The publications of the roof-tiles from Acquarossa, Poggio Civitate and San Giovenale have left a number of issues in need of further discussion. Besides three sections of special character (1, 4, 6) and two concentrated on tile dimensions (3, 5), the article centres around five questions of more general interest: contacts between the early Etruscan/Latial and Campanian terracotta industries (2), problems connected with the eaves (7), damage to and repairs of the roofs (8), manufacture and price of the tiles (9) and the socio-economic background of the diffusion and breakthrough of the tile-roof (10).
Carl Fredrik Fredenheim’s excavation in the Roman Forum in 1788−1789, which paved the way for the discovery of the Basilica Giulia in 1848, has been acknowledged as the first modern archaeological work in Rome. Although his findings had been published by 1795 in an essay by the Alsatian scholar Jérémie-Jacques Oberlin, the project’s innovative methods were only recognized and appreciated in the 20th century. This article questions why this is so by exploring the way in which Fredenheim’s project was printed and illustrated. It concludes that the impact of the publication as originally planned was compromised because of the effects of the French Revolution on the lives of the three men involved: Fredenheim himself in Stockholm, the printmaker Francesco Piranesi in Rome, and Oberlin in Strasbourg. As a result, not only were the publications difficult to access, but some were without illustrations. This article argues that these illustrations were seminal in making Fredenheim’s science-based archaeological process visible. They utilize novel graphic conventions that indicate the process of measured digging and the position of the most valuable or useful artifacts.
The recently discovered traces of an Etruscan wooden bridge may reveal the oldest known bridge construction on the Italian peninsula. The Spina bridge at San Giovenale holds significant importance for understanding early architecture, building techniques and infrastructural practices. Functioning as a vehicular viaduct, the 30-m-long structure spanned the Dogana gorge, connecting the Casale Vignale necropolis with the Spina area on the settlement plateau. Etruscan remains along the roads leading to the bridge were utilized to establish its chronology. Tentatively dated to the second half of the 7th century BC, the bridge is contemporaneous with Rome’s legendary Pons Sublicius—a structure traditionally recognized as Italy’s oldest bridge, though no extant archaeological evidence corroborates its existence. This context renders the San Giovenale site unparalleled. Early scholars doubted the existence of such a long bridge, positing that access to the Spina plateau was achieved via a ramp. Proponents of the bridge hypothesis, meanwhile, faced a lack of physical proof. The present study confirms the existence of these remains and demonstrates how they illuminate both the original construction and perhaps the bridge’s diverse functions.
Over the course of the 2024 season of the Palamas Archaeological Project, a number of archaeological sites in the vicinity of modern Palamas were excavated and surveyed. Excavations at the multiperiod urban settlement at Vlochos yielded evidence of the Hellenistic and Late Roman periods, including that of a probable stoa and of extensive metalworking industry. The fieldwalking survey on the nearby hill of Kourtikiano Vouno was concluded, followed by test trenches in the Early Byzantine fortified settlement on the hill-slope. A large late Medieval–Ottoman building complex was identified on a rocky ridge north of Metamorfosi. Several prehistoric sites (magoules) in the area were also rudimentarily surveyed, providing evidence for extensive habitation in the region in all periods of prehistory. Finally, geophysical prospection at the neighbouring site of Makrya Magoula at Pyrgos Kieriou yielded evidence for two monumental courtyard buildings.
The aim of this paper is to report on the fieldwork conducted at Pergamos in 2024, in order to make the data available and to provide preliminary observations and interpretations of the finds. In the absence of any previous archaeological work at the site, the main objective of this first fieldwork season was to construct a basic chronological framework of human presence and activity. To this end, a systematic surface survey was carried out, providing an overview of the material, along with excavations in the lower terrace of the hill of Koules/Alonaki, in connection to the better-preserved southern fortification walls. The architectural elements and the finds unearthed revealed important, previously unknown, aspects about ancient Pergamos, embracing a variety of activities and indicating connections with both the local/regional material culture but also with that of regions further away.
The publications of the roof-tiles from Acquarossa, Poggio Civitate and San Giovenale have left a number of issues in need of further discussion. Besides three sections of special character (1, 4, 6) and two concentrated on tile dimensions (3, 5), the article centres around five questions of more general interest: contacts between the early Etruscan/Latial and Campanian terracotta industries (2), problems connected with the eaves (7), damage to and repairs of the roofs (8), manufacture and price of the tiles (9) and the socio-economic background of the diffusion and breakthrough of the tile-roof (10).
