Cult Centre Research Articles

The golden statue of the goddess Anahit in the context of the artistic culture of ancient Armenia

Many narratives on the temples and cult centres of ancient Armenia, particularly on the temples in the Euphrates and Aratsani river valleys are preserved in the Classical and Armenian early medieval written sources. One of the most significant temples was the temple of the goddess Anahit, located in the settlement Erez of the province of Acilisene. Acilisene’s land properties and political weight was so great that Pliny the Elder and Dio Cassius named this province after the temple Anaetica. This religious centre occupied one of the most important places among famous temples of Asia Minor, such as the temple of Anahit in Zela (in Comana Pontica) and the temple of Enyo-Ma in Comana Cappadocia.

Жазбаша деректер бойынша көне түркі дәуіріндегі ғұрыптар мен салттар

In this article is considered the description of rites and rituals of the ancient Turkic era by the written sources and their reflection in the design and architecture of princely memorial churches of the steppe Eurasia. Characteristics of the Bozok archaeological microdistrict as a cult center of the medieval Saryarka. The authors made an attempt to systematize written information about the cult practices of the ancient Turks. Details of ritual activities associated with the funeral-memorial cycle are recorded in Chinese dynasty chronicles, in Arabic-Persian tractates, in part in the European annals. Information about the rituals can be obtained from the texts of the Orkhon runic. Comparison and matching of these diverse multilingual sources restores the worldview of ancient Turkic-speaking ethnic groups. The article contains written evidence of the existence of special places for the performance of religious and calendar ceremonies among the ancient Turks. It could be open areas, elevations, special groves, where sacrifices were carried out. At the same time there is information about the cities and the temples built in them for holding annual calendar festivities. Thus, the involvement of narrative sources reinforces and complements the positions of archaeological reconstructions.

European Influences: Local Solutions The Pulpit Altar as a Means of Expression

In the Evangelical-Lutheran Church, the use of pulpit altars has never been obligatory or exclusive. However, the importance of the cult centre in the increasingly uniform internal space as a principle of interior design brought this form into life; one that is exclusively characteristic of the Evangelical-Lutheran Church. In Hungary, pulpit altars were built from the time of the Edict of Tolerance (1781) until the end of the 19th century. In their form, they were mostly to local specifications and options, which played an important role over and above the strong Western European influences. In the evolution of the typology, it is not only the interaction between the Catholic and Reformed elements that can be pinpointed but also the national differences so characteristic within the Evangelical-Lutheran Church.The Slovak, German and Hungarian speaking Lutheran communities, with their diversified and unique relationships, had enriched the forms used in church furnishing in Hungary; this can best be seen in the pulpit altars constructed in the same period.

The Manching Zoo

Summary While the significance of the bird and animal world in the imagery of La Tene art is clear, the opportunity is taken here to bring together a number of pieces, both well-known and recent, from the major site of Manching. Noting associations where these can be ascertained, it is argued that the animal figures seem to underline the significance of Manching as a cultic centre.

Virmundo († 991): The Sepulchre of a Bishop-Saint in the Cathedral of Oviedo

In the course of the restoration of the altar piece located in the apse of Oviedo’s cathedral, an epitaph was discovered in the fourteenth century wall, related with the bishop Virmundo (†991), whose tomb had become the centre of a local cult. In this paper we will attempt to answer several questions concerning the figure of bishop Virmundo, his place of burial and the development of his local cult.

Omride Palatial Architecture as Symbol in Action: Between State Formation, Obliteration, and Heritage

Omride Palatial Architecture as Symbol in Action: Between State Formation, Obliteration, and Heritage

Rivers of Risk and Redemption in Gregory of Tours’ Writings

Rivers of Risk and Redemption in Gregory of Tours’ Writings

A small-scale cult centre in Southeast Turkey: Harbetsuvan Tepesi

The present paper aims to assess the finds from Harbetsuvan Tepesi, which we consider a small-scale satellite settlement located some 7km southwest of Karahan Tepe. The paper also endeavours to show analogous characteristics of Harbetsuvan Tepesi by comparing the site with PPN settlements in adjacent regions. The remains of a round-plan building, a recent discovery observed on the surface in Harbetsuvan Tepesi, which features T-shaped pillars, is particularly notable. The remains of this building, which has characteristics analogous to ‘Enclosure F’ at Göbekli Tepe, is extremely important, as it demonstrates that round-plan buildings were still in use during the early PPNB period.

