1,721,016 research outputs found
Economic Driven Cultural Change through Faunal Analysis: Villa de Vilauba
Full text linkThis thesis examines the participation of the Villa de Vilauba, located in the Roman province of Hispania Citerior, in the Roman economic system as assessed through the analysis of faunal assemblages from the first to the fifth centuries CE. The faunal assemblages of the villa are contextualized within their regional economic context and compared to the faunal record from the region of Roman Tarraconensis, and more widely, the rest of the province of Hispania. This allows the author to gauge the effect of the Roman conquest on livestock production within the villa, and on the region more broadly. Focusing on the three main domestic livestock types of the ancient Mediterranean (ovicaprine, pigs, and cattle), it is concluded that villa owners actively determined what fauna they would incorporate into their estates and in doing so they choose to incorporate Roman foodways and husbandry with their own.Master of Art
Stamp Impressions on Egyptian Amphorae of the Hellenistic Period (332-30 BCE)
Full text linkExtensive research has been generated over the past fifty years concerning the creation, distribution, and consumption of Aegean transport amphoras throughout the broader Mediterranean during the Hellenistic period, with special attention paid to stamped amphoras. Most scholars agree that amphora production was intimately related to the production of the wine these vessels were created to contain. In the Ptolemaic period, a boom in the consumption of wine was stimulated by the arrival of Greek and Macedonian kleruchs to the newly-created Hellenistic kingdom of Egypt. Confronted with this massive demand, the Ptolemies invested in the production of wine through the creation of wine estates throughout the Fayyum. Subsequently, this boom in wine production necessitated the production of vessels to hold this commodity: amphoras. As a result, a corpus of distinctly Egyptian-made amphoras emerged that assimilated the stylistic features of Aegean amphoras, including stamps. So far, studies of amphora stamps have only been conducted on types manufactured at Aegean sites. Thus, this paper aims to expand the study of stamped Hellenistic amphoras to those manufactured in Egypt in order to examine the role of stamps in the production, consumption and distribution of locally-made Egyptian amphoras throughout Ptolemaic Egypt. Bachelor of Art
Regional Dynamics of Sacred Space: Exploring Cultic Practices in the Roman Near East
Full text linkThis thesis examines the adaptation and integration of local traditions within two distinct cult sites in the Roman Near East: the Mithraeum at Dura Europos and the Sanctuary of Pan at Banias. By analyzing the regional variations and specific archaeological data points of these sites, the study aims to uncover the nuanced ways in which local customs and religious practices shaped their distinctive characters. At Dura Europos, unique iconographic elements and local adaptations in the Mithraeum reflect a dynamic interaction between traditional Mithraic iconography and local visual traditions. The Sanctuary of Pan at Banias, rooted in its prehistoric importance and natural environment, illustrates the interplay between Greco-Roman mythology and the site's sacrality. This research highlights the complex cultural interactions that defined the religious landscape of these ancient sites, offering a broader perspective on religious syncretism in the Roman Empire. Through a detailed examination of the interplay between local customs and religious practices, the thesis sheds light on the distinctive cultural identities that emerged within these cult sites, contributing to our understanding of the broader phenomenon of religious adaptation and integration in antiquity.Master of Art
The Enthroned Nude Female: An Exploration of Nabataean Domestic Religion Through a Terracotta Figurine
Full text linkINTRODUCTION
Religion in the ancient world was interwoven into the lives of its inhabitants. Temples
and public shrines were prominent in the landscapes of the greatest cities to the smallest villages,
emphasizing the divine force thought to control every aspect of life. Such monuments have
received much attention, archaeologically and historically, for their importance in the culture of
these past societies. These centers of religion, however, often addressed the broad concerns of
the state and society; for example, the purpose of Egyptian temples was to maintain ma’at and
the order of the universe. However, religious practice extended far beyond the precinct of the
temple and was often integrated into the daily lives of all classes of society, from the elite to the
common worker.
In domestic space, for example, more intimate concerns were considered, particularly
those revolving around individuals’ daily and home lives. Because of the frequent differences
between the religion of the temple, which was often state-ordained and directed, and that
practiced by individuals at the personal level, the investigation of religion beyond the temple
temenos can provide great insight. The religious activities and objects of the home often
illuminate a society’s beliefs as to how certain forces affected their daily lives with regard to
issues ranging from sickness to procreation, and how such forces could be manipulated.
Additionally, the traditions of the home, while maintaining a degree of continuity with those of
the temple through similar objects and practices, tend to be traditions that are slow to change,
allowing a look into practices and beliefs that stretch far into the past.
