The chance discovery of a unique unpublished nineteenth-century photograph in the archive of the ... more The chance discovery of a unique unpublished nineteenth-century photograph in the archive of the BSA has led to the re-discovery of one of the lost Byzantine churches of Constantinople. The church, known as the Seyh Murad Mescidi, was destroyed by 1880, and is preserved only through two lithographs and descriptions. These sources are re-accessed in the light of the BSA photograph, and a Comnene date for the main part of the building is proposed, with Palaeologan additions. Previous attributions concerning the church's Byzantine dedication are examined and found wanting. An alternative dedication, to the Prophet Elisha, is suggested.
A monumental inscription of emperor Anastasius I (r. 491-518 CE), now to be found in the town of ... more A monumental inscription of emperor Anastasius I (r. 491-518 CE), now to be found in the town of Mecitözü, located on the Çorum-Amasya highway in Çorum province in north central Turkey, is a key piece of evidence for the location of the Byzantine city of Euchaïta (188-89, 221-22). In late Roman times, Euchaïta was situated in the province of Helenopontus, a mountainous, upland region of Anatolia that extended along the south shores of the Black Sea. According to local reports collected in 1963 by the late Cyril Mango and Ihor Ševčenko, the Anastasius inscription had been brought to Mecitözü from the nearby village of Avkat (also spelled Avhat, and now renamed Beyözü), only some 6.7 km away to the north. 1 On the basis of this inscription, and another now at the city of Amasya (ancient Amaseia, located some 62 km by modern road from Beyözü), Mango and Ševčenko identified Avkat as Euchaïta, an argument first made by the Belgian Byzantinist H. Grégoire in 1910. 2 As this epigraphic evidence makes clear, when Anastasius granted Euchaïta civic status (probably 515-18 CE), the settlement was endowed with a bishopric and city walls in recognition of the importance of its cult of the Christian martyr Theodore Tiro (Τήρων) "the Recruit," whose original feast day fell on 17 February. Theodore was a soldier-saint said
The Oxford Handbook of Byzantine Art and Architecture
This chapter presents an overview of the history, practice and results of Byzantine archaeology i... more This chapter presents an overview of the history, practice and results of Byzantine archaeology in modern Greece and Turkey. Originating in Classical and Early Christian archaeology, and Byzantine art history in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, its early focus was largely ecclesiastical; the modern field has widened to investigate the urbanism and rural settlements, fortifications, ecclesiastical, monastic and funerary monuments, along with remains of the Byzantine economy and landscape. The chapter considers sources, contemporary research goals and field methods, theoretical approaches, organization of field surveys and excavations, and the administration of archaeology in Greece and Turkey, as well as academic publishing and the place of the field in academia; It ends with a discussion of future prospects.
This chapter o ers an introduction to the study of the funerary archaeology of Byzantine Anatolia... more This chapter o ers an introduction to the study of the funerary archaeology of Byzantine Anatolia from ca. AD 400 to 1100. After introducing the sources and taking account of the history of research, theoretical approaches and dating criteria are considered. This is followed by a chronological overview drawing upon key sites and publications that seeks to trace major developments in cemetery and tomb typologies, as well as the social and religious dimensions of tomb locations, burial styles, and objects. The chapter concludes with some general observations on the development of burial practices between the sixth and eleventh centuries and argues that funerary archaeology is an essential source for the study of Byzantine Anatolia. DESPITE THE ubiquity of burials in the archaeological record of Byzantine Anatolia, no comprehensive study exists at present, largely because of the vast scope of the eld and the complexity of the subject. This chapter therefore aims to provide an introduction to the subject by outlining approaches and dating criteria, before o ering a tentative, chronological overview of key sites, developments, and publications. This chapter concludes that, while drawing upon ancient pagan traditions, the funerary archaeology of Byzantine Anatolia represents a cultural response to Christian concepts of death and afterlife, the profane and sacred, identity and rank, and to burial places and tombs themselves. As such, funerary archaeology is an essential source for the study of society and culture in Byzantine