Mosaic Pavements Research Articles

Conservative Approaches in the Ancient Synagogue Mosaic Pavements in Israel: The Cases of ‘Ein Gedi and Sepphoris/Zippori

The uniqueness of the ‘Ein Gedi synagogue (fifth century CE) is reflected in several mosaic inscriptions, which give a clear idea of the particular religious view of the Jewish community there, especially that of its spiritual leaders. The textual representation of the twelve signs of the zodiac wheel, instead of the figurative one, was tendentious and stood in total opposition to the visual depiction. A similar conservative approach appears in the non-figural (aniconic) representation of Helios/Sol in the zodiac wheel of the synagogue mosaic at Sepphoris/Zippori (fifth century CE). This representation of Helios/Sol, as a rayed sun-disk, emphasizes the intolerant and non-liberal perception of the Jewish Sages in Sepphoris/Zippori, following the Biblical Second Commandment and in contrast to other synagogues of the early Byzantine period in Israel.

Reading, writing and remembering the city: José Cardoso Pires’s Lisboa, livro de bordo

This article examines the way in which Jose Cardoso Pires accesses and imparts the urban culture of Lisbon and his own memories of the city in Lisboa, livro de bordo [Lisbon Logbook]. The author’s flânerie through the city is read in the light of Certeau’s ideas concerning walking, and the way in which the calcadas [mosaic pavements] of Lisbon inform Cardoso Pires’s description of his movements is examined. There follows an analysis of Cardoso Pires’s discussion of the azulejos [painted tiles] in the stations of the Lisbon underground as a sort of memory bank of the city and of the mnemotechnics displayed elsewhere by the author’s own movements across the surface of Lisbon. Prompted by his own personal experience of urban space, Cardoso Pires preserves certain historical and cultural memories, leaves leeway for the reader to establish his own relation to Lisbon, yet is also beholden, to an extent, to the official image of the city.

KEEPING THE DEMONS OUT OF THE HOUSE: THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF APOTROPAIC STRATEGY AND PRACTICE IN LATE ANTIQUE BUTRINT AND ANTIGONEIA

Amulets and amuletic imagery are characteristic features of the Late Roman world and yet few examples can be localised, physically contextualised or dated. Excavation of the late antique phases of a large peristyle house in the coastal city of Butrint in southern Albania, ancient Epirus Vetus, has produced a remarkable assemblage of apotropaic devices and protective forms which goes some way to correcting this deficiency. These, together with the imagery on a remarkable mosaic pavement in the sanctuary of a small 6th c. A.D. chapel in the nearby ancient city of Antigoneia, show the range of subjects deployed, in a period of increasing social insecurity and urban decline, to assure safety, health and success in life and a safe passage to the next world after death.

L’iconographie des mosaïques hellénistiques de Chypre

Three figured mosaic pavements of the Hellenistic period have been found on the island of Cyprus. These are a floor that was discovered under the House of Dionysos at Nea Paphos, a mosaic made of large pebbles overlying a tomb at Kourion, and a second pavement in Paphos, dexposed in 1996 on Fabrika Hill, it too, in all probability, connected with a tomb. The iconography of all three pavements has a marine character, something that one must attempt to explain not – or, not only – as due to the insular nature of Cyprus, but through an examination of the panels within the iconographic context of Hellenistic pavements. These three mosaics were destined for spaces used for banqueting : in the andron of a house in Paphos, or in structures destined for the commemoration of the dead (heroa) at Kourion, as also, without doubt, on the hill of Fabrika. In this paper, an attempt will be made to show how these representations are related to the world of Dionysos. God of wine, of banqueting, of the joy of life and in this respect of the Greek house, Dionysos is also associated with the dead, and he frequently appears in funerary iconography.

