3rd Century Research Articles

Humour in the Special Features of the Costumes in the Comedies by Plautus

The article aims to discuss these elements of costumes which are mentioned in the comedies of Plautus but have been omitted yet in the studies on Plautine stage conventions. The first part of the text concerns the costumes which are worn by actors representing characters that have some special physical features. It appears that drunk characters always wear garlands, which point to their state. Big-bellied costumes are worn by male actors who play pregnant women (Alcmene in Amphitruo) but by those who present pimps during the performance, as well. Moreover, many Plautine slaves are rendered as stout, which, combined with big feet, adds much humour to running-slave scenes. The source of laughter lies not only in the padding used to recreate a big belly but also to show the illusion of large breasts, which are exaggerated in size. Such costumes were worn by male actors who presented meretrices, tibicinae and nutrices on stage. The costumes of foreigners consisted of a tunic with long sleeves, earrings, a headdress called causea, tiara and some kind of sandals. Many of these elements were grotesque, which, on the one hand, helped to increase the visibility of the costumes in the theatre, and on the other, contributed to the comicality of the performance. The article presents passages from the Plautine plays which contain such metatheatrical remarks about costumes used in the 3rd and 2nd century BC.

Microorganism Distribution and Preservation Status of Mural Paintings in the Goguryeo Tombs in North Korea

The ancient Goguryeo tombs are spread throughout North Korea and China. The Goguryeo Kingdom was one of the most powerful Korean kingdoms that occupied half of Northeast China and the Korea n Peninsula from the 3rd century BC to the 7th century AD. In 2004, a t the 28<sup>th</sup> session of the World Heritage Committee, held in Suzhou, China, 63 of these tombs were designated as World Heritage Sites. Previously, international organizations such as UNESCO, ICCROM, and ICOMOS provided technical and expert training support for the conservation and management of such tombs. In 1998, at the request of North Korea, a series of investigations and conservation activities began on the tomb murals, and in 2000, international experts began investigating the scientific preservation status of the Yaksu‑ri tomb murals with the South Korean government’s assistance of $100,000 provided to UNESCO. From July 19<sup>th</sup> to 30<sup>th</sup>, 2005, the Goguryeo Relics North‑South Korea Joint Investigation Team, consisting of members of the Goguryeo Research Foundation in South Korea and the North Korean Academy of Social Sciences and Cultural Conservation Guidance, conducted its first joint investigation of the ruins since the two countries were divided. The 2006 Inter‑Korean Joint Goguryeo Mural Tomb Preservation Survey was the first time that South Korean conservation experts participated in scientifically investigating the preservation status and environment of mural tombs and mural pigment analysis. This was to secure comprehensive data on eight tombs. In 2007, additional support for the installation of the necessary measurement equipment was provided to continuously monitor the environments of the ancient tombs. Subsequently, no additional inter‑Korean joint investigation and research has been conducted. To provide scientific information on the distribution of microorganisms in the mural paintings of the tombs and to help establish a future joint preservation plan this study summarizes and reports on the “examination of a biological and environmental survey of the Goguryeo tomb mural paintings” from the results of the 2006 Inter-Korean Joint Goguryeo Mural Conservation Survey Report, jointly published by the Inter-Korean Historians Association and the National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage, which has not previously been presented at academic conferences.

Roman Religion in the Danubian Provinces: Space Sacralisation and Religious Communication during the Principate (1st–3rd Century AD). By Csaba Szabó.

Roman Religion in the Danubian Provinces: Space Sacralisation and Religious Communication during the Principate (1st–3rd Century AD). By Csaba Szabó.

