Medieval Monuments Research Articles

The Riverside Roads of Culture as a Tool for the Development of Aitoloakarnania

Cultural routes are a well-established development tool to highlight and promote a region’s cultural and environmental reserve, as well as having a positive impact on a region’s socio-economic development. Underdeveloped or rural areas, which have limited financial and technological resources available, often envision cultural routes as a useful development tool to cater to their needs. However, unless these cultural routes are designed and implemented based on the principles of a circular economy or while respecting the region’s cultural identity and heritage, their impact will not be significant. The region of Aitoloakarnania is the poorest prefecture of Greece. The prefecture served as a case study to demonstrate that the utilization of its cultural and architectural heritage can be based on the identification, documentation, and the reveal of paths of cultural tourism along the region’s main natural features, namely its rivers, lakes, lagoons, and coastline. Τhe density and the representative distribution of the monuments in the area, in combination with the unique natural environment of the prefecture, led to the configuration of a mild design of cultural routes, promoting the revealing of both the cultural and the natural landmarks of Aitoloakarnania. In this framework, certain cultural paths were defined. The first one, along the Acheloos River, includes sites of natural heritage, ancient and medieval monuments (castles, fortifications, monasteries, churches, burial sites, archaeological sites, etc.). The other cultural path regards sites along the Evinos River and Trichonida Lake, which includes similar monuments and traditional settlements. A similar cultural path regards cultural sites and points of interest along the coastal parts of the prefecture, and in particular, a path initiating from the historic city of Nafpaktos and following the route to the west, it reaches the Venetian castle of Plagia, opposite of Lefkada. These cultural paths fuse along their routes sites of natural heritage, sites of archaeological and cultural interest, and sites of historic importance to the region. This amalgamation of different types of cultural sites, integrated into a single cultural entity, provide the means for the local and regional development in a sustainable approach while ensuring and disseminating the region’s brand and history.

A New Study on the South Slavic Legal Literature

The edition ‘Prochiron / Urban Law’ by Prof. Mariana Tsibranska-Kostova is a study of a medieval legal monument related to the history of Bulgarian law. The research is based on the wide-approach and methodology, interpreting the considered matter in philological, legal and historical aspect. The author traces the history of the monument, the research about it and gives his interpretation of the topic. The Slavic text of Prochiron and a translation into modern Bulgarian were published as appendices. The study can be assessed as the most significant for the last decades in this scientific field.

The Turkic Layer of Religious Terms in “Divan-i Hikmet” (Based on the Kokshetau Version)

In this article the author discusses the use of religious terms that play an important role in the vocabulary of a literary work of philosophical and religious content of «Divan-i Hikmet». At the beginning of the article, information is presented related to religious terms and concepts that have long been used in the Turkic languages, and which have been transformed into archaisms. Along with this, in this article are analyzed the options of different scientists related with the vocabulary and the structure of words in various versions of the work «Divan-i Hikmet». Comparing the number of Turkisms and borrowed words in the vocabulary of the work, the author provides statistical data. Depending on the semantic features of the Turkic structure of religious terms found in «Divan-i Hikmet», they were divided into such groups as words used in the meaning of “Creator”, “God”; words and concepts used in the meaning of “Prophet”, “Messenger of God”; words describing religious people; words and expressions used in the meaning of “faith in God”, “worship”, “coming to faith”; words and expressions used in the meaning of “sin”, “sinning”, “delusion”; as well as words referring to the afterlife and graves. The author, having selected about twenty words from the dictionary of the monument, written in a religious context, analyzes the semantic, phonetic, structural aspects using the comparative method. When analyzing selected religious terms and concepts, attention is paid to their use in ancient and medieval monuments, as well as in modern Turkic languages.