Birds and Artisans of the Roman Mosaics of Tunisia: Species, Symbolism and Origins

Abstract: The mosaic pavements of Roman North Africa contain both African and Italian bird species, amongst others, but it was not possible to attribute pavements to mosaicists from either country on the basis of the avifauna depicted. Forty-one species of birds were recorded, the most commonly occurring being the Indian Peafowl Pavo cristatus, Barbary Partridge Alectoris barbara, Pheasant Phasianus colchicus and Mallard Anas platyrhynchos. Birds appear in a variety of ways: representing the seasons, game to be served to guests dining at a banquet, hunting including falconry and disguises, immortality and the gardens in paradise, myth, ritual as well as for decoration. Pavements containing birds spanned the first to the sixth centuries and have been found in twenty-nine locations in Tunisia. El Djem was the third century centre for birds in mosaics, shifting to Carthage and Thuburbo Majus in the fourth, then Tabarka in the fifth, with a notable decline in species diversity. The pavements preserve an ornithological treasure.

Fama et Memoria: Portraits of Female Patrons in Mosaic Pavements of Churches in Byzantine Palestine and Arabia

Fama et Memoria: Portraits of Female Patrons in Mosaic Pavements of Churches in Byzantine Palestine and Arabia

Conservation projects in Pergamon. Building Z and the shelter constructed above it

The reconstruction and conservation of buildings in Pergamon has been an important aim of the excavations of the German Archaeological Institute Istanbul over the last twenty years. The paper discusses the structure known as Building Z situated about halfway up the slope to the acropolis of Pergamon on a rise between the terrace of the Sanctuary of Demeter and the precinct of the Temple of Hera. Although the southern fringes of this Hellenistic building were discovered in 1909, digging here was soon abandoned due to the very poor preservation of the walls. In 1990, a trench of the 'City Excavations' revealed the northern part of the building. The well-preserved Roman mosaic pavements and other remains found here — eventually exposing the best preserved examples of interior decoration yet discovered in the ancient city of Pergamon — prompted the construction of a shelter open to visitors. The construction of this shelter began in 1996 and was completed in 2004. The roofed area covers only the northern part of the former ancient building. The modern roof construction, on steel-trussed girders above the walls, has been deliberately designed as an independent unit.

Inscriptions on Romano-British Mosaics and Wall-Paintings

The article reviews the principal surviving examples of inscriptions on mosaic pavements and wall-paintings in Roman Britain. For some of these it makes tentative suggestions towards new readings or seeks to adjudicate between the conflicting readings of earlier commentators. The eleven inscriptions examined belong to different classes: signatures, dedications, good luck messages, labels, and literary or pseudo-literary glosses upon figure-scenes. The existence of the inscriptions implies that viewers were expected to be literate, or at least that being literate, if not actually well-educated, was socially important.

Amphitheatralia africana

The aim of this paper is to point to the problems concerning the images of amphitheatre "uenatores " sodalities in Roman Africa, especially those represented on some mosaic pavements : the ones of "banquet costumé" and "de la chouette" at Thysdrus/El Djem, the Magerius mosaic from Smirat and the gladiatorian mosaic from Dar Bue Ammera - Zliten villa. Considerations about their names, characterizing symbols, competences, geographical spread, economic activities (connected or not to amphitheatre spectacles), funeraticia function, mutual - and with circus spectacles- relationship, tutelar gods, links with some buildings. Finally, some suggestions concerning possible new investigations.

Rediscovering an Anzac souvenir from the Holy Land: The St James’ Church mosaic fragment

This article focuses on the acquisition of a small but noteworthy religious, cultural and military 'relic' souvenired from the Holy Land by the Anzac Light Horse Brigade during World War I and exhibited in the Australian Anglican Church of St James in Sydney. It concerns a fragment of mosaic pavement supposedly recovered from an 'early Christian church in Palestine'. However, research of this piece has revealed that its provenance, and thus its symbolic status as a Christian icon, has been significantly mistaken. As such, fundamentally incorrect assumptions have been made about the history and cultural importance of the St James' Church mosaic fragment. In considering the implications for its misappropriation and (symbolic) repatriation, the archaeology and art history of the mosaic are discussed, together with issues of shared Judaeo-Christian iconographic practice and the nature of Byzantine synagogal architecture, all of which have posed some complications for the interpretation of the St James' Church piece.