Over the course of the 2024 season of the Palamas Archaeological Project, a number of archaeological sites in the vicinity of modern Palamas were excavated and surveyed. Excavations at the multiperiod urban settlement at Vlochos yielded evidence of the Hellenistic and Late Roman periods, including that of a probable stoa and of extensive metalworking industry. The fieldwalking survey on the nearby hill of Kourtikiano Vouno was concluded, followed by test trenches in the Early Byzantine fortified settlement on the hill-slope. A large late Medieval-Ottoman building complex was identified on a rocky ridge north of Metamorfosi. Several prehistoric sites (magoules) in the area were also rudimentarily surveyed, providing evidence for extensive habitation in the region in all periods of prehistory. Finally, geophysical prospection at the neighbouring site of Makrya Magoula at Pyrgos Kieriou yielded evidence for two monumental courtyard buildings.*
The recently discovered traces of an Etruscan wooden bridge may reveal the oldest known bridge construction on the Italian peninsula. The Spina bridge at San Giovenale holds significant importance for understanding early architecture, building techniques and infrastructural practices. Functioning as a vehicular viaduct, the 30-m-long structure spanned the Dogana gorge, connecting the Casale Vignale necropolis with the Spina area on the settlement plateau. Etruscan remains along the roads leading to the bridge were utilized to establish its chronology. Tentatively dated to the second half of the 7th century BC, the bridge is contemporaneous with Rome's legendary Pons Sublicius-a structure traditionally recognized as Italy's oldest bridge, though no extant archaeological evidence corroborates its existence. This context renders the San Giovenale site unparalleled. Early scholars doubted the existence of such a long bridge, positing that access to the Spina plateau was achieved via a ramp. Proponents of the bridge hypothesis, meanwhile, faced a lack of physical proof. The present study confirms the existence of these remains and demonstrates how they illuminate both the original construction and perhaps the bridge's diverse functions.
The 14th and 15th excavation seasons at the Late Bronze Age site of Hala Sultan Tekke focused on the excavation of tombs threatened by agricultural activities and erosion. Magnetic anomalies detected in 2017 aligned with concentrations of sherds in the ploughed soil, revealing six tombs: the partly looted Chamber Tomb VV and the intact Chamber Tombs XX, YY, ZZ, AB East and AB West. These stratified tombs, with successive interments, complement the occupation sequence of the 25+ ha city, where excavations have been ongoing since 2010. The rich mortuary goods, dating mainly to the 14th-13th centuries BC, confirm Hala Sultan Tekke's role as a major Mediterranean trade hub. Material evidence indicates connections with Mycenaean, Minoan, Hittite, Levantine and Egyptian cultures, extending as far as Sardinia, the Baltic, Mesopotamia, Afghanistan and India. The tombs also provide insights into Late Cypriot mortuary customs.*
Carl Fredrik Fredenheim's excavation in the Roman Forum in 1788-1789, which paved the way for the discovery of the Basilica Giulia in 1848, has been acknowledged as the first modern archaeological work in Rome. Although his findings had been published by 1795 in an essay by the Alsatian scholar J & eacute;r & eacute;mie-Jacques Oberlin, the project's innovative methods were only recognized and appreciated in the 20th century. This article questions why this is so by exploring the way in which Fredenheim's project was printed and illustrated. It concludes that the impact of the publication as originally planned was compromised because of the effects of the French Revolution on the lives of the three men involved: Fredenheim himself in Stockholm, the printmaker Francesco Piranesi in Rome, and Oberlin in Strasbourg. As a result, not only were the publications difficult to access, but some were without illustrations. This article argues that these illustrations were seminal in making Fredenheim's science-based archaeological process visible. They utilize novel graphic conventions that indicate the process of measured digging and the position of the most valuable or useful artifacts.
Kazanl & imath; is a settlement between the cities of Tarsus and Mersin in Turkey, and part of Cilicia Pedias in antiquity. Here, an amphora dump was discovered on the shoreline; it has not yet been officially recognized as an archaeological site. A waste layer in the dump consists of a large majority Late Roman Amphorae 1 (LRA 1) and few Late Roman Amphorae 4 fragments. LRA 1 is an amphora type produced in Cilicia, the Orontes delta, Cyprus, western Anatolia and the southern Aegean islands. In this article, results of research into the typological traits, fabrics, surface and slip colours of a sample of LR 1 amphorae produced in Kazanl & imath; are introduced to the literature for the first time. According to the dates of the parallels, we may date the activity of this workshop to the late 4th-6th, and possibly 7th centuries AD.