The trips of the famous orientalist V. V. Bartold to Bukhara and their scientific significance

In 2019, Oriental scholars celebrated an important date — the 150th anniversary of the birth of the Russian and Soviet orientalist Vasily Vladimirovich Bartold. Russian and Soviet orientalist, Turkologist, Arabist, Islamic scholar, historian, archivist, philologist, Academician of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences (1913), member of the Imperial Orthodox Palestine Society became one of the founders of the Soviet school of oriental studies. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many Russian scientists worked and were engaged in scientific activities in Uzbekistan. It was V. V. Barthold showed a position according to which the necessity of creating an Asian history, which could be equated in Western history, was realized. This article examines the trips of Academician V. V. Bartold to Bukhara in order to get acquainted with the medieval monuments of writing, as well as scientific expeditions of Russian orientalists in the late 19th — early 20th centuries. The attitude of the scientist to the issue of studying the history of Bukhara is analyzed.

Treasures of the 10th – 13th Centuries from Materials of Soldirsky I Hillfort Idnakar

Treasures were discovered during archaeological research of the Idnakar hillfort in 1976–1999. Two treasures were found on the middle square of the hillfort. The third treasure was found on the territory of internal fortifications, another one – outside the middle line of fortifications. Patterns in the location of the treasures relative to the planning objects are not revealed. The nature of the complexes is diverse. In general, jewelry dominates. Two treasures contain metal ingots and unfinished products. This indicates their local production. A treasure containing imported vessels is an important source for the analysis of trade and economic relations of the medieval population of the Cheptsa River Basin. Jewelry from treasures is dated to the period of 10th –13th centuries. Similar products were found in the materials of medieval monuments of the Finno-Ugric population of Eastern Europe. Data on the elemental composition of metal products from treasures are published. Metal research was carried out by Bazhen Evgenievich Pushkarev, Candidate of Technical Sciences (Scientific Center for Metallurgical Physics and Materials Science, Udmurt Federal Research Center, Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences). Earrings and ritual bowls were made of silver. Pendants, jewelry items and metal ingots were made of copper alloys (pure copper, bronze, brass). Alloy formulations vary, which is typical of the medieval metal of the Cheptsa River Basin.

About Archaeological Research of Some Medieval Fortifications of Azerbaijan

Medieval fortifications, fortified settlements and castles were absolutely important part of history. In last decade archaeologists were led scientific researches in different parts of Azerbaijan Republic, studied different type of fortresses and fortifications. Medieval fortresses of Azerbaijan were built at strategical geographical areas. Our article dedicated to some medieval fortresses which studied during archaeological excavations. Azerbaijani castles and fortresses which built in the middle ages were historically and architecturally important for national defensive history. Azerbaijani archaeologists investigated at the medieval castles and the results of some researches were concluded in this article. Fortifications, which have an important place among the medieval monuments of Azerbaijan, were the main object of research in the monograph. For the first time, medieval fortification-type monuments were systematically classified and studied according to this classification. The defensive structures built during this period to prevent various attacks and to protect the territorial integrity of the country are distinguished by their grandeur. Among the fortified monuments of Azerbaijan, settlements and fortified cities with defensive walls, defensive walls, towers, towers, guard posts, military camps, strategic mountain passes and passes of special importance have been scientifically studied in the article. The results of archaeological researches were coordinated with the information provided by written sources, important scientific results were obtained, a number of issues were clarified as a result of systematic study of the history of Azerbaijan and its defensive monuments. The results of the research show that the defense work was perfectly organized in the territory of Azerbaijan in the medieval period. In fact, the political situation in the region has made it necessary. The fact that such magnificent monuments of the local population have left us a monument has served as a kind of source for the study of the history, archaeology, architecture, martial arts and other historical issues of that period. The fortifications of Azerbaijan show the prosperity of its medieval architecture, too.

