Books by Manuel Castelluccia
Papers by Manuel Castelluccia
ДРЕВНОСТЬ: ИСТОРИЧЕСКОЕ ЗНАНИЕ И СПЕЦИФИКА ИСТОЧНИКА, 2023
Armeniaca, 2023
Scientific certification of the works published by Edizioni Ca' Foscari: all essays published in ... more Scientific certification of the works published by Edizioni Ca' Foscari: all essays published in this issue have received a favourable opinion by subject-matter experts, through an anonymous double peer review process under the responsibility of the Advisory Board of the journal. The evaluations were conducted in adherence to the scientific and editorial criteria established by Edizioni Ca' Foscari. Certificazione scientifica delle Opere pubblicate da Edizioni Ca' Foscari: tutti i saggi pubblicati hanno ottenuto il parere favorevole da parte di valutatori esperti della materia, attraverso un processo di doppia revisione anonima sotto la responsabilità del Comitato scientifico della rivista. La valutazione è stata condotta in aderenza ai criteri scientifici ed editoriali di Edizioni Ca' Foscari.
Iran & Caucasus, 2023
During the remarkable excavations at Hasanlu, in northwestern Iran, thousands of metal objects we... more During the remarkable excavations at Hasanlu, in northwestern Iran, thousands of metal objects were discovered, but few have been systematically studied. The goal of this study is to present a catalogue of the metal quivers found by the Joint Expedition to Hasanlu (1956-1977), led by Robert H. Dyson of the University of Pennsylvania Museum. After a brief introduction concerning the site and the evidence for metal quivers in the Ancient Near East as a whole, the examples discovered at Hasanlu will be presented and analyzed within their archaeological contexts.
Encyclopedia of Archaeology, Second Edition, 2024, 2024
Actual Problems of Theory and History of Art IX, 2021
Reliefs carved on free-standing rocks, cliffs or used to adorn royal buildings are one of the mos... more Reliefs carved on free-standing rocks, cliffs or used to adorn royal buildings are one of the most distinguishing features of ancient Persian art, providing us with an incredible amount of artistic evidence of pre-Islamic Iran. Although rock-reliefs were already carved from the Early Bronze Age, especially in the Kingdom of Elam [1], it was during the subsequent local Iranian rules of the Iron Age and onwards (Achaemenid, Parthian, Sasanian) that the proliferation rock-reliefs greatly expanded [33], as they were also conceived as an important means of political propaganda. Many of them are intentionally placed on cliffs overlooking important communication and trade routes, therefore intended to be seen by all travelers. Others are erected within or around spaces with a religious significance, such as an open-air sanctuary or a royal cemetery, thus establishing a direct link between the rulers and the deities. Moreover, reliefs were also part of a complex decoration designed to adorn royal buildings. Finally, several reliefs are intentionally carved on or nearby much older reliefs, in order to create a link of legitimation between the present and the previous rulers, as a strong way to reaffirm the political message of the images carved on rocks. Such a relationship between reliefs and propaganda is not surprising. Art and politics interact closely with each other. Both are expressions of ideologies, created within a specific cultural context, and used to bolster a precise political agenda. Both address an audience, and art is used as a tangible means to strengthen politics. Therefore, most of these reliefs were created intentionally as an essential part of a political agenda, used for displaying regality, celebrating the kingship, and legitimizing the power of the ruler. They were part of well-planned imperial propaganda intended to establish a hierarchical order at the top of which there is the king, the beneficent creator of an orderly system which stressed images of power, victory, piety, control, and harmonious order. The present article aims to highlight the attitude of various western travelers towards some monuments of ancient Persia, especially those related to the Achaemenid period. Since many reliefs were often created along the main connection routes, their presence and features were already reported by the earliest European travelers who, from the 14 th century, started travelling and wandering throughout the Iranian plateau. The literature of travelers who visited Iran is extremely abundant, covering several centuries, and many references to ancient monuments can be found within them 1. The report-like tone reflects the age, the knowledge, and the mentality of the viewer, since travelers tended 1
Ancient Civilizations from Scythia to Siberia 2 7, 2021
Newsletter di Archeologia CISA, 2020
Eurasiatica, 2021
Qualunque parte di questa pubblicazione può essere riprodotta, memorizzata in un sistema di recup... more Qualunque parte di questa pubblicazione può essere riprodotta, memorizzata in un sistema di recupero dati o trasmessa in qualsiasi forma o con qualsiasi mezzo, elettronico o meccanico, senza autorizzazione, a condizione che se ne citi la fonte. Any part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without permission provided that the source is fully credited. Certificazione scientifica delle Opere pubblicate da Edizioni Ca' Foscari-Digital Publishing: tutti i saggi qui raccolti hanno preliminarmente ottenuto il parere favorevole da parte di valutatori esperti della materia, attraverso un processo di revisione doppia anonima, sotto la responsabilità del Comitato scientifico della collana. La valutazione è stata condotta in aderenza ai criteri scientifici ed editoriali di Edizioni Ca' Foscari, ricorrendo all'utilizzo di apposita piattaforma. Scientific certification of the works published by Edizioni Ca' Foscari-Digital Publishing: all essays published in this volume have received a favourable evalutation by subject-matter experts, through a double blind peer review process under the responsibility of the Scientific Committee of the series. The evaluations were conducted in adherence to the scientific and editorial criteria established by Edizioni Ca' Foscari, using a dedicated platform.