Камни из ритуальных сосудов в скифских погребальных комплексах на левобережье Нижнего Днестра

The paper deals with 221 burnt stones from the Scythian graves found on the left bank of the Lower Dniester dated to the 5th—2nd centuries BC. All of them, if it was fixed, come from wooden or handmade ritual vessels. Stones of approximately the same size and without traces of processing were used as heating elements. In all cases, traces of burning were recorded — soot spots and characteristic fracturing. Petrological thin sections showed the mineral composition of the rocks and their structural and textural features. These are, as a rule, sandstones and, much less often, other rocks (carbonate, igneous and metamorphic). The vast majority of stones are of local origin, and only a few are imported. At present, it is obvious that the tradition of fumigating graves among the Scythians of the North-West Black Sea region appeared no later than the 5th century BC. Initially, wooden vessels served as containers for red-hot pebbles and organic balms. Starting from the 3rd century BC as vessels for the same pebbles, handmade incense cups began to be used, widely known not only in the cemeteries of the 3rd—2nd centuries BC near the Glinoe Village and in other sites of the Dniester region, but also in a number of other Scythian sites, situated westwards (Dobruja, Lower Danube region) and eastwards (Bug, Dnieper, Crimea, Azov and Don regions). Keywords: Scythians, graves, 5th—2nd centuries BC, left bank of the Lower Dniester, wooden and handmade ritual vessels, petrography, rocks

The Baktrian Coregency Legend Coinage of Seleukos and Antiochos: Context and Origin

The light weight standard coregency legend coinage of Seleukos and Antiochos struck at the mint of Ai Khanoum in Baktria is an enigmatic punctuation of the otherwise consistently Attic weight standard coinage of the Seleukid realm in the 3rd century BC. A newly identified coregency legend gold stater weighing c.7.05 grams establishes that the coregency coinage system was a comprehensive trimetallic coinage. Consistent with this reduced weight standard stater is the tetradrachm weight standard of c. 14.10 grams. This coinage briefly displaced the previously issued Attic weight coinage in the Oxus valley. A reappraisal of the coinage and its context leads to the conclusion that the impetus for its mintage was the creation of a closed monetary system in the Oxus valley, seeking to emulate the success of Ptolemy in the Nile valley. This extended a pattern of Seleukid adoption and adaptation of Ptolemaic innovations. A motivating factor in this regard was the absence of an indigenous source of silver in the Oxus valley at a time when an influx of Greek settlers catalysed a rapid growth in the monetary economy. However, changing demographics, permeable frontiers, and the assassination of Seleukos contributed to the abandonment of this epichoric coinage, marking the collapse of a dedicated Seleukid effort to rapidly advance the development of monetized economies in eastern reaches of the kingdom.

Limonite deposit at the Mikniškiai settlement site (South Lithuania)

A cemented limonite deposit and sunken features recorded at the Mikniškiai settlement site (mid-1st century BC – early 3rd century AD) have been interpreted as potential signs of shallow opencast ore mining. Inhabitants of this area of Lithuania maintained close relations with the Bogaczewo culture, through which knowledge of iron metallurgy spread. However, the archaeometallurgical investigation revealed that the tested samples represent natural bog ore that was insufficiently Fe-enriched material for iron smelting. There were no attempts to increase the iron content by proper pre-processing of the ore. Moreover, the archaeological investigation revealed no traces of ore roasting and not a single piece of iron slag was found at the site. This implies that to assume the occurrence of ore-rich sediments in the vicinity of Iron Age settlements as an indication of iron bloomery might be premature and the circumstances of their discovery allow more than one alternative interpretation.

Roman Lamps Discovered at Romula (I)

"This article presents a batch of lamps discovered, in 2022, in the central area of the Roman city of Romula. Import lamps of the type Loeschcke VIII/Ivanyi VII, Loeschcke X with the marks FORTIS, IANVARI and OCTAVI, respectively Loeschcke VIII/Bailey Type K. They circulated from the second quarter of the 2nd century AD to the middle of the third century, with greater frequency from the second half of the 2nd century to the first third of the 3rd century AD. Lamps of local production are of the type Loeschcke VIII, similar to Ivanyi VII, Loeschke X with the mark FAOR, IANVARI, respectively modelled to Alicu XXI type wheel. They have been discovered in archaeological contexts dated from the second half of the 2nd century to the penultimate decade of the 2nd century AD, one lamp of Loeschcke X type with FAOR mark, another with the same mark being dated to the last decade of the 2nd century AD, and the first third of the 3rd century AD. Loeschcke VIII lamps were dated, similar to Ivanyi VII/Bayley O-Q/Ponsich III B/Deneauve VIIA, Loeschcke X with IANVARI stamp, respectively Alicu XXI type lamps. In conclusion, there are more numerous occurences of imported lamps between the second quarter of the 2nd century AD, and the first third of the 3rd century AD., with a higher frequency in the second half of the 2nd century AD. Lamps of local production begin to circulate in the second half of the 2nd century AD, until the middle of the 2nd century AD, with greater frequency from the last decade of the 2nd century AD, to the middle of the 3rd century AD."