Characterization of Lime Plaster of a Portuguese Medieval Monument in the Indian Ocean Coast

Characterization of Lime Plaster of a Portuguese Medieval Monument in the Indian Ocean Coast

Richard P. Mcclary. Medieval Monuments of Central Asia. Qarakhanid Architecture of the 11th and 12th Centuries

L’ouvrage rassemble le corpus des monuments attribuables a la confederation des Qarakhanides (389-609/999-1212), releves dans les actuelles republiques centrasiatiques du Kazakhstan, Kirghizstan et Ouzbekistan (cf. Gazetteer, p. 311-315). Le mauvais etat de conservation de la plupart de ces monuments – dont certains ont completement disparu, tandis que d’autres ont ete alteres par les reconstitutions recentes – empeche dans bien des cas de retracer de maniere exhaustive leurs architecture et ...

Century of Indology at the University of Hamburg

The article is devoted to the development of Indology at the University of Hamburg and analyzes the contribution of Hamburg Indologists to the study of ancient and medieval India and the study of modern languages and literature of India in the discipline’s development in the sister city of St. Petersburg. The authors note that the development of Indology has a long history in Germany and the uniqueness of the Hamburg school is observed. Germany had more than forty Indology departments in the 19th century, much more than Great Britain then had. The teaching of Indian languages in Hamburg began in 1914 in the classrooms of the university’s predecessor, the Hamburg Colonial Institute founded in 1908 and dissolved in 1919, soon after World War I. The University of Hamburg started as new and progressive institution of education in Weimar Germany, and continued for the next hundred years, where the teaching of Sanskrit, studying ancient medieval monuments of Indian literature, philosophy, and religious texts reached a global level thanks to outstanding Indologists, such as Walter Schubring, Ludwig Alsdorf, Albrecht Welzer, and Lambert Schmithausen. The article also considers the contribution to the development of Indology in Hamburg by current Professors Eva Wilden, Michael Zimmermann, Harunaga Isaacson et al. Thanks to the activities of these professors and their colleagues from Russia and India such as Tatiana Iosifovna and Ram Prasad Bhatta, the study and teaching of the languages and cultures of India within the framework of the Center for Culture and History of India and Tibet of the Institute of Asia and Africa now includes the study of Tamil language and literature as well as North Indian languages and literature.

Key features of medieval jewelry items of the Pre-Urals

In recent years, due to comprehensive research of jewelry making found at medieval sites in the Perm Pre-Urals, as well as new materials of field archaeological research, convincing evidence has been obtained of the existence of its own jewelry centers here. The items made by medieval masters met the needs of the local population and are represented by costume ornaments, as well as household and ritual items. All of them have a number of distinctive features which are manifested not only in the material and pattern, but also in the methods and techniques of their manufacture and decoration. These features distinguish them among the entire jewelry heritage of the territory of Eurasia in the period of the 9th - 13th centuries. The paper looks into identifying clear-cut key features (stylistic, chemical and technological) of Prikamye jewellery items. These are certain cultural chronological traditions of the implementation of individual structural elements, the location of the grain-filigree decoration in the manufacture of products and its technical performance, certain methods of inlaying certain categories of jewelry, applying gilding, etc. Fixing these features makes it possible to more accurately attribute the items found both in the medieval monuments of the considered territory and far beyond its borders.

