Ancient colonization of marginal habitats. A comparative analysis of case studies from the Ancient World

The present contribution deals with the concepts of marginal habitats in selected regions of the ancient world, ranging from modern Spain to the Jordanian desert and from Turkey to the Ethiopian highlands. Central to this research is the hypothesis that the occupation of areas beyond the ‘normal’ settlement patterns corresponds to colonization processes which reflect specific social strategies and may have stimulated the development of new technological skills. A review of ‘marginality’ research in various disciplines indicates that there is no comprehensive definition of the concept, which can be approached from a multitude of perspectives and with manifold objectives. A survey of the eight case studies and two more in-depth discussions of the sites of Musawwarat (Sudan) and Ayamonte (Spain) highlight the potentials as well as the limits of the archaeological investigation into past marginalities. Patterns of spatial marginalization are the easiest to detect. The studies also show that we must not limit our analysis to the adverse factors connected to different kinds of marginalities. Instead, our analyses suggest that spatially marginal areas were deliberately chosen for settlement – an integration with core-periphery approaches may help us to understand these scenarios, which have received little attention in ‘marginality’ research in archaeology or elsewhere so far

A Comparative Analysis of Case Studies from the Old World

The present contribution deals with the concepts of marginal habitats in selected regions of the ancient world, ranging from modern Spain to the Jordanian desert and from Turkey to the Ethiopian highlands. Central to this research is the hypothesis that the occupation of areas beyond the ‘normal’ settlement patterns corresponds to colonization processes which reflect specific social strategies and may have stimulated the development of new technological skills. A review of ‘marginality’ research in various disciplines indicates that there is no comprehensive definition of the concept, which can be approached from a multitude of perspectives and with manifold objectives. A survey of the eight case studies and two more in-depth discussions of the sites of Musawwarat (Sudan) and Ayamonte (Spain) highlight the potentials as well as the limits of the archaeological investigation into past marginalities. Patterns of spatial marginalization are the easiest to detect. The studies also show that we must not limit our analysis to the adverse factors connected to different kinds of marginalities. Instead, our analyses suggest that spatially marginal areas were deliberately chosen for settlement – an integration with core-periphery approaches may help us to understand these scenarios, which have received little attention in ‘marginality’ research in archaeology or elsewhere so far

New research on the history of the construction of the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela

An interdisciplinary project by the BTU (Brandenburgische Technische Universität) Cottbus (Germany) and the University of Bern (Switzerland) is analysing the construction of the Romanesque cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. The in-depth study of the construction through an accurate planimetric survey of the walls and a complete study of the documentation concerning the sculpture has led to knowledge of several changes in the architecture and the sculptural programme due to substantial modifications in the initial project. This article uncovers several changes previous to the consecration in 1211, especially in the crypt, the Pórtico de la Gloria and the western gallery. Likewise further results of a project to reconstruct the primitive form of the medieval cathedral and subsequent are also anticipated. This project also considers the initial project and the various different architectural concepts on which the subsequent remodelling was based, and analyses the various different stages of construction in relation to the typological development of Romanesque churches of pilgrimage

Rom, Italien: Die Ziegelstempel der Kaiserpaläste auf dem Palatin

Detailed architectural and archaeological analysis of four major sections of the Imperial residences on the Palatine Hill in Rome – the domus Severiana, the Stadium, the domus Augustana and the domus Flavia – has made it possible, together with the brick stamps identified in previous studies and mentioned by the bibliography, to identify 940 brick stamps. This collection lends new insight into the different phases of construction from pre-Flavian to Maxentian time and therefore enables a better understanding of the Imperial palace’s development. Furthermore, careful examination allows us to reflect on the supply mechanisms as well as repartition of the production centres from whence the bricks used on the Palatine Hill originated

Rom, Italien: Die Ziegelstempel der Kaiserpaläste auf dem Palatin

Detailed architectural and archaeological analysis of four major sections of the Imperial residences on the Palatine Hill in Rome – the domus Severiana, the Stadium, the domus Augustana and the domus Flavia – has made it possible, together with the brick stamps identified in previous studies and mentioned by the bibliography, to identify 940 brick stamps. This collection lends new insight into the different phases of construction from pre-Flavian to Maxentian time and therefore enables a better understanding of the Imperial palace’s development. Furthermore, careful examination allows us to reflect on the supply mechanisms as well as repartition of the production centres from whence the bricks used on the Palatine Hill originated

