Inscriptions Research Articles

Quantitative GIS-based analysis of archaeological data of the archaic state of Tell Mardikh/Ebla (3rd millennium BC): the Big-DEA project.

Abstract The paper provides an overview on Big-DEA, a multidisciplinary project aimed at developing a comprehensive multi-level explanatory model for the development of an archaic State in the ancient Near East, using the exceptional case of Tell Mardikh, ancient Ebla (Syria), during the second half of the 3rd millennium. The project’s goal is the reconstruction of the archaic state organization through an integrated analysis of archaeological and epigraphic data. The interaction between humanities and hard sciences is adopted in order to build a multi-tier explanatory model regarding the territory under the control of the Ebla kingdom, considering anthropic and environmental data deriving from excavations, survey and textual sources. The way to managing and study such a large Big Data archive, which includes different datasets, is itself the main challenge of the project: the creation of a dedicated relational database management system (RDBMS) functional to the implementation of the available GIS platform and the development of an appropriate simulation framework.

Орфический миф о посмертной судьбе души в философии Платона

This article provides a comparative analysis of the semantic equivalents of Orphic ideas about the afterlife of the soul and Plato’s philosophical views. An overview of the leading research concepts of Orphism is presented; their strengths and weaknesses are analysed in the light of the new archaeological data. As a methodological platform, the maximalist approach was chosen, according to which the cult of Orpheus can be traced historically and its principles and practices can be identified. The basic idea is that mystical cults (including Orphism) are an organized system that is widespread throughout the Mediterranean region. The analysis of written, archaeological, and epigraphic data indicates that Plato’s system of views on the immortality of the soul is a theoretical explication of the “metaphysical” doctrines of the Orphic mysteries. It is proven here that Plato, using Orphic formulae in his dialogues, transmitted Orphic ritual traditions through his philosophical writings. In addition, it is demonstrated that Plato turned to the Orphic myth to explain such phenomenal and noumenal issues as the nature and the afterlife of the soul. A conclusion is made that the doctrine of the Orphic tradition can be reconstructed due to the systematic use of Orphic formulae by Plato, which also indicates the integrity of the Orphic teaching. Plato not only used the language of the mysteries, but also developed his own system of teaching Orphic rites on its basis. It was a kind of scientific methodology explaining the Orphic doctrine with the help of Socrates’ dialectical method. Thus, further research into Plato’s views on the afterlife of the soul will shed some light on the Orphic teaching in particular, and mystical cults in general.

Clerics in Church and Society in Late Antiquity

Clerics in Church and Society in Late Antiquity

From Tamil Pāṇar to the Bāṇas: Sanskritization and Sovereignty in South India

Historians include the Bāṇas among the important minor dynasties of South India. They are first mentioned as Bṛhadbāṇas in the Tāḷagunda inscription of the fifth century. Rulers with the Bāṇa name existed up to the sixteenth century in the Tamil country. During their history, they also married into major dynasties like the Cōḻas and claimed to be descendants of a lineage starting from Bali. Many historians have noted the semantic similarity between the term Bṛhadbāṇa and the earlier Tamil bardic Perumpāṇaṉ of the Caṅkam literature. The historians, however, have not explicitly addressed the issues of whether the Bāṇas originated from the Tamil Pāṇar and why they chose to claim Purāṇic Bali to be their progenitor. In the present essay, based on an analysis of Caṅkam texts, and epigraphic data, it is shown first that the Bāṇas must have originated from the Tamil bards. Later, the reasons for the Bāṇas choosing to have Bali as the progenitor of their lineage are explored. It looks like Tamil bardic age values might have played a role in this.

