Institut für Klassische Archäologie

Since Judith McKenzie's work on the architecture of Petra, which is largely based on the research of the famous rock-cut architecture, numerous archaeological projects in Petra and other Nabataean sites have provided an immense amount of new information about the way the Nabataeans built. In course of the NorthEastern Petra Project several hundred architectural elements have been documented and studied. The main purpose of this study is to present a detailed analysis of a specific architectural element: the blocked-out Nabataean capital and, in particular, its use in free-standing architecture. So far, this type of capital seems to be underrepresented in freestanding buildings in Petra. Therefore, this study will provide new insights into the use of the capital in the buildings of Petra's city center.

The Temple of the Winged Lions in Petra. Chapter 4. The Architectural Decoration explores the architectural elements of the remarkable site in detail and provides deeper insights into the Nabataean architectural decoration. I invite you to read the paper and share your thoughts on its findings!​

This paper gives the first detailed reconstruction of the process of producing plaster molds for terracotta figurines, focusing on an unpublished specimen that shows different traces that result from handling the material in the production process. In a second part, the so far unique marking of the outside in form of a sun serves as the starting point to discuss the general reasons behind marking the exteriors of molds. I argue that those markings might have been also used for making specific - maybe new or unique? - types or iconographies stand out and being therefore easily recognisable in the workshops.

The idea that small sculpture is merely a reproduction of larger, more famous life-size or larger statues still dominates our conception of statuettes. In this paper I try to show for bronze statuettes in Ptolemaic Egypt that looking on production adds a different perspective on the matter. Focusing on production processes and traces of working wax and bronze I show in two case studies (Pancratiasts groups and a figure of a rider with elephant scalp in New York) that the underlying demand for these figures was not simply to reproduce but to join reproduced parts together to create a new imagery. Those bronze statuettes are unique ad-hoc creations that demonstrate the need for individualised images in the context of private ruler veneration.

Die mittel- und spätkaiserzeitlichen Grabstelen aus Aquileia haben in der bisherigen Forschung wenige Beachtung gefunden. Es handelt sich dabei um rund 130 Exemplare, die meistens weder für ihr künstlerisches Niveau noch für den Inhalt ihrer Inschriften besonders auffallen. Bei einer Gesamtschau kann man jedoch vielerlei Informationen über die Gliederung ihrer Typologie, die Arbeitsweise der Werkstätten und die betreffenden Gesellschaftsgruppen, die diese monumentale Gattung verwendeten, in einer diachronischen Perspektive gewinnen.
Die systematische Klassifizierung von sieben Stelentypen hat ermöglicht, verschiedene fragmentarisch erhaltene Exemplare den jeweils entsprechenden Typen zuzuschreiben. Für den Zeitraum vom 2. bis zum 4. Jh. n.Chr. kann man einige allgemeine Tendenzen beobachten: U.a. den Schwund des pseudoarchitektonischen Aufbaus und die völlige Überwindung der republikanischen Tradition der Bildnisse, die Verbreitung der sog. Mikroskulptur, die typologische Verbindung der Stelen mit den norditalischen Sarkophagen, die Vorliebe für den lokalen Kalkstein, die zunehmende Wiederverwendung von älteren Denkmälern.

Divus Augustus occupied a prominent position in the Cretan pantheon beside Zeus Kretagenes (“born on Crete”) – with whom he is often associated in images – and Artemis/Diktynna, who appears as his patroness. After summarizing the most important changes occurring in Cretan religion after the Roman conquest – among them the imperial cult being a major feature –, this paper aims to illustrate the continuance of Cretan military tradition into the imperial age. Cretan soldiers, especially archers, certainly served in the imperial army; and some forms of logistic support from the island are documented too. This military involvement of an otherwise peaceful province can help us to better understand the warlike character of some elements of its traditional cults as well as of the emperor worship. This latter seems to increase noticeably in coincidence with military actions and imperial victories. In this way, the cult of the emperor offered an ideal vehicle for the military character of the Cretan tradition to find its appropriate place in the general frame of the Roman Empire.

Inside the cataloguing project EDR (Epigraphic Database Roma) an extensive research has been carried out this year on all the stone inscriptions – mostly gravestones – pertaining to the Roman army in Aquileia. More correct readings of the texts and observations about carved monuments (as to their iconography and typology) are enabling us to improve our understanding of the military presence in that city. Using selected examples offered by this revised data, some issues of general interest will be addressed.
The local stone carving production made available generic forms for tombstones. Thus, the social status and ethnic origin of the clients is concealed to some extent behind these generic forms and epigraphic formulas. In several cases, however, more precise information about the soldiers concerned – legionaries, auxiliaries and seamen –, their ranking, tasks in Aquileia and social advancement can be identified. For instance, the client’s origin and corporate identity affect sometimes markedly the choice of the monument, its decoration as well as some expressions of the epitaph. In the paper are also considered some important issues about the reasons of military deployment in Aquileia and its territory, not only during circumscribed military emergencies (e.g. during the Marcomannic wars and AD 238), but also over longer periods of time.

Il presente articolo riporta i risultati emersi dal riesame del frontone arcaico dell’Artemision di Corfù. Nella prima parte, la contestualizzazione delle sculture nell’ambito dell’arte alto-arcaica conferma la bontà di alcune ipotesi del passato, mentre ne smentisce altre. In particolare, se si conferma l’identificazione del giovane eroe alla sinistra di Medusa con Crisaore, si propone una nuova integrazione del suo braccio destro, portato in avanti e in alto, privo di attributi (la spada). La scena mitica di destra viene interpretata come una Titanomachia, l’impresa compiuta in gioventù da Zeus, qui raffigurato come kouros imberbe. L’albero potrebbe fare riferimento alla selva in fiamme del racconto esiodeo. Per la scena dell’angolo sinistro si conferma l’identificazione come Ilioupersis.
L’autore analizza quindi i principi compositivi del frontone: la paratassi, la frontalità delle figure e la simmetria fra le diverse parti. All’ordine della composizione si contrappone la frammentazione dei nuclei tematici. Tuttavia, riconoscendo a Medusa il ruolo divino di Potnia Theron, si giunge a una comprensione unitaria del monumento: essa diviene infatti il centro focale che domina l’intera composizione. Crisaore e Pegaso, archetipi dell’invincibilità del cavaliere, sono posti sotto la sua protezione, mentre le pantere ai lati sono da lei dominate. Infine, il concetto di vendetta e punizione divina espresso dai suoi numerosi serpenti si lega ai concetti etico-religiosi espressi nelle scene narrative laterali. Medusa, centro unificatore del frontone, appare come una luminosa manifestazione divina, con connotati solari di derivazione egizia. La luce divina trionfa nelle figure positive e vittoriose di Crisaore e di Zeus, paradigmi di kouroi per la giovane aristocrazia.
Infine, accolta la datazione tradizionale (590-580 a.C.), si evidenziano gli elementi di natura storico-politica che legano il frontone alla propaganda della tirannide cipselide.