МИФ О РАЗРУШЕНИИ ХЕРСОНЕСА: ЭПИЗОД ЛИТЕРАТУРНОГО ОСВОЕНИЯ КРЫМА

In travel literature of the 19th century (P.I. Sumarokov, V.B. Bronevsky, I.M. Muraviev-Apostol, E.D. Clark, F. Dubois de Montpere, K. Omer de Gell and others), there was a legend that ancient Chersonesus was destroyed to extract building materials for the construction of Sevastopol. The objective data analysis shows that it is a literary myth that originates from the work of P.S. Pallas “Observations Made During Traveling Over Southern Provinces of the Russian State in 1793–1794” (1799–1801). The scholar argued that the “destruction” of Chersonesus was a consequence of the active construction of Sevastopol in the 1780s–1790s. In 1818, P.S. Pallas’s viepoint was supported by N.M. Karamzin, whose History of the Russian State tells (with reference to P.S. Pallas) that Chersonesus was destroyed “to take stones to construct houses in Sevastopol”. Since then, this version of the events has become a commonplace in almost any text about Chersonesus. At the same time, some European authors (E.D. Clark, K. Omer de Gell) used this “common place” as an instrument of political propaganda. It has been documented that only four objects of modest scale were built out of Chersonesus stone in 1783: a chapel, a smithy, a pier and an admiral’s house. Then, they started to produce building materials in F.F. Mekenzi’s estate and in the Inkerman quarries, which made the industrial extraction of stone in Chersonesus impractical. Why did the experience of the first city constructions entail such generalizing conclusions in P.S. Pallas’s book? The reconstruction of the historical situation allows to single out two main reasons. That time Crimea was considered a fragment of classical antiquity acquired by Russia. The remains of ancient constructions became the primary object of literary and research interests. However, the first travelers were deceived in their expectations, since in Crimea they mostly found medieval monuments erected on the site of ancient ones. Modern archaeologists know that in the 6th – 7th centuries ancient Chersonesus was completely rebuilt, which explains the scantiness of ancient traces. However, in the era of P.S. Pallas, it was easier to explain the absence of antique artifacts by the destruction caused by those who built Sevastopol. Yet there was another reason. Sevastopol quickly became the most populous city on the peninsula. This led to spontaneous development and unauthorized extraction of building materials, including the territory of Chersonesus. It was impossible to tackle the problem of protecting ancient monument at the level of local initiatives and funds. The exaggerations found in P.S. Pallas’s writing can be explained by the awareness of the spontaneous threat to the ruins of the ancient polis. A small fragment of the text written by P.S. Pallas about the destruction of Chersonesus was rather a signal of alarm calling for measures to preserve the settlement, than a strictly historical statement. This signal, relayed by many literary texts, eventually caused the required reaction – Chersonesus became an object of historical heritage protection. However, at the same time, P.S. Pallas’s text turned into a mythologeme, firmly entrenched in literary ideas about the history of Chersonesus and Sevastopol.

Early medieval religious-memorial monuments of gadabay region of Azerbaijan

Gadabay situated at the western part of Azerbaijan Republic. There are many early medieval Christian temples, churches and monasteries which concern to Caucasian Albania in Gadabay region. This article is dedicated to early medieval temples and religious monuments of Caucasian Albania in Gadabay. It was researched Gadabay temple, Chaldash, Chanakhchi, Girdiman (Pir Javanshir), Agh kilse (White church), Ayrivang temples and Hamshivang monastery in last decade. These historical monuments established during early medieval period of Caucasian Albania. Early medievalreligious situation of the country was largely studied by Azerbaijani Albanian scholars. As it is known from the sources, in the early Middle Ages the religious situation in Albania as a whole was extremely complicated. Thus, idolatry persisted, and Christianity and Zoroastrianism struggled to spread. There was a fierce struggle between their ideologues and supporters. The defense of Zoroastrianism by the Sassanids and Christianity by the Romans and then the Byzantines by all means that the inter-religious struggle went beyond the borders of the country.When thinking about the structure of the society that existed in the Gadabay region in the early Middle Ages, it would be more correct to refer directly to sources on the history of Albania. The study of early medieval archeological monuments of Gadabay region used ancient and medieval sources, materials of historical, archeological and ethnographic researches carried out in various monuments, samples of material culture kept in museums, funds and private collections. As it is known, the works of Strabo, Plolemy, Kirokos Ganjali and especially the Albanian historian M. Kalankatuklu provide very valuable information about the history of Albania. Of course, the study of all this in relation to archeological materials and in a comparative manner is great scientific importance.M. Kalankatuklu states that during the reign of the Albanian Tsar Arsvagen and Prince Khurs of Girdiman, "there are still pagans left in Girdiman". At that time, Christianity was already widespread in the country.