2. Archaeology and Epigraphy

2. Archaeology and Epigraphy

PHRYGIAN TRACES IN BİLECİK AND VEZIRHAN STELE

This article investigates the Bilecik region, which is located between Mysia, Bithynia and Phrygia in north-western Anatolia, during the pre-Hellenistic period, the 1st millennium BC. The paper aims at understanding the cultural identities of people who inhabited the region by interpreting ancient sources, archaeological evidence and epigraphic data together. Moreover, it analyses the Vezirhan stele stylistically, which was found in the region during the early 1970s. Analogies have shown that the reliefs include both eastern and western elements and the stele has been proposed to be dated to the end of the 5th century BC. The Vezirhan stele with the Old Phrygian and Greek inscriptions and the Fıranlar stele, another Old Phrygian inscription, prove the Phrygian presence in the region. In addition to these, recent archaeological data, including the Iron Age settlements represented by the so-called “Phrygian Grey”, imported wares and tumuli, is evaluated to shed light on the spread of the Phrygian culture, the settlement patterns and land use in the region. When all the data from the Bilecik region is evaluated, it can be understood that the southern half of the region was a part of the Phrygian core land. Despite the lacking consistent data from the northern part, the Phrygians might have inhabited small rural settlements or might have lived as nomadic tribes in the region.

The Medieval Urbanism of Ghazni (Afghanistan, 10th–12th Centuries). A Cross-Reading of Textual and Material Evidence

Attempts to reconstruct the historical geography of medieval Ghazni are complicated by the scarceness and discontinuity of both textual and material sources. This calls for a cross-check of archaeological and epigraphic data with the testimony of medieval geographers, chroniclers and poets who were conversant with the former capital city of the Ghaznavid sultanate. Such an investigation provides new insights into the growth principles of the town. The close interrelation between secular and religious spaces emerges as one of the main features of Ghaznavid state-sponsored monuments, and may have had an influence on the further developments of the urban fabric.

A semiotic approach for the teaching of energy: linking mechanical work and heat with the world of objects and events

In this study an effort is made to provide links between the world of physics (theoretical) model about energy transfer with the world of objects and events. Taking into account a holistic approach on energy based on conservation of energy principle and a semiotic approach based on the multimodality of teaching, it was investigated whether a ‘no contact, contact plus change’ pattern can signify in the material world the separation and the interaction between the physical systems and the changes within the systems. An analysis of a teacher’s actions from a physics lesson and a physics textbook concerning mechanical work and heat as mechanisms of energy transfer was made, identifying the no contact, contact + change pattern in speech, written text, bodily acts and inscriptions. It was shown that this semiotic schema has the potential to transfer the physics model about mechanical work and heat to the world of objects and events avoiding ambiguities that create conceptual blending between transformation and transfer of energy. In addition , illustrating the idea of change by movement for mechanical work (position change) and by haptic contact or different colours for heat (temperature change) might be of great importance in teaching activities about transfer of energy.

The Life Course of a Standard-Bearer: A Nonroyal Elite Burial at the Maya Archaeological Site of El Palmar, Mexico

Inspired by life course and osteobiography approaches, this article explores the life and death of an individual associated with thelakamtitle (“banner” in Colonial Yukatek Maya; thus, a “standard-bearer”), a nonroyal elite of Late Classic period Maya society (AD 600–850). Although these elites are depicted on polychrome vessels and carved monuments, little is known about their life experiences and mortuary practices. The present analysis centers on an individual found at Structure GZ1, a temple with a hieroglyphic stairway, at the Maya archaeological site of El Palmar, Mexico. Using osteological, archaeological, and epigraphic data as different lines of evidence, we examine the relationship of the individual to his affiliated group. At the time of interment, there were a wide array of social, cultural, and political events both shaping and reshaping the body and identities of the individual during a period of political turbulence.

Determination of Missing Digit on the Year Number of Prasasti Sirah Keting

In writing the inscription, several things need to be considered, one of which is the number of years. One example of an inscription that engraves the number of years up to thousands is the Sirah Keting Inscription. The condition of the inscription when it was found was worn, including the year number. According to J. L. A. Brandes and W. F. Stutterheim, the Sirah Kĕting inscription dates to 1026 Śaka, while according to the reading of Louis-Charles Damais, the year number is 1126 Śaka. The correctness of the differences in the reading of the number of years can be traced by using the Bratakesawa Tabulation, Damais Tabulation, Zeller Formual, and Sivaraman Formula. The four methods used gave the same results. The missing number in the hundreds position is 1 so that the number of years inscribed on the Sirah Keting Inscription is 1126 Saka or 1204 AD.