Od pogańskiego miejsca kultu do chrześcijańskiego sanktuarium – Święta Lipka i Gietrzwałd na tle krajobrazu sakralnego Wa

Święta Lipka and Gietrzwałd are amongst the most famous Marian sanctuaries associated with Warmia. Gietrzwałd is located in the southern part of Warmia, and Święta Lipka just outside its eastern border, but its fate was inseparably connected with Warmia. It is presumed that some churches in Warmia were built near places associated with pagan worship. These could be, amongst others: Ełdytach, Lidzbark Warminski, Plutach and Świątkach. Apparently, Christianity, which inititally destroyed pagan symbols, over the long term took advantage of local sacred traditions attributed to sacred pagan sites. This was primarily expressed in the construction of churches that took over part of the traditions of places of ancient worship, such as Święta Lipka and Gietrzwałd. The first information concerning pagans at Lake Dejnowa (Denow) dates back to 1340. It is widely known that since the 15th century there was quite a common pilgrimage to the linden tree, which pilgrims considered sacred due to the appearance of the Virgin Mary at the site. Already in the 15th century, there was a chapel next to the linden. The Jesuits established themselves there from 1639. Since then, Lipka has become an important centre of Marian devotion. The presence of a cult site near Gietrzwałd can be indicated by the text of the Prussian oath written in the Iuera Pruthenorum, in which the nearby Lake Rentyńskie (formerly Gilbing) appears: “I put this Prussian court deep as Gilbing, as high as the oak, as strong as stone, if this is correct or incorrect” The conclusion is that the archaic cult centre continued in nearby Gietrzwałd. In 1877 a Marian apparition was seen here.

Finding of 10th Century Sward near Khortytsia (to the Issue of Prince Sviatoslav’s Campaign «to Rapids» in 972)

Uniquely preserved and decorated sword of the 10th century was found in the course of the Dnipro River near the Khortytsia Island (Zaporizhzhya) in 2001. This artefact is undoubtedly directly connected with the swords, similar in type and period to those discovered during the Dniproges Expedition in 1928. All the findings were located near the strategic Kichkas crossing described in detail by Constantine Porphyrogenitus in the 10th century. The discovery of a large number of elite swords, in combination with other memorials of this period such as Voznesenovsk encampment fortifications, settlements, and cultic center at Khortytsia raises the issue of the value of this part of the route «from the Varangians to the Greeks» for the history of Rus. The combination of geographical, historical, and archаeological data highlights the issue of the death of prince Sviatoslav Igorovych in March 972 in «the rapids». A comparison of these data with evidence of Chronicles may help establishing the causes and course of the events of the last months of prince’s life. The available data allow the authors to form the hypothesis about the existence of the strategic center on the territory between the Kichkas crossing and the Island of Khortytsia in the 10th century. Its recovery was one of the priorities for Prince Sviatoslav after the cessation of the war with Byzantium. It was necessary to ensure the secure trade and smooth functioning of the route «from the Varangians to the Greeks». Such version allows resolving the conflicting interpretation of Sviatoslav’s «desperation» adopted by the historians in the 18th century yet, and also bringing us closer to understanding of possible economic causes of the campaign «to the rapids». The discoveries of swords and other artefacts allow the authors to speak about the circumstances and nature of the final battle of Prince’s troops. The assemblage of ancient antiquities of the 10th century discovered near Kichkas and Khortytsia is directly related to the genesis of Ancient Rus state.

Vasić’s law of periphery

The understanding of the ways in which the pioneer of Serbian archaeology Miloje M. Vasić explained cultural changes is important for the archaeological tradition we work in. Consequently, the aim here is to detect the weak spots in the epistemological foundations of the Serbian archaeology and to enable the improvement of the conceptual tools we use. Vasić’s entire interpretive concept of the praehistoric Danubian valley periphery was constructed before the World War I, and stated that it was decisively influenced by the religious ideas from the cult centres of the Aegean, and by the direct contact with the Greek colonists as well. Searching for the explanations for the then unknown material culture of Vinča, he chose cult objects because he believed these objects preserved conservative practices and reflected conservative tendencies of communities. The conclusions founded upon cult objects Vasić transformed into generalizations related to all other phenomena. Having chosen his sample, he used specific methods for analysis of archaeological material, developing a complex mechanism to explain how in the periphery these original ideas were transformed beyond recognition. He used stylistic analysis and method of groups, proceeding to the Kopienkritik method, developed by his teacher Adolf Furtwangler. Just like written sources are valorised by their place in the chain of reproduction form the original, in the same manner certain objects represent forms whose distance from the centre can be estimated. However, Vasić further complicated his equation, by introducing at least one more force operating upon the degeneration of objects on the periphery – the influence of deep substrate levels of the peripheral cultures. This intersection of forces may be labelled as Vasić’s “law of periphery”, according to which the corruption of material culture in the periphery is influenced by the distance from the centre and the conservatism of the deeper popular layers. Although he linked this profound traditionalism of population to the survivals, in Vasić’s interpretive key these in fact represent the mutated form of the concept of survivals, borrowed from unilineal evolutionism, and are more linked to substrate, according to which continuity is supposed to be monitored, than to evolutionary phases of development. He identified this mutated concept of survivals and substrate in folk customs, the most famous being the recognition of the Dionysian ritual in the ethnographic present of his time. This manner of chronologically and spatially unlimited analogical reasoning inevitably led to erroneous interpretations, with long-lasting epistemological consequences in Serbian archaeology.

