Archaeological research in Marea/Philoxenite has been conducted since 2000 by the Polish Centre for Mediterranean Archaeology at the University of Warsaw, in cooperation with the Archaeological Museum in Kraków. The work is mainly carried out on the site of one of the largest Christian basilicas in Egypt and in some parts of the city. According to the research, the peak development of the city was during the Byzantine period. It was one of the most important centres on the road leading from Alexandria to the sanctuary of Saint Menas at Abu Mina. So far, more than 9,000 coins have been recorded at the site, of which late Roman minimi dominate. Among the finds are two copper coins with a standing caliph effigy struck before the monetary reform of ‘Abd al-Malik ibn Marwān in 696/7. Due to the names on the coins and the die links, the coins may have been struck in Qinnasrīn and Damascus. The first coin was found during research in the 2004 season on the limestone floor in room no. 8 behind the south-western corner of the Great Basilica. The second was found during the 2021 season of excavation in the south-western urban district, in trench N1 in the church aisle.
Philipp von Stosch (1691-1757) was one of the most prominent connoisseurs and collectors of ancient engraved gems. He assembled an extensive collection of approximately 3,500 pieces and published the pioneering book Gemmae antiquae caelatae in 1724. Despite this, Stosch has frequently been accused of practices that would tarnish his image as an exceptional collector and learned scholar, such as supporting the production of fake intaglios and glass gems. These claims have continued to circulate to this day, and this article examines and evaluates evidence for and against his possible conscious/direct and unconscious/indirect involvment in the creation of counterfeit gems in the eighteenth century. The discovery of Stosch’s substantial archive of gem drawings, a detailed analysis of his collecting habits, and a close examination of his collabortaions with contemporary gem engravers, among others, allow us to conclude that his activities were often misunderstood. His primary goal was to study and comprehend the techniques and styles of engraving employed by ancient artists.
This paper publishes and assesses a set of letters held by the Biblioteca Estense of Modena. Written by G. L. Castelli, Prince of Torremuzza (1727-1792), to L. A. Muratori (1672-1750) and G. F. Soli Muratori (1701-1769), they provide data on antiquarianism in eighteenth-century Sicily and Italy. In particular, they help us better understand Castelli’s role as an expert on Sicilian epigraphy and archaeology, including his willingness to correct Muratori’s works on these subjects. The letters also disclose information on the discovery of a tessera hospitalis (Marsala) and book exchanges among eighteenth-century Italian scholars.
This paper investigates Urartian-type bimetallic swords unearthed from the second stage of Iron Age pit graves in the Samtavro cemetery. The Samtavro Necropolis in Shida Kartli, Georgia, represents a complex stratigraphic and chronological model, combining the successive stages of the Late Bronze and Iron Ages as well as the Classical and Late Antiquity. Based on a typological study of this group of swords, their provenance and distribution are discussed and compared with the counterpart artefacts found in Eastern Anatolia and North-Western Iran. The lack of any representational art or written sources inhibits the research from establishing a clearer picture of relations and mobility systems between the populations in the West and Central Caucasus and the Kingdom of Urartu in the region of Van. The paper focuses on the transmission, emulation and adaptation of Urartian metalworking techniques. However, the research aims to analyse the local replicas, morphological variants and Urartian influences that occurred in the first half of the 1st millennium BC in the context of burial practices and goods, relying solely on morphological and contextual methods. From this perspective, the research attempts to provide new insights into inter-tribal connections, eventual military pursuits and warfare in Shida Kartli and neighbouring regions.
This paper presents a preliminary analysis of the ceramic assemblage excavated during the 2022-2023 seasons from Area 1A at Erimi-Pitharka, a regional site located in the Kouris Valley in south-central Cyprus. The ceramics date to LC IIC-LC IIIA (ca. 1300-1150 BC) and contain a range of locally produced wares and imported pottery. The two seasons of excavations yielded almost 4,000 highly fragmented sherds, dominated by a high proportion of Pithos and Plain White wares. The analysis suggests that Erimi-Pitharka functioned as an agricultural processing site, with a focus on industrial activities and storage. This preliminary study serves as a first step towards understanding the role of agricultural production and storage at Erimi-Pitharka within the broader socio-economic landscape of the Late Cypriot Kouris Valley.