The Inscription of Remnant Things: Zhang Dai’s “Twenty-Eight Friends”

The Inscription of Remnant Things: Zhang Dai’s “Twenty-Eight Friends”

Archaeology, Epigraphy, Philology

Archaeology, Epigraphy, Philology

Archaeology, Epigraphy, Philology

Archaeology, Epigraphy, Philology

Minor Dynasties of Early Mediaeval Bengal According to Epigraphical Data: the Dynasty of Varmans (ca. 1050-1125 AD)

The paper presents a description of the socio-political and economic condition of South-Eastern Bengal in a relatively short period at the cusp of the 11th and 12th centuries, when the dynasty of Varmans ruled there. It is based on the data contained in their inscriptions. Altogether the period of the dynasty's reign did not exceed ¾ century. During this time four rulers succeeded the throne, namely Jatavarman, his both sons – Harivarman and Samalavarman, and also Bhojavarman, the son of the latter. There are seven historical sources ascribed to the dynasty, among them two manuscripts and five inscriptions. These five inscriptions contain three land-grant charters, and two inscriptions on large objects. Three land-grant charters are compiled on behalf of Harivarman, Samalavarman and Bhojavarman, while two inscriptions on large objects are dated back to the reigns of Harivarman and Bhojavarman. The first two of the three charters are poorly preserved; therefore, they cannot be deciphered in full, only the charter of Bhojavarman can be read moderately well. Of the two inscriptions on large objects, one is a panegyric of Bhatta Bhavadeva, who was the minister of peace and war of Harivarman, and the other was compiled on behalf of a minor feudal lord during the reign of Bhojavarman The dynasty's charters show that Varmans were a ‘regional’ dynasty whose interests did not extend beyond Bengal. Their status allowed them to give land-grants on their own; at the same time, they may be considered as minor independent rulers who constitute the orbit of the regional hegemon – the Pāla dynasty. In turn, the inscriptions on large objects ascribed to the dynasty of Varmans speak for the existence of a system of the hierarchical administration in their principality, as well as the existence of developed commodity-money relations and intensive social and economic ties of the territories controlled by the Varman with the rest of Bengal as well as with other regions of not only India, but probably with more distant countries. It should also be emphasized that their inscriptions witness the earliest evidence of the presence of Muslims in Bengal.

창녕 계성 고분군 출토 토기 명문의 재검토

이 논문은 고대 창녕지역의 성격과 정치체의 실체를 밝히기 위한 작업의 일환으로, 창녕에서 출토된 고대 문자 자료 중 「창녕 계성 고분군 출토 ‘⼤⼲’명토기」를 다시 살펴본 것이다. 창녕 계성 고분군의 6세기 중후반으로 편년되는 중소형 고분들에서 명문 토기가 22점 출토되었다. 이중 절반 이상이 ‘⼤⼲’이라는 동일한 명문이 새겨졌다고 파악되었으며, 이는 창녕지역 수장의 위호로 이해되어왔다.<BR> 이 토기 명문은 다른 지역에서는 확인할 수 없는 독특한 자료로, 적지 않은 관심을 받으면서 연구가 이루어졌는데, 주로 창녕지역이 신라로 편입된 시기를 알 수 있는 중요한 단서로 여겨졌다. 하지만 지나치게 일찍 명문 판독이 확정되면서 의미 파악도 그에 맞추어졌고, 그 때문에 충분한 검토가 이루어졌다고 보기 힘든 측면이 있다. 명문 토기가 출토된 발굴조사는 1976년, 1994년, 1998년 세 차례 이루어졌는데, 마지막 1998년 발굴에서 나온 자료까지 포함한 전체적인 검토가 아직 없었던 것이다.<BR> 이에 본고에서는 이 토기 명문에 대한 기존 연구들을 점검하고, 아울러 출토된 전체 명문들을 판독에서부터 다시 검토해 보았다. 그 결과 이 토기 명문은 ‘대간’으로 판독할 수 없으며, ‘신’으로 판독하는 것이 타당하다고 결론 내렸다. 나아가 창녕지역 수장의 위호를 새긴 것이 아니라, 의례용 토기를 나타내는 표식이거나 토기 생산 과정에서 필요에 의해 새긴 문자로 볼 수 있음을 확인하였다. 더하여 후대이기는 하지만 경주 동궁과 월지 유적에서 출토된 다수의 ‘⾟’자가 새겨지거나 묵서된 유물들과의 연관성도 상정해 볼 수 있다고 보았다.

