Volume 87, 2012

The last decade has witnessed a growing interest in the network model, both as a metaphor and as an analytical tool, within a wide range of disciplines, and recently archaeology. This article aims to assess the potential of the social network analysis model for the study of emergent complex polities, using a case study from central Italy (Latium vetus). In particular the emergence of known proto-urban and urban centres in this area, from the Final Bronze Age (1175/1150-950/925 BC ca), during the Early Iron Age (950/925-750 BC ca) up to the Orientalizing Age (750-580 BC ca) and Archaic Age (580-509 BC ca), will be examined by using social network analysis (SNA) centrality indexes and tools. Thus, the potential of this approach will be assessed, and its associated theoretical and methodological issues discussed.

Since 2006, the Groningen Institute of Archaeology (GIA) has been involved in the excavation of the Monte Del Bufalo necropolis at Crustumerium. The investigation yielded tens of tombs dating to the 7th and 6th centuries.1 The excavations took place in close collaboration with the SSBAR (Soprintendenza Speciale per i Beni Archeologici di Roma). The article discusses three female tombs that stand out when compared to other contemporary tombs at Crustumerium. In addition, these three tombs have much in common in content and location. This article contains a description of the funerary ritual of each tomb and subsequently will elaborate on the social status of the women, expressed in the artefacts with which they were interred. We will suggest identifying the women buried in tombs 71, 76 and 232, as mistresses of a main household in Crustumerium.

The present article treats the question of whether we can determine aspects of identity in the form of biological sex and age by the presence of fibulas. Individual fibula types are analysed in relation to examined skeletons in order to determine if respectively men, women or certain age groups can be identified through different fibula types. These analyses are used as a starting point towards an investigation of Iron Age dress through a survey of the evidence at hand. Thus iconographical and other archaeological evidence in the form of e.g. preserved textiles and ornaments are investigated in order to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the relation between biological sex, age and dress.

This article represents a second preliminary report on the fieldwork conducted between 2005 and 2010 in and around the Archaic site of L’Amastuola (Apulia) by VU University Amsterdam. The activities included excavations on the site’s south terrace, the use of surface surveys and satellite images to study landscape and settlement patterns around L’Amastuola, and excavations in the necropolis area. The excavations brought to light more evidence to support our thesis of Greek–indigenous cohabitation at the site, as well as some invaluable information about the post-abandonment phase at the site, when a cult of the Dioskouroi was installed, presumably by the Tarentines who were occupying L’Amastuola. A tomb-like cult structure associated with this cult was erased during the early 3rd century BC, possibly in the wake of the Roman conquest of southern Italy.

With contributions by Maxine Anastasi, Babette Bechtold, Morgan De Dapper, Alain De Wulf, Guy Dierkens, Soumaya Garsallah, Rudi Goossens, Boutheina Maraoui Telmini, Jihène Nacef, Timothy Nuttens, Xavier Ruiz i Cano, Mevrick Spiteri, Cornelis Stal, Winfred van de Put, Clive Vella, Lieven Verdonck, John Wood, Renata Zerafa

The paper presents the first interdisciplinary results of a joint survey project in the north-west of Malta, with finds ranging from the Prehistoric till the Early Modern period. Three permanently inhabited sites were encountered dating to at least the late 6th or early 5th century BCE, with a clearer attestation in the Hellenistic/Roman and Late Antique periods. The resulting reconstructed settlement pattern of the Phoenician/Punic period suggests a managed landscape that seems to be a good reflexion of what is happening in North Africa and elsewhere in the central and western Mediterranean. At least from the Roman period on, these sites seem to have specialised on the production of olive oil.

In Brian Sparkes’ 1976 BABesch article, ‘Treading the Grapes’, he traced the chronological development of vintage scenes in black and red figured vase painting. He noted the appearance in the late 6th century BC of a new type of Attic red-figured image with a man treading grapes inside a large vat. In this brief note I suggest that the figure may be performing the pigeage, or punching down of the cap, a stage in the fermentation process of red wine after the initial crushing of the grapes. The pigeage process releases a substantial amount of carbon dioxide requiring treaders to hold onto a sturdy support lest they become faint. Not only do these scenes enhance our knowledge of Greek vinicultural processes, but by alluding to the lightheaded state of the treader, they also provide a metaphoric image for the effects of alcohol on the drinker viewing the image.

This grandiose temple dedicated to the goddess Athena was built as part of the programme to renew the whole Acropolis complex, in the Athens of Pericles. It is a widely held opinion that the Parthenon stands as a symbol of that era, a masterpiece of Greek artistry where architecture, sculpture and painting are blended into a wondrous whole. Its fame also comes from the repertoire of compositional modes it boasts, many of which are of remarkable complexity and richness. We can find parallels, ratios repeated again and again, and points of correspondence in the order of placement and the proportions the various parts have to each other and to the whole. On top of all this, it is also composed using various geometries and modulations designed to improve its overall interest and counteract the distortions of the human eye. The scientific foundation of the Parthenon is manifest and makes a valuable contribution to research on the early period of Greek science. Unfortunately very few texts and documents – practically none – have survived from that period; because of this it may be considered highly interesting to study the ‘Parthenon book’, a practical work that lets us trace a line back to the theory behind it.

The importance of the cult of Apollo Archegetes of Naxos for Sicily is amply recognised, and is generally connected by scholars with Sicilian theoria and communal identity. It is claimed in this paper, however, that the religious and political functions of Apollo Archegetes were more diverse and that Apollo Archegetes fulfilled an important local role, rather than being a symbol of a universal and well defined Sikeliot identity. Numismatic evidence indicates that Apollo Archegetes symbolised the opposition of Naxos, Leontinoi and Katane against Syracuse in the 5th century BC. Only in the 4th century BC, with the Timoleontic symmachia, was the image of Apollo Archegetes truly pan-Sikeliot. Sikeliot identity was in the Archaic period rather loose and of a religious nature. It is proposed to call this identity ‘proto-Sikeliot’, to distinguish it from a well defined Sikeliot identity, which crystallised only after the Athenian invasion, to become well established in the 4th century BC.

In the decoration of Roman houses we come across the use of real marbles as well as the application of marble imitation. Analyzing the well-preserved cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum a striking difference can be detected with regard to these two types of decoration. The analysis shows that in the case of Pompeii people made well-considered choices regarding the types of marble that were used or imitated following the old republic values, while in the case of Herculaneum the inhabitants were more progressive in following the decorative trends that spread from Rome towards the rest of ancient Italy.

The Romanisation of Eastern Macedonia and Thracia has left considerable and lasting traces especially in urban construction. Most notably in the middle Imperial period several Greek foundations were changed massively through new building activities. The integration of new influences is especially evident in privately commissioned monuments. Direct insight into theses complex acculturation processes, which were mainly tied to urban centres, are thus provided by small and locally concentrated groups of monuments with the image of the Thracian huntress and the Thracian rider. These monuments stand for the variety of cultural developments in these regions. Due to the selection of specific iconographical variables they were visible manifestation of the innovative art traditions which also stood for new locally defined values which could be regarded as a newly developed Macedonian-Thracian formal vocabulary.