The study deals with a pictorial scene partially preserved on a kylix of the 14th century BC (Late Helladic IIIA2) from the Mycenaean settlement of Kontopigado, 5 km south of the Athenian Acropolis. The scene includes part of a beaked jug, a vase that in Minoan and Mycenaean religious realm was connected with libations of liquids. Based on an analysis of the iconography of libation jugs, the study tentatively proposes that the scene presents a ritual involving water libations and possibly a rare depiction of a showery cloud, allowing new insights into religious iconography of the 14th century BC.
Thesauroi are common in Greek sanctuaries, as we know from epigraphical, literary and physical evidence, although written sources, especially inscriptions, are often ambiguous as to whether they refer to money boxes or buildings since the same term can be used for either. Scholars have long studied the latter, particularly the architecture and sculpture of those at Olympia and in the Apollo sanctuary at Delphi. Far less attention has been given to the administration, placement, accessibility and the motivations for constructing these buildings. This paper gathers and discusses the evidence concerning these issues to better understand these common structures and their use and function within sanctuaries.
The aim of this paper is to report on the fieldwork conducted at Pergamos in 2024, in order to make the data available and to provide preliminary observations and interpretations of the finds. In the absence of any previous archaeological work at the site, the main objective of this first fieldwork season was to construct a basic chronological framework of human presence and activity. To this end, a systematic surface survey was carried out, providing an overview of the material, along with excavations in the lower terrace of the hill of Koules/ Alonaki, in connection to the better-preserved southern fortification walls. The architectural elements and the finds unearthed revealed important, previously unknown, aspects about ancient Pergamos, embracing a variety of activities and indicating connections with both the local/regional material culture but also with that of regions further away.
Archaeological investigation at Patara, on the south-western coast of T & uuml;rkiye, has generated new data concerning the city's status under Ptolemaic rule in the 3rd century BC. In this study, we focus on a Hellenistic context found at the Tepecik Settlement dating from the period of Ptolemaic hegemony. A Rhodian amphora bearing stamp on each handle and four coins found in situ enable us to date this context to the first half of the 3rd century BC. The amphora, which was produced in the Rhodian Peraia, slightly further northwest along the Turkish coast, records the eponym Chi rho upsilon sigma sigma tau rho alpha tau omicron sigma (c. 266 B C) and fabricant sigma tau sigma. The pairing of these two persons is here clearly confirmed for the first time. The four coins found in the same context include a bronze Macedonian regal coin, two ancient counterfeit silver-plated bronze coins (one recording the name of Alexander the Great and the other recording the name of Ptolemy Soter), and a genuine Rhodian silver coin carrying the name of the magistrate rho iota sigma tau beta iota omicron sigma. The Rhodian amphora stamps lend further precision to the dating of this context and coins. Thus, we suggest the period c. 275-265/264 BC for the dating of the Rhodian silver coin and the tenure of the Rhodian magistrate rho iota sigma tau beta iota omicron sigma.*
It has long been clear that the water supply in ancient Greece was transformed over time, with the relative number of various types of water sources varying in time and space. Yet, what patterns this produced has never been explored, and the degree to which trends suggested by local or qualitative studies are representative for larger areas and patterns is unknown. The root of this uncertainty lies largely in the difficulty assembling an extensive and representative material beyond individual sites or cities. Following this, the present article has two aims. The first is to test and evaluate a method for collecting an extensive and (more) representative material for the investigation of the water supply in ancient Greece on a regional scale, based on a systematic review of the material from the Peloponnese published in Archaeological Reports 1887–2012. The second aim is to discuss how the collected data can be used to explore the transformations of the water supply systems on the Peloponnese in the period 900 BC–AD 300. Together the results are intended to develop further the WaterWorks project, which aims to create a better understanding of the development of the ancient water supply. The method produced a considerably better dataset than previously available. The dataset, recorded in an Access database, suggests that some hitherto acknowledged trends are probably valid for larger areas while others are less prominent than previously believed. However, in the end, the dataset is too limited to allow firm conclusions concerning how, and to a larger degree why, the water supply system was transformed over time. The dataset will be made publicly accessible in an open access repository.
