191 research outputs found

    Preliminary Report on the Second Season of the Italian Archaeological Mission in the Eastern Desert of Egypt

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    The article presents the results of the first season of fieldwork of the Italian Archaeological Mission in the Eastern Desert of Egypt. In the area of Wadi Gasus, structures of the ‘Graeco-roman station’ have been mapped and documented; fragments of saggars, pointing to the production of Egyptian blue on the site, have been identified, as well as remains of a well (hydreuma) at the bottom of the wadi. A new mining site has also been identified in the area: although working areas and huts do not show signs of repairs or modifications, the site might have been exploited over a long period of time. Analysis of the data resulting from older publications are also presented, in order to gain a deeper knowledge of the evidence than the present conditions of the sites might allow. In the meantime, the possibility that long known sites might be exploited for resources different than previously supposed is also envisaged. Rosanna Pirelli analyses in particular the contents of two groups of Pharaonic inscriptions - one from the Middle Kingdom and one from the 26th dynasty – discovered between the first decades of the 19th century and first half of the 20th century – which are very important to reconstruct the Pharaonic exploitation of this area during the different periods. The consultation of manuscripts and publications of 19th century explorers (Burton and Wilkinson in particular) and the confrontation with the results of the archaeological survey give the author the opportunity to clarify the archaeological and historical context of both the groups of inscriptions and to recover part of the 26th dynasties texts, unpublished and neglected since long time

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    La pittura a Pompei nell’opera di August Mau, Geschichte der decorativen Wandmalerei in Pompeji (Berlin 1882): note di lettura

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    On propose une Ă©valuation d’ensemble de l'Ă©tude de Mau, qui souligne la dĂ©marche autonome et Ă©minemment archĂ©ologique du chercheur. Celui-ci s’éloigne de l’approche historico-artistique de ses contemporains et analyse attentivement le rĂ©pertoire des peintres, en portant une attention particuliĂšre Ă  la technique, aux motifs, aux ornements et aux couleurs et en mettant l’accent sur les liens entre la peinture pariĂ©tale et son contexte architectural. Les conditions de rĂ©alisation de la peinture pariĂ©tale et la fonction sociale qu’elle revĂȘt au sein de la conception de l’habitat dans la sociĂ©tĂ© romaine entre la fin de la RĂ©publique et le dĂ©but de l’Empire se manifestent dans un rĂ©pertoire cohĂ©rent et constant. Cela permet de rĂ©partir les dĂ©corations dans une classification typologique, comme celle rĂ©alisĂ©e par Mau, divisĂ©e en 4 types qui se succĂšdent dans le temps. L’article examine Ă©galement le vocabulaire utilisĂ© par le chercheur, qui fait souvent appel Ă  des termes du langage scientifique. Il montre que la critique souvent adressĂ©e Ă  Mau, qui aurait considĂ©rĂ© ces peintures comme le produit d’une Ă©volution formelle autonome, ne prend pas en compte les Ă©lĂ©ments de continuitĂ© identifiables dans le rĂ©pertoire des peintres entre la fin du I siĂšcle av. J.C. et le dĂ©but du siĂšcle suivant, Ă©lĂ©ments qui sont la consĂ©quence des contingences historiques de l’époque et le reflet de celles-ci dans le choix du langage figuratif. Es handelt sich um eine umfassende Bewertung von Mau’s Werk, in der besonders seine autonome und ausgesprochen archĂ€ologische Methodik hervorgehoben wird, mit der er sich von den vorherrschenden kunsthistorischen Interessen seiner Zeitgenossen absetzte zugunsten einer aufmerksamen Analyse des Repertoires der Maler. Dieses hatte Mau minutiös unter den Aspekten der Technik, der Wandsysteme, des dekorativen Apparates und der Farben analysiert. Dabei verstand er den Charakter der Wandmalerei als einer Raumausstattung, die unauflösbar mit ihrer architektonischen HĂŒlle verbunden ist. Aus den Herstellungsbedingungen der Wandmalerei und ihrer sozialen Funktion, die sie innerhalb der Wohnideologie der römischen Gesellschaft zwischen spĂ€trepublikanischer Zeit und frĂŒher Kaiserzeit erfĂŒllte, resultierte ein kohĂ€rentes und konstantes Repertoire, ein Umstand, der es Mau ermöglichte, die Ausstattungen in eine typologische Klassifizierung einzuteilen, mit vier einander zeitlich folgenden ‚Stylen’. Der Artikel untersucht ferner das vom Gelehrten benĂŒtzte Vokabular, das sich oft wissenschaftlicher Fachbegriffe bedient. Es wird zudem hervorgehoben, dass die Mau regelmĂ€ĂŸig entgegengebrachte Kritik, er habe diese Malereien als Produkt einer autonomen formalen Evolution betrachtet, nicht den Charakter von erkennbaren KontinuitĂ€ten im Repertoire der Maler zwischen dem Ende des 1. Jhs. v. Chr. und dem Beginn des folgenden Jhs. berĂŒcksichtigt, die eine Folge der besonderen geschichtlichen UmstĂ€nde dieser Epoche und des Reflexes dieser auf die Auswahl der figĂŒrlichen Ausdrucksweise waren

    Ricerche archeologiche a Cirene – “Casa del Propileo” – Campagna 2009

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    This paper is a report of the activities of the archeological mission by the University of Napoli "L'Orientale", which investigates the "Casa del Propileo" in Cyrenae (Liby): during this campaign pottery and stratigraphies of the Greek and Roman periods were studie

    The Cult of Isis and Ancient Egyptomania in Campania

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    The cult of Isis and ancient 'Egyptomania' in Campania need to be observed from an archaeological perspective,focusing on chronologies, social levels of patrons and contexts of origins of the images. Images probably related to a domestic cult should be distinguished from 'Nilotic' and 'Pharaonic' images, chronologically distinct and possessing different functions in Roman house. Images of Egypt - an 'other' world par excellence - help to understand specific elements of the figurative language in the Roman society

    Fayum Painted Portraits

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    A rather peculiar corpus of images, painted funerary portraits from Egypt, is investigated here, in order to show: (i) that through the consistent representation of different social personae, in different age groups (male and female children, young males and girls, brides and mothers), these portraits do convey social norms and values; (ii) that they heavily rely on stereotypes; (iii) that the image of likeness they convey is at least part of the social function of these objects, rejecting the objections of scholars positively proposing that the ‘livelihood’ the portraits exhibit should be regarded as a proof that they have been painted during the deceased’ person lifetime for a primary domestic function.The portraits are mainly aimed at representing ‘social types’ and the ‘likeness’ they exhibit should be regarded as an intended goal, the result of the painters’ high craftsmanship, conveying to these objects a ‘scent of life’. The evidence from the 'Fayum' portraits shows the macroscopic presence of certain groups of individuals (children and young people of both genders, in different age groups, young ‘brides’, soldiers...): considering the extremely low percentage of painted portraits in comparison with the mummies found (1:100), we could consider the painted portraits from Egypt as ‘formal portraits’: mostly represented, among the portrayed person, are young people, whose untimely death is stressed, so emphasizing the loss both on the family side and on the social group’s side
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