This thesis focuses on an object type that gives a glimpse into such beliefs and traditions
of one society, Nabataea. Terracotta figurines were a frequent part of domestic religious practice
in the ancient Near East and Mediterranean.1 Through an in-depth analysis of the Enthroned
Nude Female, an anthropomorphic terracotta figurine common to Nabataean domestic contexts,
this study will show that Nabataea was no exception to the use of such objects in domestic
religion, and that this figurine type is quite informative concerning the character of Nabataean
domestic religion. This introductory chapter begins with a brief background of the land and
people of Nabataea. Additionally, a review is conducted of the previous research into Nabataean
religion and Nabataean terracotta figurines. Lastly, the goals and structure of this research are
outlined in Section 1.4, thereby establishing the framework for the thesis.Bachelor of Art
THE INCLUSION AND NEGOTIATION OF THE APPROPRIATE FEMALE PRESENCE IN PUBLIC: THAMUGADI AND CUICUL
Full text linkThis treatment begins to re-contextualize some of the epigraphic material from the Roman African cities of Thamugadi and Cuicul by taking into account associated statuary and probable locations for these monuments within the town centers. In order to go beyond simply noting that women were part of the urban fabric of Roman communities in the West, this discussion considers the specific economic context of the North African region and its impact on how women chose to present themselves both as a part of the public fabric of the community and in a manner that would have been acceptable in a male-dominated, Roman society. Evidence from North Africa demonstrates that Roman influence did not translate into consistent honorific practices and that the ways in which women were included in public space display distinct local patterns even within the same province or across cities with similar social structures.Master of Art
The Creation of Shared Memory: The Theater Reliefs from Hierapolis
Full text linkThe theater reliefs from the site of Hierapolis were first published in 1898 by Carl Humann and since then have been discussed by multiple scholars. However, rarely are all of the reliefs from the theater discussed in the same work. More often than not, scholars either choose to focus on the podium reliefs or on the reliefs from the porta regia and leave only a few cursory lines to deal with the rest of the sculpted reliefs from the theater, if they are mentioned at all. This paper seeks to look at the entire sculpted relief program from the theater at Hierapolis and not only analyze how the iconographic program of the theater fits together, but also the message that is being broadcast to the citizens of Hierapolis.Master of Art
Rethinking the Achilles at Skyros Myth: Two Representations from Pompeii
Full text linkPrevious scholarship on the Pompeiian representations of the Achilles at Skyros myth has largely focused on how these works of art communicate moralizing messages about traditional gender roles. I argue, however, that artists seem especially interested in exploring and representing Achilles and Deidamia’s love story. Through a close analysis of images and texts, I demonstrate how amatory themes were central to Roman versions of this myth in both literature and art. By focusing on the decorative ensembles from the House of the Dioscuri and the House of Apollo I highlight the importance of these images’ architectural contexts in framing the viewer’s interpretation of this myth—a myth that touched on themes of love and loss.Master of Art
The Iconography and Use of Minoan versus Mycenaean Wall Painting
Full text linkWall painting is an important aspect of Middle to Late Bronze Age art in the Aegean. The Mycenaean frescoes on the mainland are typically portrayed as a decadent form of art, declined in quality from their Minoan predecessors. Furthermore, Mycenaeans are often thought to have misunderstood Minoan motifs. In this thesis, following description and analysis of the Minoan frescoes from Knossos and Akrotiri, and the Mycenaean frescoes from Pylos and Mycenae, I argue that Mycenaean elites consciously made Minoan art their own. The technology and iconography of wall painting was adapted for use within their own culture and social structure. Wall paintings are also situated within broader discourses on the function of palaces and the transfer of culture.Master of Art
The Ptolemies and the 3rd Century B.C.E. Ceramic Assemblage
Full text linkThe Ptolemaic political, military, and economic interests in the 3rd century B.C.E. Aegean and Greek mainland fostered cultural exchange. I examine the ceramic evidence from two sites to assess the network of interaction and its impact on the function and production of Hellenistic pottery types. The ceramic assemblage from Eretria, a city with a historically Greek affiliation, will serve as a point of comparison for the evidence from Koroni, a Ptolemaic site in Attika. The ceramic assemblage from Koroni tells us three things: 1) the fine ware indicates that the Ptolemies had already begun to be involved in what will become the Hellenistic koine, 2) Koroni was not directly linked with Athens, which throws into question the function of the site, and 3) the Ptolemaic intervention in and then withdrawal from Attika and the Aegean was one reason behind the fluctuation in the market for Attic black gloss pottery.Master of Art
Shifting Centers of Production: The Amphorae Assemblages at Mons Porphyrites and Bir Umm Fawakhir
Full text linkMons Porphyrites and Bir Umm Fawakhir in the Eastern Desert of Egypt were two sites of resource extraction during the Roman and subsequent Byzantine occupation of Egypt. Mons Porphyrites was quarried for its vibrant purple stone featured in building projects such as the Pantheon. Bir Umm Fawakhir was a gold mine which was worked intermittently from the twentieth dynasty of the Egyptian pharaohs through the Ptolemies and into the Byzantine period. In this paper, I examine the amphorae evidence from both sites to trace the patterns over time in the distribution of goods including centers of production, routes of transportation, and the larger networks of supplying the labor forces at these zones of extraction. The end result is that the provisioning of the quarries and the mines took place in a complex system of trade which functioned alongside local lines of supply.Master of Art
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