Mari et l'histoire militaire mésopotamienne : du temps long au temps politico-militaire Eloisa Ca... more Mari et l'histoire militaire mésopotamienne : du temps long au temps politico-militaire Eloisa Casadei Storage Practices and Temple Economy during the 3 rd Millennium BC in Southern Mesopotamia Corinne Castel Deux empreintes de sceaux-cylindres sur céramique du Bronze ancien IVB à Tell Al-Rawda : l'usage local d'une pratique sigillaire en Syrie intérieure
The present paper aims to evaluate the ceramic evidence dated to the Achaemenid
period coming fro... more The present paper aims to evaluate the ceramic evidence dated to the Achaemenid
period coming from the land south of the main Caucasus range and thought to
belonging to the satrapy of Arminia. Unfortunately few sites have yielded complete
and well defined (or published) ceramic sequences for the Late Iron Age, as well as
few sites have provided clear traces of Achaemenid presence. Apart for the typical
Urartian Biainili pottery and the Early Iron Age types of the so-called “Metsamor-
Lchashen” culture, there are few ceramic typological groups that are clearly
recognizable for specific periods and this lack is particularly remarkable for the
Achaemenid period. It is however possible to establish that several local pottery types
continued to be produced for long periods without significant changes; during the
Late Iron Age several pottery types that had been used in preceding centuries were
still the same, while other types continued into the subsequent Hellenistic period.
Iranskij Mir II – I tys. do n.e. Materialy meždunarodnoj naučnoj konferencii, posvjaščennoj pamjati E.A. Grantovskogo i D.S. Raevskogo. Vyp, 2019
CERAMICS AND THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL ACHAEMENID HORIZON NEAR EAST, IRAN AND CENTRAL ASIA, 2019
Actual Problems of Theory and History of Art IX, 2019
Introduction The Neo-Assyrian and the Achaemenid empires were the first supranational political e... more Introduction The Neo-Assyrian and the Achaemenid empires were the first supranational political entities which emerged in Western Asia. As typical imperial structures, their art, being one of the most tangible means of propaganda, strongly reflected their imperialist policies. Propaganda in ancient empires has been a popular topic for study [15; 26] and a wide range of specific analyses of both Assyrian and Achaemenid kingships have also been conducted []. The features of propaganda vary according to the historical, cultural and political context in which it was created. However, it is generally possible to identify two main subspecies: action propaganda-aimed at changing attitudes-and integration propaganda-aimed at reinforcement. Propaganda is of course not objective, and is used primarily to influence an audience and bolster a specific political agenda, often based on expansion policies and the submission of others. It uses specific codes and languages in order to produce emotional responses in the audience. Who was the audience of the propaganda of ancient Near Eastern kingdoms and empires? Firstly, it was aimed at the gods in order to show them the strength of the king and his achievements in ruling the state [17, pp. 2354-2355; 23, p. 259]. Next, it was directed at the political and social structures surrounding the king, i.e. the court, the nobility, the army, foreign visitors , and-last of all-at the common people. The society in such imperial entities was strongly hierarchical, with wealth, status, and power concentrated in the hands of the king, his court, and his officials [7]. Propaganda, however, despite being focused on strengthening ties with the audience, expressed merely the ideology of the ruling elite, for the purpose of justifying inequalities between societies and any particular actions carried out by the king [16, p. 300]. It followed two main directions: first it had to emphasize the legitimacy of the actions of the ruling elites; second, it also made defamatory remarks about adversaries. These actions were based on the concept of "centre versus periphery", which is a typical topos of imperial societies. Assyrian ideology was strongly influenced by this concept whereas Achaemenid dogma was less affected. The centre was seen as prosperous and civilized due to the position and actions of the king; it produced the resources necessary for existence; the periphery, on the other hand, was seen as uncivilized, chaotic, dark and unknown [16, p. 306; 17, pp. 2362-2363].
Урартское царство нам оставило, пожалуй, самый крупный корпус металлических предметов древнего Бл... more Урартское царство нам оставило, пожалуй, самый крупный корпус металлических предметов древнего Ближнего Востока. Часто, однако, неизвестно, откуда именно происходят эти находки. Цель данной статьи -представить все экземпляры металлических колчанов из известных раскопок в рамках Урартского царства. Классификация артефактов произведена с опорой на виды нанесенных на них орнаментальных композиций.
I morsi bronzei nel Vicino Oriente antico 41 Introduzione I morsi della Collezione Giannelli ascr... more I morsi bronzei nel Vicino Oriente antico 41 Introduzione I morsi della Collezione Giannelli ascrivibili alle culture del Vicino Oriente antico rappresentano uno spaccato eccezionale dell'alto livello qualitativo raggiunto dalla toreutica delle variegate popolazioni abitanti la Mesopotamia e le terre limitrofe.