Anatolia. The term "funerary archaeology" is here adopted as a broader, inclusive category to refer to the multidisciplinary study of the so-called archaeology of death, and cultural reactions to mortality between the fourth and eleventh centuries. Byzantine funerary archaeology draws upon a broad range of source materials, most obviously graves, tombs, and their contents, including human remains, and thus requires a wide range of disciplines and methodologies in their interpretation. If funerary archaeology is taken to refer to the material remains of "the archaeology of death," the term "funerary culture" is here adopted to mean the cultural, ideological, and societal construct of which the archaeology is the physical relict. Cultural reactions to death can be traced in a broad range of written sources, most notably liturgical, theological, and
In a pioneering article published in 1959, the great Byzantinist George Ostrogorsky remarked that... more In a pioneering article published in 1959, the great Byzantinist George Ostrogorsky remarked that, "[a]mong the fundamental problems of Byzantine history it would be hard to name one that has been studied less than has that of the cities" 1. Scholarship since 1959 has not neglected the subject of the Byzantine city and has access to considerably more sources. Nonetheless, the nature of urban life in medieval Byzantium remains a topic of controversy in Byzantine studies. This is especially true when considering the Byzantine cities of Asia Minor during the so-called 'Dark Ages' of the seventh to ninth centuries. The pioneering works of Clive Foss were the first to document much new evidence and combined the study of texts, historical geography and archaeology to produce histories of individual cities. 2 Other historians such as Cyril Mango, Michael Angold, Wolfram Brandes, and John F. Haldon have created broader historical syntheses, seeking to use archaeological data with a more nuanced study of Byzantine texts. Key questions raised by these studies include the functions of cities, the causes of growth and decline, the urban economy and the nature of daily life, and even whether some settlements can be regarded as 'urban' or 'cities' at all. 3 Given the continuing paucity of written sources it is to archaeological fieldwork, and specifically excavation, that future scholars must turn to expand the base of Byzantine urban history. This paper is a contribution to this debate and will discuss aspects of the development and economy of the Anatolian city of Amorium during the period of the so-called Byzantine Dark Ages (seventh to ninth centuries). The Byzantine site of Amorium is located in the ancient region of Phrygia in Central Western Turkey, some 168 km south west of the modern capital of Ankara (Fig. 1). Historical sources attest that medieval Amorium was a major military and administrative center during this period, becoming
... and Dr. Didem Oskay, all of whom showed great interest in the progress of our work. ... Domes... more ... and Dr. Didem Oskay, all of whom showed great interest in the progress of our work. ... Domestic Architecture of a Thematic Capital: The Archae-ological Evidence from Amorium," in H Bivavtnvi Mucp6 Aoaa (Athens, 1998), 303-20; CS Lightfoot and O. Kara-giorgou, "Byzantine ...
Five fragments from the tombs of the Gattelusi dynasty of Lesbos are presented, which were origin... more Five fragments from the tombs of the Gattelusi dynasty of Lesbos are presented, which were originally published by F.W. Hasluck in BSA 15 (1908–9). The monuments are published in detail for the first time, and are placed in the context of contemporary Byzantine and Genoese funerary monuments at Constantinople and in the Aegean. The identification of a church, recently excavated within the Kastro, with the Gattelusi burial church is also discussed, with remarks touching upon the mortuary practices of Latin rulers in the Levant. A final section attempts to attribute the tombs to members of the dynasty, using Gattelusi heraldry and iconography.
Five fragments from the tombs of the Gattelusi dynasty of Lesbos are presented, which were origin... more Five fragments from the tombs of the Gattelusi dynasty of Lesbos are presented, which were originally published by F.W. Hasluck in BSA 15 (1908–9). The monuments are published in detail for the first time, and are placed in the context of contemporary Byzantine and Genoese funerary monuments at Constantinople and in the Aegean. The identification of a church, recently excavated within the Kastro, with the Gattelusi burial church is also discussed, with remarks touching upon the mortuary practices of Latin rulers in the Levant. A final section attempts to attribute the tombs to members of the dynasty, using Gattelusi heraldry and iconography.