Metal Military Equipment from Tepecik Settlement at Patara

The subject matter of this work is the metal military equipment that was found in the military settlement of Tepecik, situated on a natural rock north of the Patara city center and east of the inner harbor. Construction activities for defense purposes can be traced back to the 6th century B.C. in the settlement. During the excavations conducted in recent years, a garrison was unearthed, that had been built in the middle of the 4th century B.C. and remained in use until the end of the 3rd century B.C. with some architectural transformation. The metal military equipment comprises a pilum, arrowheads, bolt-heads / spear butts, javelin heads, a catapult trigger mechanism part, sling bullets and a dagger. A limited number of metal military tools are dated to the 6th/5th century B.C. Apart from these, the great majority of the weapons pertain to the period to the middle of the 4th century B.C. and the 3rd century B.C. with a few other examples dating to the 2nd century B.C. All the metal equipment accords well with the history of Patara and strengthens the data on various architectural phases detected in the Tepecik settlement. Furthermore, we can say that certain weapons found among the military equipment stand out as rarely seen specimens: A pilum and a curved dagger which are known to have very few examples in Anatolia. A lead sling bullet inscribed with the names of Philip II of Macedon and Alexander the Great is the one and only example of this specimen in Anatolia. The trigger claw of a catapult is also of capital importance since it provides evidence for a much-debated mechanism.

Информационный потенциал разрушенных погребений саргатской культуры: курган Новопокровка 16 в Среднем Прииртышье

The article deals with a complex study of the materials obtained during archaeological excavation of the kurgan Novopokrovka 16 in the middle Irtysh river basin (Omsk region). The site, which is attributed to the Sargat culture (5th century BC – second half of the 3rd century AD), was located farmost on the right bank of the river Irtysh, nearby the group of “Princely kurgans”. Despite almost total disturbance by robbers and agricultural activity, common scholars’ efforts demonstrate high informative capacity of the multidisciplinary approach, while modern level of undertaken research is not just being declared but enables to reconstruct seemingly lost information. The kurgan erection stages and mound structure features have been decoded using the results of a geophysical survey and soil morphology data. The paleoanthropological study of the incomplete skeletal remains does not support multiple or inlet interment inside the central grave, and provides sexing and aging of the buried individuals as well as some paleopathological observations. Apart from species examination, archaeozoological data testify that a warm period from spring to early autumn was the season of animal slaughter. Characteristics of mortuary rituals and direction of intercultural contacts of the ancient forest-steppe groups have been completed by new details based on the results of strontium isotope analyses (dental enamel of humans and animals) and evidence non-local origin of the individual buried under the excavated kurgan, what is different from local origin of horses butchered for funereal feasts. The proposed hypothesis supports previously suggested archaeological, paleoanthropological and paleogenetic facts on the origin of the forest-steppe population, indicating an involvement of various population groups with notable external components. Based on the archaeological materials, the kurgan under study might be dated back to mid-4th – 3rd centuries BC.