Srebrne plakietki wotywne z warsztatu toruńskiego złotnika Jana Letyńskiego

The paper deals with votive plaques originating from the workshop of Jan Letynski, a member of the Torun goldsmiths’ guild from 1742 to 1789. Such objects made by him have been largely neglected by researchers, even if they constitute a considerable part of the master’s production. It proved possible to identify forty extant plaques by Letynski, some of which have already been discussed in literature. They can be found, above all, in Roman Catholic churches and religious sanctuaries of the Chelmno Land: Boleszyn, Chelmno, Lipinki, Lubawa, and Nowe Miasto Lubawskie. A few of them are also preserved in Catholic cult centres in Cuyavia (Mlyniec, Pieranie), and northern Masovia – all these territories are rather close to Torun. In the town itself two items are now deposited in the collection of the District Museum, including a plaque dated 1748, which originates from the local church of St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist. Furthermore, one plate remains in the possession of the Archdiocesan Museum in Warsaw. The objects discussed are diversified with regard to technical quality and artistic value, typically for the genre. Several of them display high class of execution, although in general this is not the case; therefore, the majority may be attributed to workshop assistants. Votive plaques by Jan Letynski also exhibit a wide variety of iconographic and decorative motives: from plain depictions of human body parts, or animals, to religious scenes of sophisticated composition surrounded by rich Rococo ornament.

Rozwój przestrzenny Elbląga w średniowieczu i okresie wczesnonowożytnym

The establishment of Elbląg in 1237 by the Teutonic Knights was associated with the military and political activities of the Order, while leading Christianisation in Prussia but also military action, initiated the creation of its own state. The construction of the castle and the new town situated next to it began on a so-called greenfield site. The town was surrounded by suburbs, and on the opposite bank of the river Granary Island was located. In the period 1331–1341, the New Town was created. The connection of all the elements of this complex occurred in 1478, creating a unified settlement complex known as Old Town Elbląg. The trapezoidal plan of the town was defined by earthen fortifications, and since the end of the 14th-century stone and brick walls, with the main axis – Old Market Street and six streets perpendicular to it formed the intra muros space. An administrative and cult centre was established and rectangular building blocks were filled with plots. The oldest buildings were concentrated in the central part of the town, amongst the streets leading to the river and gradually moved to the east and west. Within the suburbs surrounding Elbląg (port, northern, eastern and southern ones), a port and equipment for its operation, craft workshops, warehouses and equipment related to trade was located. The demolition of the Teutonic Knights’ castle and the changing political situation in the second half of the 15th and early 16th century resulted in attention being drawn to Elbląg’s fortifications. At the end of the 16th century, in the area of the eastern suburb the construction of the first elements of bastion fortifications began. Hence, older buildings were demolished, amongst others, St James’ church. In the first half of the 17th century, he Old Town with the suburbs and Granary Island was surrounded by a powerful system of bastion fortifications in the Old Dutch system. This resulted in spatial changes within the suburbs, where the buildings began to move further away from the town centre. In 1773, a decision was made to demolish the town’s fortifications and to create a new centre with a market square and town hall on the east side of the Old Town.

New Neolithic cult centres and domestic settlements in the light of Urfa Region Surveys

The present study concerns Neolithic period cult centres and settlements discovered recently during surface surveys in the central district of Urfa (Sanlıurfa) region in south-eastern Turkey. The presence of T-shaped pillars was ascertained at Ayanlar Höyük and Kurt Tepesi cult sites. Other settlements are domestic settlements arranged around cult centre settlements. Some sites belong to Pre Pottery Neolithic, and the others to Pottery Neolithic. They are believed to be coeval with Göbekli Tepe and Nevali Çori cult sites.

Patterns of Devotion and Traces of Art: The Diplomatic Journey of Queen Elizabeth Piast to Italy in 1343-1344

This article focuses on the journey the Hungarian Dowager Queen Elizabeth Piast undertook in 1343-1344 to the Italian Peninsula in order to bolster the claims of her son, Prince Andrew, to the Neapolitan throne. Contrary to the agreement concluded a decade earlier between King Charles i of Hungary and King Robert of Naples, Andrew’s wife, Queen Joanna i, was still the sole ruler. In addition to its obvious diplomatic purpose, the trip also represented an occasion for Queen Elizabeth to express her devotion at the shrines of the Holy Apostles in Rome and St Nicholas in Bari, making generous donations in money and precious objects to these cult centers. By examining a series of written records including chroniclers’ accounts and inventories of the treasuries of St Peter’s and St Nicholas’ Basilicas, and confronting them with the surviving visual evidence, the author notices that the Árpádian/Angevin dynastic saints (St Stephen, St Emeric, St Ladislas, St Elizabeth, and Blessed Margaret) played a significant role during these devotional trips; Queen Elizabeth donated or commissioned works of art with their image. Consequently, the dynastic saints of home were present abroad during their supporters’ pilgrimage to the cult centers of other saints, and this association increased the prestige of both the dynastic saints and those promoting the cult.