The chance discovery of a unique unpublished nineteenth-century photograph in the archive of the ... more The chance discovery of a unique unpublished nineteenth-century photograph in the archive of the BSA has led to the re-discovery of one of the lost Byzantine churches of Constantinople. The church, known as the Seyh Murad Mescidi, was destroyed by 1880, and is preserved only through two lithographs and descriptions. These sources are re-accessed in the light of the BSA photograph, and a Comnene date for the main part of the building is proposed, with Palaeologan additions. Previous attributions concerning the church's Byzantine dedication are examined and found wanting. An alternative dedication, to the Prophet Elisha, is suggested.
A monumental inscription of emperor Anastasius I (r. 491-518 CE), now to be found in the town of ... more A monumental inscription of emperor Anastasius I (r. 491-518 CE), now to be found in the town of Mecitözü, located on the Çorum-Amasya highway in Çorum province in north central Turkey, is a key piece of evidence for the location of the Byzantine city of Euchaïta (188-89, 221-22). In late Roman times, Euchaïta was situated in the province of Helenopontus, a mountainous, upland region of Anatolia that extended along the south shores of the Black Sea. According to local reports collected in 1963 by the late Cyril Mango and Ihor Ševčenko, the Anastasius inscription had been brought to Mecitözü from the nearby village of Avkat (also spelled Avhat, and now renamed Beyözü), only some 6.7 km away to the north. 1 On the basis of this inscription, and another now at the city of Amasya (ancient Amaseia, located some 62 km by modern road from Beyözü), Mango and Ševčenko identified Avkat as Euchaïta, an argument first made by the Belgian Byzantinist H. Grégoire in 1910. 2 As this epigraphic evidence makes clear, when Anastasius granted Euchaïta civic status (probably 515-18 CE), the settlement was endowed with a bishopric and city walls in recognition of the importance of its cult of the Christian martyr Theodore Tiro (Τήρων) "the Recruit," whose original feast day fell on 17 February. Theodore was a soldier-saint said
The Oxford Handbook of Byzantine Art and Architecture
This chapter presents an overview of the history, practice and results of Byzantine archaeology i... more This chapter presents an overview of the history, practice and results of Byzantine archaeology in modern Greece and Turkey. Originating in Classical and Early Christian archaeology, and Byzantine art history in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, its early focus was largely ecclesiastical; the modern field has widened to investigate the urbanism and rural settlements, fortifications, ecclesiastical, monastic and funerary monuments, along with remains of the Byzantine economy and landscape. The chapter considers sources, contemporary research goals and field methods, theoretical approaches, organization of field surveys and excavations, and the administration of archaeology in Greece and Turkey, as well as academic publishing and the place of the field in academia; It ends with a discussion of future prospects.
This chapter o ers an introduction to the study of the funerary archaeology of Byzantine Anatolia... more This chapter o ers an introduction to the study of the funerary archaeology of Byzantine Anatolia from ca. AD 400 to 1100. After introducing the sources and taking account of the history of research, theoretical approaches and dating criteria are considered. This is followed by a chronological overview drawing upon key sites and publications that seeks to trace major developments in cemetery and tomb typologies, as well as the social and religious dimensions of tomb locations, burial styles, and objects. The chapter concludes with some general observations on the development of burial practices between the sixth and eleventh centuries and argues that funerary archaeology is an essential source for the study of Byzantine Anatolia. DESPITE THE ubiquity of burials in the archaeological record of Byzantine Anatolia, no comprehensive study exists at present, largely because of the vast scope of the eld and the complexity of the subject. This chapter therefore aims to provide an introduction to the subject by outlining approaches and dating criteria, before o ering a tentative, chronological overview of key sites, developments, and publications. This chapter concludes that, while drawing upon ancient pagan traditions, the funerary archaeology of Byzantine Anatolia represents a cultural response to Christian concepts of death and afterlife, the profane and sacred, identity and rank, and to burial places and tombs themselves. As such, funerary archaeology is an essential source for the study of society and culture in Byzantine Anatolia. The term "funerary archaeology" is here adopted as a broader, inclusive category to refer to the multidisciplinary study of the so-called archaeology of death, and cultural reactions to mortality between the fourth and eleventh centuries. Byzantine funerary archaeology draws upon a broad range of source materials, most obviously graves, tombs, and their contents, including human remains, and thus requires a wide range of disciplines and methodologies in their interpretation. If funerary archaeology is taken to refer to the material remains of "the archaeology of death," the term "funerary culture" is here adopted to mean the cultural, ideological, and societal construct of which the archaeology is the physical relict. Cultural reactions to death can be traced in a broad range of written sources, most notably liturgical, theological, and
In a pioneering article published in 1959, the great Byzantinist George Ostrogorsky remarked that... more In a pioneering article published in 1959, the great Byzantinist George Ostrogorsky remarked that, "[a]mong the fundamental problems of Byzantine history it would be hard to name one that has been studied less than has that of the cities" 1. Scholarship since 1959 has not neglected the subject of the Byzantine city and has access to considerably more sources. Nonetheless, the nature of urban life in medieval Byzantium remains a topic of controversy in Byzantine studies. This is especially true when considering the Byzantine cities of Asia Minor during the so-called 'Dark Ages' of the seventh to ninth centuries. The pioneering works of Clive Foss were the first to document much new evidence and combined the study of texts, historical geography and archaeology to produce histories of individual cities. 2 Other historians such as Cyril Mango, Michael Angold, Wolfram Brandes, and John F. Haldon have created broader historical syntheses, seeking to use archaeological data with a more nuanced study of Byzantine texts. Key questions raised by these studies include the functions of cities, the causes of growth and decline, the urban economy and the nature of daily life, and even whether some settlements can be regarded as 'urban' or 'cities' at all. 3 Given the continuing paucity of written sources it is to archaeological fieldwork, and specifically excavation, that future scholars must turn to expand the base of Byzantine urban history. This paper is a contribution to this debate and will discuss aspects of the development and economy of the Anatolian city of Amorium during the period of the so-called Byzantine Dark Ages (seventh to ninth centuries). The Byzantine site of Amorium is located in the ancient region of Phrygia in Central Western Turkey, some 168 km south west of the modern capital of Ankara (Fig. 1). Historical sources attest that medieval Amorium was a major military and administrative center during this period, becoming
... and Dr. Didem Oskay, all of whom showed great interest in the progress of our work. ... Domes... more ... and Dr. Didem Oskay, all of whom showed great interest in the progress of our work. ... Domestic Architecture of a Thematic Capital: The Archae-ological Evidence from Amorium," in H Bivavtnvi Mucp6 Aoaa (Athens, 1998), 303-20; CS Lightfoot and O. Kara-giorgou, "Byzantine ...
Five fragments from the tombs of the Gattelusi dynasty of Lesbos are presented, which were origin... more Five fragments from the tombs of the Gattelusi dynasty of Lesbos are presented, which were originally published by F.W. Hasluck in BSA 15 (1908–9). The monuments are published in detail for the first time, and are placed in the context of contemporary Byzantine and Genoese funerary monuments at Constantinople and in the Aegean. The identification of a church, recently excavated within the Kastro, with the Gattelusi burial church is also discussed, with remarks touching upon the mortuary practices of Latin rulers in the Levant. A final section attempts to attribute the tombs to members of the dynasty, using Gattelusi heraldry and iconography.
Five fragments from the tombs of the Gattelusi dynasty of Lesbos are presented, which were origin... more Five fragments from the tombs of the Gattelusi dynasty of Lesbos are presented, which were originally published by F.W. Hasluck in BSA 15 (1908–9). The monuments are published in detail for the first time, and are placed in the context of contemporary Byzantine and Genoese funerary monuments at Constantinople and in the Aegean. The identification of a church, recently excavated within the Kastro, with the Gattelusi burial church is also discussed, with remarks touching upon the mortuary practices of Latin rulers in the Levant. A final section attempts to attribute the tombs to members of the dynasty, using Gattelusi heraldry and iconography.
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