently being published.
Putting the astronomy back into Greek calendrics: the parapegma of Euctemon
Instruments – Observations – Theories: Studies in the History of Astronomy in Honor of James Evans, ed. Alexander Jones and Christián Carman, 2020
It is a pleasure to be able to offer a paper to our honorand. Many years ago James Evans established himself as a great teacher of the history of ancient Greek astronomy to many beyond the confines of his own lecture room through his book, The History and Practice of Ancient Astronomy. While in more recent years he has provided us with sophisticated papers on the more technical aspects of astronomy, especially as they pertain to the Antikythera Mechanism, it is to that earlier monograph, and its impact on myself and my own students, that I wish to pay homage in this small offering on ancient "observational" astronomy.
Mediterranean Archaeology and Archaeometry
Analysis of the symbols engraved on prehistoric unknown use terracotae, the so called frying pan vessels (Teganoschema), reveal a symbolic writing that depicts astronomical phenomena, that are complex calendars based on the Sun and the Moon and all then known planets. The frying pan vessels are mainly found in Cyclades, and around the Aegean, Crete, Attica, and Thessaly. They are artifacts of the Cycladic civilization of the Early Helladic Era. They have been found mainly in graves and settlements. The first findings came to light during the late nineteenth century in the islands of Cyclades and their possible use is still causing strong scientific interest, as it is unknown. Until now, archaeologists could not determine their use and the meaning of their representations. It was believed that these vessels were used in funeral rituals, therefore depicted patterns like the sun and the sea may be associated with beliefs about the afterlife. We have studied the morphology and the representations of the Cycladic frying pan vessels that are found in museums and in literature dating from the middle of the 4th millennium.