The Politics of Identity: Late Iron Age Sanctuaries in the Rhineland

Abstract The Late Iron Age in the Rhineland area was a period of intensive social change, manifested in the development of a hierarchical system of sanctuaries. This paper discusses the social implications of this development, thereby emphasizing the role of regional and supraregional cult places as key-sites in the construction of politicized ethnic identities and associated power networks. Moreover, some interesting spatial and temporal patterns can be observed. In the Middle Rhine-Moselle area, the main sanctuaries and assembly places seem to be located in major fortified settlements (oppida) and often seem to have been the oldest elements within these sites. In the Lower Rhine region, there is no link between cult centers and fortified settlements, and at least one of the regional cult sites was situated in a forest.

Josephus, fifth evangelist, and Jesus on the Temple

This contribution aims at deconstructing a Christian master narrative that interprets Josephus as crucial support for the New Testament message that the Temple had to become a ruin, in line with the will of God. It argues for an alternative interpretation, namely that both Jesus of Nazareth and Josephus considered the Temple to be still relevant, albeit in different ways. For Jesus the Temple was the self-evident cultic centre of Judaism and a special place to experience his relationship with God. None of Jesus’ statements about the Temple in their original context necessarily implies that Jesus assumed that the institution of the Temple would stop functioning in the near future or at the end of time. Josephus’s perspective on the Temple changes in his works. The elaborate description of Jerusalem and the Temple in War 5 reads as a written monument of the past, but several passages in Josephus’s Antiquities and Against Apion imply that the Temple was still important after 70 CE. Josephus may have reckoned with the possibility that the Temple was going to be rebuilt if the Romans allowed for it.This contribution is dedicated to Pieter G.R. de Villiers, a modest but sophisticated scholar and a good friend.

Zentralität in der Peripherie: Kirchengebäude als Orte des »Sonderfriedens« in den frühmittelalterlichen leges

In the early middle ages, specific protective rights were granted, among others, to church buildings. While legal historians investigating the legal protection of church buildings up till now stressed the jurisdictional concept of a »higher peace«, cultural history has drawn attention to the concepts of sanctuary and immunity. Drawing upon sources spanning from the Lex Salica to the capitularies and canon law of the 9th century, the present article argues that peace, sanctuary and immunity are not to be understood as rooted in one concept, as is generally done, but rather they have to be understood as different legal concepts that only occasionally come together. Furthermore, I propose that the protection of church buildings is not an expression of taboo related to the sacral sphere of the king or the sacrality of the church building, but instead must be seen as rooted in a concept of honor that includes a spatial dimension and can be traced back to the motif of ›fear of God‹, but is ultimately guaranteed by law. The different concepts thus refer to the notion of churches not just as cult centres, but public protected areas, whose protection is part of a complex and comprehensive effort to restrict ‘self-help’. From the perspective of the issue of centrality and periphery, the example clearly shows that this opposition is completely dissolved because places were created, instituted through legal protection, even at the periphery.

The Construction of a Cultic Center through Narrative: The Founding Myth of the Village of Puttaparthi and Sathya Sāī Bābā

The Construction of a Cultic Center through Narrative: The Founding Myth of the Village of Puttaparthi and Sathya Sāī Bābā

ŞANLIURFA BÖLGESİNDE "T" ŞEKLİNDE DİKMETAŞ BULUNAN YERLEŞİMLERİN FARKLILIK VE BENZERLİKLERİ

This article refers to the Neolithic Period settlements discovered during surveys and provincial cultural inventory studies conducted in Sanliurfa province located in Southeast Turkey. The locations and dimensions of the settlements that contain T shaped pillars is one of the main discussion topics of this study. Another matter under discussion is to comprehend the differences between the small-scale settlements that contain cult centers and T shaped pillars. The fact that two of the settlements under study contain both the remains of circular domestic buildings and the pil­lars indicate that such settlements resemble Cayonu and Nevali Cori settlements, which contain cult and domestic buildings. It is contemplated that such settlements are contemporary with Gobekli Tepe layer II and the cult building known from Nevali Cori based on the similarities and differences of the T shaped pillars, identified in some of the recently discovered settlements. In the light of the finds unearthed from the settlements in Sanliurfa region that conta­in T shaped pillars, such settlements should be dated to the end of Late Pre-Pottery Neolithic A (LPPNA) and the Early Pre-Pottery Neolithic B (EPPNB).