Проблема справедливости в антиеретическом дискурсе св. Ипполита Римского

The article examines one of the key episodes of the semantic transformation of the moral and political category of justice, its fate in the era of the Christianization of philosophy. The article analyzes a Greeklanguage polemical treatise of the 3rd century A.D., known as the "Philosophoumena" (or more precisely, "Philosophical Opinions, or a Refutation of All Heresies"), recently attributed to Hippolytus of Rome, a prominent representative of pre-Nicene patristics. The article shows that in this treatise, justice appears as a significant concept used in a number of contexts. First of all, the author of the treatise is armed with justice for the trial of heretics, criticizes their own claims to justice. He argues that all heresies are a direct consequence of Greek philosophical teachings, and for this reason, justice occupies an essential place in the retelling and quotations of classical ancient Greek thinkers. At the same time, justice is an important component of various heretical cosmologies, theologies, and traditions of social organizations. In addition, justice appears as a theological attributive category: in heretical teachings, Christ is referred to as the fairest man, and one of several gods of pluralistic Gnostic theology is endowed with the property of justice. Hippolytus himself uses the category of justice in the narrative of "divine economy", where it is associated with the appearance of "the law and the prophets" and the incarnate Messiah. Thus, Hippolytus' anti-heretical discourse reflects the contradictory image of late-Antique philosophy and the early history of Christianity and shows justice as a term relevant both for the ancient philosophical tradition of the late Roman period and for the emerging heretical and "orthodox" Christian religious traditions.

Палеоэкологические условия финала сарматской эпохи и их влияния на общества скотоводов и земледельцев Восточной Европы и Западной Сибири

The paper make an attempt to consider the cultural and historical events marking the final stage of the Sarmatian epoch from the point of view of climate dynamics in Eastern Europe. It has been confirmed that the Late Sarmatian period in the Lower Volga region coincided with increasing climate humidity and was characterized by high precipitation during the cold season. This occurred in conditions of the Siberian High weakening, resulted to penetration of the Atlantic and Mediterranean cyclones into the inland regions of Eastern Europe and the western areas of Western Siberia. This led to high snow cover formation and provoked a series of other unfavorable factors that triggered migrations and population decline in nomadic or semi-nomadic societies whose economic basis was cattle herding. We suppose that this climate change scenario was not limited to the Lower Volga region. In the article we analyze paleoclimatic, cultural and historical events of the 3rd – 4th centuries AD which occured in the adjacent regions. We found that during this period the Sargat culture, whose economy was based on semi-nomadic cattle breeding, was declining in most of the forest-steppe east of the Urals. The population in the Southern Urals almost completely disappeared by the last decades 3rd century AD. The area of the Late Sarmatian culture from the Lower Volga region is reduced to the Astrakhan Right Bank of the Volga. Only the Lower Don and the Sal-Manych steppes remained inhabited, which is probably due to the regional resource base specifics. Therefore, in most part of Eastern Europe and the western regions of Western Siberia, the population was declining or disappearing long before the Huns invasion, and increase in climate humidity was among the contributing factors. At the same time, the humid climate of the 3rd – 4th centuries AD had a beneficial impact on the crop production. A high winter precipitation provided the flourish of agricultural societies.

A Modern Spin on Archimedes’ Quadrature of the Parabola

Summary In the 3rd century B.C.E., Archimedes wrote his treatise on the quadrature of the parabola, in which he laid out his solution to the problem of finding the area of a parabolic segment. Archimedes attacks the problem from two sides; first, he uses classical mechanics to derive an area formula, and then he uses pure geometry to prove his formula is correct. In this paper, we will present two modern approaches to this problem using calculus. The first approach can be presented to a calculus class that has learned about optimization methods and convergent geometric sequences, and the second can be presented after they have learned the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus.

Two New Inscriptions from Asarönü (Finike, Antalya)

The first part of this article deals with a Severan family monument from Asarönü: Statue bases of father (new) and mother (first published in 1991), erected by their sons in the local sanctuary of Apollo, show important public functions of the elite family in Limyra: local priesthood to the emperors, organisation of sitonia, embassies to the emperors in Rome and Britain, and in the Lycian Confederacy: priesthood to the Roma. The second chapter presents a fragmentary stele from the same sanctuary of Apollo (3rd century B.C.): Asarönü, then still an autonomous polis, was incorporated into the polis of Limyra as a dependent community with the rank and function of a peripolion under the Rhodian occupation of Lycia (188-167 B.C.). The appendix presents a fragmentary Late Hellenistic inscription from Limyra, which informs about the strategia, the division of the official year into two hexamenoi, and the Apolloneioi as Asarönü’s ‘demotikon’ in Limyra.