Colonización y emigración en Pax Iulia

En este trabajo estudiamos las dinámicas de movilidad existentes en la colonia Pax Iulia (Beja, Portugal) tomando como base la documentación epigráfica de la ciudad. Partiendo de la fundación de la colonia, abordaremos aspectos relacionados con los tipos de movilidad existentes, la procedencia de sus protagonistas y las causas que motivaron sus desplazamientos.

Chronology of the Sarapieia A &amp; B on Delos

The article examines the findings that allow us to date the first installation of the Serapieia A and B at Delos, according to material recovered in recent excavations. A study of the ceramics led to a revision of previously established positions: in particular, the construction date of the Serapieion B must now be brought back by a century, while the date of the Serapieion A seems to correspond to the one generally agreed upon, based on the chronology of the epigraphic texts. Consequently, the issue of the discrepancy between the epigraphic data and the ceramic data with regard to the dating of the Serapieion B must be examined.

THE ARCHITECTURAL EPIGRAPHY OF NAQSHBANDI-MUJADDIDI TARIQAH IN CENTRAL ASIA IN THE XVIII-XIX CENTURIES

This article examines the architectural and epigraphic monuments associated with the history of the Naqshbandi-Mujaddidi tariqah in the 18th-19th centuries. Information about this tariqah is obtained based on epigraphic data. The article contains information about the murshids who carried out their activities within the “Suf Allahyar” and “Musakhonkhodja Dahbedi” branches of the Central Asian Naqshbandi-Mujaddidi tariqah in the 18th- 19th centuries, as well as information about architectural monuments and epigraphic inscriptions directly related to them. It also provides valuable information about the activities of the murshids of the tariqah Qamariddin Khuzari and Mavlono Mirmuhammad Ibrahim Khodja Samarqandi, as well as about their mausoleums and cemeteries. After Mavlono Mirmuhammad Ibrahim Khodja Samarkandi, the Naqshbandi-Mujaddidi-Dakhbedi chain was continued by his disciples Muhammad Amin Khodja Dahbedi, Abdumalik Khodja Gaziraghi, Eshoni Walikhon Urguti, and Eshoni Suf Khodja, and others. From the descendants of Mavlono Mirmuhammad, Ibrahim Khodja Samarqandi came such famous people of their time as Mirmuhammad Nasriddinkhan, Mirmuhammad Fayzulla Mahzum, Mirmuhammad Sayyid Gani Mahzum, Mulla Muqaddas, Sayyid Valikhan, Eshoni Sultankhan. The scientifc novelty of the research results is substantiated by the data of epigraphic inscriptions on the tombstone installed on the grave of Mirmuhammad Ibrahim Khodja. Based on the indicated epigraphic sources, the article also contains quotations and information about the history of the Naqshbandi-Mujaddidi tariqah, which is not found in manuscript sources. In our work, we used comparative, historical, and chronological research methods.

La dedica in greco e sidetico di Seleucia (S6): un caso di diglossia?

Through a new analysis of the Greek-Sidetic inscription of Seleucia (S6) further considerations about the Lycian origin of the author and the possible diglossic nature of the inscription emerge.

Dacici Maximi. The «Barracks Emperors» and the conflicts with the Barbarians near the frontiers of Dacia

The main goal of this study is to establish the historical context of the introduction of the title Dacicus Maximus in 3rd-century inscriptions for emperors like Maximinus Thrax, Traianus Decius, Gallienus, and Aurelianus. Maximinus Thrax officially adopted the title, while for Decius, Gallienus and Aurelianus such a cognomen devictarum gentium is accidentally found on inscriptions and milliaria from distant provinces, such as Hispania, Gallia, and the North-African provinces. To this scarce epigraphic data one can add the sculptural reliefs of the so-called battle sarcophagi from Rome that depict barbarians wearing Dacian costume and Dacian weapons. The main conclusion is that, in this confused era, the imperial propaganda apparatus identified as Dacians certain new, emergent barbarians inhabiting the area of the former Dacia Magna.