Co-authored with Arthur Petrosyan, Manuel Castelluccia, Astghik Babajanyan, Mattia Raccidi, Ricca... more Co-authored with Arthur Petrosyan, Manuel Castelluccia, Astghik Babajanyan, Mattia Raccidi, Riccardo La Farina, Aramazd/AJNES 9/1, 2015, pp. 58-68.
AJNES/Aramazd VII/2, 2012, pp. 28-35
This paper presents a review of metal “bells”, a category of metal object often found in Iron Age... more This paper presents a review of metal “bells”, a category of metal object often found in Iron Age archaeological contexts of Caucasian, north Iranian and Urartian cultures. Each cultural sphere is considered separately, focusing on material brought to light during archaeological excavations. An analysis of these three different traditions allows comparison of these artifacts in order to detect evidence of contacts and reciprocal influences between these cultural regions, which strongly interacted during the first half of the Iron Age.
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Books by Manuel Castelluccia
Papers by Manuel Castelluccia
period coming from the land south of the main Caucasus range and thought to
belonging to the satrapy of Arminia. Unfortunately few sites have yielded complete
and well defined (or published) ceramic sequences for the Late Iron Age, as well as
few sites have provided clear traces of Achaemenid presence. Apart for the typical
Urartian Biainili pottery and the Early Iron Age types of the so-called “Metsamor-
Lchashen” culture, there are few ceramic typological groups that are clearly
recognizable for specific periods and this lack is particularly remarkable for the
Achaemenid period. It is however possible to establish that several local pottery types
continued to be produced for long periods without significant changes; during the
Late Iron Age several pottery types that had been used in preceding centuries were
still the same, while other types continued into the subsequent Hellenistic period.
period coming from the land south of the main Caucasus range and thought to
belonging to the satrapy of Arminia. Unfortunately few sites have yielded complete
and well defined (or published) ceramic sequences for the Late Iron Age, as well as
few sites have provided clear traces of Achaemenid presence. Apart for the typical
Urartian Biainili pottery and the Early Iron Age types of the so-called “Metsamor-
Lchashen” culture, there are few ceramic typological groups that are clearly
recognizable for specific periods and this lack is particularly remarkable for the
Achaemenid period. It is however possible to establish that several local pottery types
continued to be produced for long periods without significant changes; during the
Late Iron Age several pottery types that had been used in preceding centuries were
still the same, while other types continued into the subsequent Hellenistic period.
Arthur Petrosyan, Roberto Dan, Riccardo La Farina, Manuel Castelluccia, Mattia Raccidi, Astghik Babajanyan, Robert Ghukasyan
Keywords: Kotayk, Upper Palaeolithic, Newly discovered fortress Solak 1, Hrazdan gorge, Post Urartian period
The Armenian- Italian expedition to the upper Hrazdan River basin, (the Kotayk province of the Republic of Armenia), started in the summer 2013. The aim of the project is to map the cultural landscape of the northern Kotayk region. The project started by the collaboration between the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia, the International Association of Mediterranean and Oriental Studies (ISMEO) and the Italian Foreign Affairs Ministry .
The team carried out an intensive investigation of the whole River Hrazdan gorge, between the village of Solak to the south and the city of Hrazdan to the north, where recording of Palaeolithic and Neolithic sites was expected.
During the fieldwork of three season’s 17 sites dating from the Palaeolithic to the medieval period were discovered.
The monuments discovered by the expedition are divided into five groups; open air site (4), caves (5), fortress (2), watermills (3), stones with cross sign (6) and cross stones (2). 35 monuments from the State List of Monuments of the Republic of Armenia, that were observed by the team can be divided into three groups; fortresses (3), medieval villages (4), medieval cemeteries, mills, monasteries, churches, chapels, cross stones (28).
The 2013 expedition year discovery Solak 1 (KSP 016) archaeological site is situated on the eastern part of Yerevan-Sevan old highway /M4, H1/, on a hill 3.5 km south-east from Solak village (altitude 1880m, GPS N40°25.955’, E44°43.077’).
Among all the explored archaeological sites during the project only this site disclosed pottery from Middle and Late Iron ages, which belong to Lchashen-Metsamor and Urartian archaeological cultures in Armenia. On the top of southern hill of the site (Area A) we can clearly see a rectangular stone-made construction /27x27m/, the walls of which are built of large basalt blocks. Some of the outer walls have buttresses. Large quantity of pithoi sherds were found on the southern slope with triangular ornaments very characteristic to Urartian ornamental styles.
The site is the only Urartian monument so far known to us on the studied area. Most likely Solak 1 is one of the links in fortress system which connected the Urartian fortresses in the south (Erebuni, Karmir blur, Aramus) to the ones in Sevan lake basin (Lchashen, Tsovinar).
The Urartian fortress, the walls of which have been preserved in minimum 2 meters height, allows the site to be made into a museum in future and include it in tourist routes.