Hellenistic Amphora Stamps from Kalynda

This article analyzes twenty-six amphora stamps found during the excavations at the ancient city of Kalynda in 2022-2023. Twenty are identified as being of Rhodian origin, five are from Knidos, and one is unidentified. These finds not only contribute to our understanding of the Hellenistic history of the settlement but also provide some new information on the distribution and statistics of stamped amphora handles in southwestern Asia Minor. The quantity of stamped amphora handles found in Kalynda during a brief excavation period suggests that the settlement engaged in commercial relations with neighboring regions in the Hellenistic era. About 85% of the stamps found relate to the 3rd century BC, verifying the locality’s situation on a bustling trade path as backed by epigraphic documents and literary sources. These connections indicate an important relationship between Kalynda and the Ptolemaic administration.

Parthian dyed fabric discovered from Kuh-e Khwaja archaeological site, Sistan, Iran: A multi-analytical study for dye identification

The purpose of this investigation is to examine a dyed fabric recovered from Kuh-e Khwaja, an archaeological site in the Sistan area of southeastern Iran. This fabric, dating back to the Parthian period (3rd century BCE-3rd century CE), is a rarity due to its red and blue dyed fibers. A combination of liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), micro-spectrophotometry, and scanning electron microscopy equipped with an energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer (SEM-EDS) were employed to explore the fibers morphology, dyes and mordants. The results reveal that wool fibers were used in the production of the dyed yarns. Using micro-spectrophotometry, single fibers could be studied and preliminary dye identification was possible through transmittance spectra recording in microscopic dimensions. The spectra recorded indicate that indigo and madder were used to dye blue and red fibers respectively. LC-MS analysis corroborated these findings, demonstrating the presence of alizarin, purpurin, and munjistin in red dyes and indigotin in blue dyes. Evaluation of the fibers with SEM-EDS supports the possibility of using non-mordanted fiber in blue yarn and chalk as a pre-treatment in dyeing red fibers. These results showcase the use of madder and indigo dyeing during the Parthian era in this important region of southeastern Iran, which has been subject to limited exploration concerning its textile history. These findings contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the history of dyeing in Iran.

I will put the studying desk into my pocket (A letter from Professor Byoung Hoon Park) (Tcheonzamun 785th-800th)

‘The thousand character essay’ is called in Korea as ‘Tcheonzamun’ (Han, 1583). French Missionary Dallet (1874) wrote in his book that ancient Chinese people utilized Tcheonzamun as a textbook for Chinese characters for their children. However, it is not well known 1) when ‘The thousand character essay’ was created, 2) who has made this splendid masterpiece. Han (1583) described that Tcheonzamun book was established around 5th century by Chinese people. While Dallet (1874) suggested that Tcheonzamun book was already utilized before B.C. 3rd century on Tsin (秦) country in the ancient Chinese period. Park et al., (2021a) translated the Tcheonzamun poem through the meaning of Chinese character on Tcheonzamun. But Park et al., (2021 b) and Kim (2023) reported that Tcheonzamun poem was well translated in Korean pronunciation, and these authors considered that Tcheonzamun was created by Korean language-speaking people. And it is considered that the theme of Tcheonzamun is the love between the husband and the wife (Park et al., 2021 b; Kim, 2023). There are two methods for the translation of Tcheonzamun poem. The first method for translation is through the meaning of Chinese characters on Tcheonzamun (Park et al., 2021a). The other method is through Korean pronunciation of Chinese characters (Park et al., 2021b). On the present work, the first method is utilized for the translation of Tcheonzamun poem (Park et al., 2021a). The range of this study is the poem of (Tcheonzamun 785th-800th). This is the translation of Tcheonzamun poem (785th-800th)’. The title of this work is ‘I will put the studying desk into my pocket (A letter from Professor Byoung Hoon Park) (Tcheonzamun 785th-800th)’. The theme of this research is as follows. 797-800 屬(Sog) 耳(Ih) 垣(Won) 墻(Zang). My husband! Do you want the crowded condition (垣) into the calm place (墻)?