Peking, Volksrepublik China. Der sog. Crystal Palace in der Verbotenen Stadt. Bericht über die Summer School 2016

According to the Letter of Intent on Cooperation between the Palace Museum and the German Archaeological Institute from 2015 both institutes intend to cooperate on projects focusing on ancient palace architectures. As the first project of cooperation, the so-called Crystal Palace (Lingzhao Xuan) in the courtyard of the former Palace of Prolonging Happiness (Yanxi Gong) was selected, because it represents a unique example of the influence of western construction methods and architectural elements on Chinese palace architecture. The building, begun in 1909, is most unusual for the architecture of the Forbidden City because of its choice of materials. We are dealing with a stone-iron construction with cast iron and steel supports for floor and ceiling construction, pavilion-like super structures with iron and steel profiles, even steel door casings and window frames. The Summer School comprised mainly the mediation of theoretical principles of building archaeology and early iron construction including its cleaning and structural improvement on the one hand and practical work on the object itself on the other hand. A first round of discussions was added to heritage values and possible forms of presentation of the ‘Crystal Palace’, which initially was planned to be an aquarium.Looking for architectural examples in Europe it seems plausible that some inspiration from western aquaria helped the vision of the last emperors of China of a modern fish pool with clear water to gain shape. Concerning the question if the iron elements just like the decorated tiles also came from Germany it is suggested that these were enveloped in the context of the contemporary building project of the Tianjin-Pukow Railway for which the major share of orders had gone to German firms.

The History of Science and Current Perspectives in Dialogue

Research on urban space has a long tradition in classical studies. Current research of ancient urban spaces continues on in this tradition. It is essential to determine the position of research history in order to define the prospects of current urban studies in a more dif- ferentiated way: only those who are conversant with the history-of-science determination of their respective fields are able, intuitively and critically, to put innovative approaches and methods to the test. Based on the projects of the research group C-6, the various threads of history-of-science developments will be outlined and the current approaches defined in the context of constant re- orientation and new orientation of classical urban studie

Research in Monumental Constructions in Antiquity

Ancient civilizations have passed down to us a vast range of monumental structures. Monumentality is a complex phenomenon that we address here as ‘XXL’. It encompasses a large range of different aspects, such as sophisticated technical and logistical skills and the vast economic resources required. This contribution takes a closer look at the special interdependence of space and knowledge represented by such XXL projects. We develop a set of objective criteria for determining whether an object qualifies as ‘XXL’, in order to permit a broadly framed study comparing manifestations of the XXL phenomenon in different cultures and describing the functional and conceptional role of the phenomenon in antiquity. Finally, we illustrate how these criteria are being applied in the study of large construction projects in ancient civilizations through six case studies

Late Byzantine Mineral Soda High Alumina Glasses from Asia Minor: A New Primary Glass Production Group

The chemical characterisation of archaeological glass allows the discrimination between different glass groups and the identification of raw materials and technological traditions of their production. Several lines of evidence point towards the large-scale production of first millennium CE glass in a limited number of glass making factories from a mixture of Egyptian mineral soda and a locally available silica source. Fundamental changes in the manufacturing processes occurred from the eight/ninth century CE onwards, when Egyptian mineral soda was gradually replaced by soda-rich plant ash in Egypt as well as the Islamic Middle East. In order to elucidate the supply and consumption of glass during this transitional period, 31 glass samples from the assemblage found at Pergamon (Turkey) that date to the fourth to fourteenth centuries CE were analysed by electron microprobe analysis (EPMA) and by laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). The statistical evaluation of the data revealed that the Byzantine glasses from Pergamon represent at least three different glass production technologies, one of which had not previously been recognised in the glass making traditions of the Mediterranean. While the chemical characteristics of the late antique and early medieval fragments confirm the current model of glass production and distribution at the time, the elemental make-up of the majority of the eighth- to fourteenth-century glasses from Pergamon indicate the existence of a late Byzantine glass type that is characterised by high alumina levels. Judging from the trace element patterns and elevated boron and lithium concentrations, these glasses were produced with a mineral soda different to the Egyptian natron from the Wadi Natrun, suggesting a possible regional Byzantine primary glass production in Asia Minor