The identity of the medieval fortress architecture on the river Godlih and of the Humara settlement

The article describes the scientific hypothesis about the architectural and spatial identity of a medieval fortress at the mouth of the Godlich river and the Khumarinsky fortification on the Kuban river. It was revealed that the planning structure as well as the architectural and spatial organization of these medieval monuments are similar and consist of three parts: the citadel, the fortress and the open settlement. The citadel was a monumental multi-tiered tower, surrounded by a courtyard and a fortress wall. The fortress along the perimeter was surrounded by a defensive wall, fortified with square towers in plan. The open settlement did not have artificial fortifications and was located in an inaccessible place in the immediate vicinity of the citadel and fortress. The architecture and construction of the walls and towers of both fortresses are made in the Byzantine construction culture traditions. The masonry of the fortresses’ walls and towers is a lining with shell-like rows of stones with a filling between them and stone fragments in lime mortar. Since the fortress at the mouth of the Godlich river was severely destroyed as a result of the Tuapse-Adler railway construction, it is possible to rely on the identified analogue to carry out a hypothetical reconstruction, which will serve as a theoretical justification for its restoration and museumification.

Летопись и былина: как Александр Попович стал Алешей

<p>Статья посвящена проблеме исторических оснований русского героического эпоса. В качестве примера рассматривается происхождение образа знаменитого былинного богатыря Алеши Поповича через призму известий о его предполагаемом прототипе в памятниках средневековой литературы.</p><p>На примерах показаны собирательный характер былинных образов, условность былинного историзма. В то же время демонстрируется, что эпос и литература Руси находились в тесном взаимодействии. Первый этап формирования фольклорно-литературного образа Александра Поповича в средневековых памятниках представлен «Описанием об Александре Поповиче» (предположительно XIV в.). Именно оно является наиболее вероятным источником первых летописных упоминаний о ростовском «храбре».</p><p>Известия об Александре Поповиче в летописях XV в. демонстрируют усиление легендарного элемента, начало сближения исторических припоминаний о персонаже с образами «героического века» русских былин. Окончательное выражение эта тенденция находит в Никоновской летописи, где Александр Попович впервые представлен и как современник князя Владимира, и как герой начала XIII в.</p><p>В троицком «Сказании об Александре Поповиче» (первая половина XVI в.) он действует в столь же вневременном легендарном пространстве удельной Руси. К XVII в. относится первая запись неоднократно фиксировавшегося позднее былинного сюжета об Алеше Поповиче и Тугарине Змеевиче.</p><p>Перечисленные памятники ценны тем, что позволяют проследить эволюцию одного из центральных былинных образов практически от истоков. Это в свою очередь демонстрирует условность как чисто «исторических», так и чисто «мифологических» подходов к происхождению героического эпоса.</p>

The domus domini imperatoris Apicii built by Frederick II along the Ancient Via Appia (southern Italy): An example of damage diagnosis for a Medieval monument in rural environment

A stratigraphic analysis applied to the architectural remains of the medieval domus Apicii (Calvi, Benevento) allowed to define four main building periods characterized by different materials and masonry techniques. Intense biological colonization and other damage pathologies affect the building geomaterials. A quantitative evaluation of the conservation state of the monument accounts for a moderate to a very severe damage, with a progressive damage index (DIprog) up to 3.3 value.The results of this multidisciplinary investigation represent an important starting point for an ethically acceptable making-decision process within a modern restoration and conservation of the monument.

Polychrome sculptures of medieval Italian monuments: Study of the binding media and pigments

The Ferrara cathedral and Parma baptistery are exceptional medieval monuments and results of a technical study of the polychrome sculptures and reliefs are presented here. The results are an extension of past diagnostic projects carried out between the 1970s and 90s, and support the re-examination of previous investigations. Scientific and historical accounts describe medieval sculpted portals of European cathedrals as a prime example of the diffusion of the polychrome painting techniques. The technical study of paint fragments of ancient polichromy is complex and requires sophisticated instrumentation to inform colour reconstructions. In this study, micro-Raman classified pigments and gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC/MS) identified the organic binding media on the pre-treated stone, primers, painted layers, and gilding. GC/MS analysis of samples from the Ferrara cathedral detected fatty acids that most closely match linseed oil and dehydroabeitic acid, a marker for pine resin, which was detected for the first time in the primer from the Ferrara cathedral panels. The Parma baptistery samples contained amino acids indicating the presence of protein and oil. Raman analysis added novel results on the pigments used, such as lead-tin yellow type I and orpiment, as well as on the state of conservation of paint layers. The data were also compared to a wide range of publications and were found to significantly contribute to the knowledge and research in architectural polychromy in the Romanesque–Gothic era.