Жизнь и творчество Пань Юэ в контексте его «Оды о губном оргáне»

The research aims to determine the main characteristics of the life and literary works of one of the most prominent Chinese poets of the late 3rd century CE Pan Yue. The paper examines the biography of the author in its various periods and stages, the themes and uniqueness of his works in different traditional genres, as well as the historical fate and significance of his literary legacy. The scientific novelty of the research lies in the fact that it is the first time in Russian Sinology that the life and poetry of Pan Yue become the subject of a specific and comprehensive study: a detailed periodization of his biography is provided, a thematic classification of his works is presented, the related discussions in Chinese tradition are analyzed, the key importance of Pan Yue’s “Rhapsody on the Mouth Organ” for understanding his worldview, creative work and life conflicts is revealed. As a result of the research, the main periods and stages in Pan Yue’s biography have been established; the contradictory nature of traditional evaluations of the poet’s verses has been explained; the main themes of his works with the central theme of mourning for the deceased have been identified; the aesthetic significance of the category of sorrow in Pan Yue’s literary works as a means of restoring harmony and life has been clarified.

Csaba Szabó. Roman Religion in the Danubian Provinces: Space Sacralisation and Religious Communication during the Principate (1st–3rd Century AD)

Csaba Szabó. <i>Roman Religion in the Danubian Provinces: Space Sacralisation and Religious Communication during the Principate (1st–3rd Century AD)</i>

Blunt weapons in the roman imperial army. A multidisciplinary approach to the clava from experimental archaeology to forensic anthropology

The wooden club (clava) is rarely associated with the image of Roman soldiers, perhaps because it was considered an unconventional weapon with ethnic attributes and/or specific combat roles. Nonetheless, it is attested in the archaeological record and some ancient texts. The panoply and the military career of the soldiers represented on the tombstones of Catavignus son of Ivomagus (1st century AD) and Marcus Aurelius Alexis (early 3rd century AD) offered us the possibility to reconsider the use of the club as an offensive weapon within the Imperial Roman army. The authors made a replica of the clava using historical tools and manufacturing techniques. A series of tests have then been performed to investigate the use of the club in combat. The possible traumas on human targets were also evaluated with a forensic anthropological approach. The results suggest the essential role of flexion and rotation of the kinetic chain «hip/shoulder/ arm» in wielding the clava. This movement requires a much more mobile combat style that can prove very effective against heavily armoured targets due to the weapon's high-impact force and a more extended reach than more conventional Roman sidearms.

Comparative characteristics of ancient red pigments used to decorate Thracian sacred sites (4th–3rd centuries BC)

The mineral composition and geochemical features of red pigments from paints and plasters used in the color decoration of the Shushmanets, Dolno Lukovo, Maglizh tombs, the eschars from tumulus 21 and 31 from Sboryanovo National Reserve (Bulgaria) and the Documaci Tomb (Romania) are compared. The results show that red ochre pigment (mainly hematite) was applied in the decoration of all objects, and only in the Maglizh Tomb a red cinnabar pigment was used – separately or in a mixture with red ochre. Regardless of the territorial remoteness of the tombs Dolno Lukovo, Maglizh, Documaci and the eschars, the red ochres used in them contain As, Cu, Zn and inclusion of minerals jarosite, plumbojarosite and native gold. Such mineral and geochemical features are characteristic of the oxidation zones of Au-Pb-Zn deposits. The most likely source of the red ochre is the well-developed oxidation zone of Au-Pb-Zn deposits in the Eastern Rhodopes. A characteristic feature of the red ochre from the Shushmanets Tomb is the lack of heavy metals but the hematite of the ochre contains inclusions of magnetite. A probable source for mining of this pigment was non-economic magnetite-hematite ore deposits hosted in the in the neighborly exposed chlorite-sericite schists.