Palimpsests of memory: the medieval city of Athens in modern and postmodern contexts

This article addresses attitudes towards the medieval past of Athens from modern to postmodern times. Athens, a symbol of classical civilisation, had become a provincial Byzantine centre. From the proclamation of Athens in 1833 as the capital of the modern Greek state to about 1880, archaeological research in Athens focused on classical antiquities at the expense of the preservation of monuments of the Middle Ages, which was regarded as a period of decline. The historical and artistic value of Athenian medieval monuments has been acknowledged since the late nineteenth century. The international progress of Byzantine studies, the national narrative on the continuity of Greek history, the political concept of the megali idea (“Great Idea”), and contemporary state policies based on “diachrony and synergy” contributed to this significant ideological shift. Athens is, however, still renowned and admired worldwide for its classical past, with its medieval cultural heritage less highlighted.

Morphological Character of Diwani Hikmet (Based on the Kokshetau version)

The article analyzes the language features of the version of Diwani Hikmet found in Kokshetau, the main merit of Ahmet Yasawi, who made a great contribution to the wide spread of Islam in the Turkic world and the transformation of the Turkic language into a religious language. Along with the assumption of the period in which the manuscript was written, it is compared from the morphological side with the language of the Turkic monuments written at various stages of the Turks in order to describe the indicators characteristic of the language features of the hikmets. The method of morphological analysis allows us to recognize historical stages, stages of development, and features of language formation. At the same time, given that there is a lack of materials in this direction in Kazakh science, this article can become a source for further research. The difference in the spelling of the Turkic monuments of the medieval manuscript, which become the main record of nysanymyzga, is not particularly observed from the outside. In General, a form of the Arabic alphabet based on the Turkic languages was used on medieval monuments, but this type of writing does not allow us to recognize some sounds. Nevertheless, the article aims to clearly reflect the phonetic, morphological units and personalities of monuments, based on some methods and systems formed in Turkology. As a result, it was proved that the hikmets do not calculate the indicators typical for some Kipchak and Oguz languages, and their language features are very similar to the language written by the Turkic epoch in Chagatai time. Key words: Divan-i Hikmet, Kokshetav copy, morphophonology, manuscript.

The technique of the mural paintings of Corbii de Piatră

The church carved in the spectacular sandstone slope of Corbii de Piatră is without any doubt an atypical monument, that, according to the latest research, can be dated between the end of the 13th century and the first half of the 16th century. A new project has brought back into focus the necessity of an analysis of the execution technique of the mural paintings from within the rock carved church. This represents an answer both to the efforts of stylistic analysis and dating of one of the most controversial Medieval monuments in Wallachia and to the preoccupation to find adequate preservation methods. Executed mainly al fresco, in difficult microclimatic conditions, the iconographic ensemble from within the rock church at Corbii de Piatră presents the technological characteristics of a mural painting made in the fine tradition of Byzantine murals.

Glosy jako podstawa polskich badań historycznojęzykowych

Polish glosses contained in 15th- century manuscripts are one of the basic elements of Polish historicallinguistic research. They are the largest and most diverse group of medieval monuments of the Polish language. Although they reflect almost all areas of life of the 15th-century inhabitants of Poland, they remain separated from the mainstream of historical and linguistic research. The author summarizes the history of research on Polish glosses and refers to the discussion on the term ‘gloss’, tools for describing glosses, and source research.