L’église paléochrétienne de l’enclos Saint-Césaire à Arles (Bouches-du-Rhône)

During preliminary works for the restoration of the ancient Saint-Césaire convent at Arles, a vast polygonal apse has been discovered in 2003, equipped with a heightened synthronos and marble and mosaic pavements. The excavation carried out in 2004 was still superficial. The measures of the building are arguments to interpret this church as the first cathedral of the city but the masonry, badly laid out, seems later. It could then belong to its reconstruction in the early 6th c. inside the Saint-Jean monastery founded by bishop Caesarius (502-542) on the spot of the first bishop sees.

“Se stai per presentare la tua offerta allʼaltare…” (Mt 5,23-24). La testimonianza di unʼiscrizione palestinese

The rareness of the epigraphical witness contrasts the frequency with which Mt 5:23-24 was quoted and commented upon by the ancient christian writers. Hereby we publish an inscription of Palestinian origin that in itʼs partial form, casually came to our knowledge. The carving found on a tabula ansata, detached from its original context, was a part of the Churchʼs original mosaic pavement. The first words allowed us to identify the quotation from the Sermon on the Mount according to the gospel of Saint Matthew 5:23-24, therefore with good probability; we can complete the text that in the fourth line resumes the generic dedication to the Churchʼs benefactors. The rareness of the epigraphical witness contrasts with the frequency with which Mt 5:23-24 was quoted and commented upon by the ancient christian writers.

Una nuova chiesa nel villaggio di Massuh – Madaba

On the site of Khirbat Massuh, a ridge more than 800 metres high, located 10 km north from Madaba, 3 km east from Hesban, in Jordan a first church was digged in the center of the ancient village, active from fifth (see the article in Hommage Noël Duval) through second half of seventh century (see the report in Liber Annuus, 33, 1983, 335-346). Recently, a second church has been brought to light, northwards, while two cemeteries complete for the moment the archaeological map of the site. Below is the report of this northern church of Khirbat Massuh. It was built in the shape of a monoapsidal basilica, its main distinctive feature being the considerable heighthening of its raised presbyterium (nearly half a metre) and its lateral extension. Little remains of the architectural structure, except the bases of columns of the central nave which sustained the roof. The hypothetic reconstruction of the perimetral walls is made possible by following the borderline of the mosaic pavement. Some liturgical fittings have been found, especially the custody of a reliquary. There is evidence for modifications in the structure which supported the vault and repairs in the mosaics. The latter are badly mutilated in the central nave, but for the most part preserved in the aisles. This pavement consists of refined mosaics associated in a multifarious program and very accurately executed. The main dedicatory inscription which we could expect has disappeared in the destruction of the mosaics in the central nave, but there remains at the edge of the left aisle near the step of the service room a dedicatory inscription in greek inside a tabula ansata by a donor named Epiphanios. Most probably the destruction of faces and animated figures in the mosaics should not be related to iconophobia, but rather to a late reuse of the building for private housing, after its desertion as a church between end of seventh - first half of eighth century. The description of the church is followed by the publication of the ceramic finds and fragments of stone liturgical fittings.

From hypocaust to hyperbola: ground‐penetrating radar surveys over mainly Roman remains in the UK

AbstractGround‐penetrating radar (GPR) survey can provide a wealth of information when applied to the investigation of buried remains. The strength of the GPR technique lies both in its suitability to a wide range of site conditions and the complementary nature of the data in comparison with other geophysical techniques. However, GPR is not infallible, relying on the careful selection of suitable sites and the application of appropriate data processing and visualization routines to maximize the potential of the acquired data. This paper demonstrates the use of GPR over a variety of mainly Roman remains surveyed recently by English Heritage, within the UK, ranging in scale from an in situ mosaic pavement threatened by water damage at Bignor Roman villa, West Sussex to an entire, suspected amphitheatre at Richborough Castle, Kent. The influence of site conditions, such as soil conductivity and topography, is also considered and a novel application of principal components analysis is presented to enhance the identification of significant anomalies from data where rapid signal attenuation has occurred. This latter technique considers the correlation of GPR response between adjacent amplitude time‐slices in an attempt to isolate the response due to significant buried wall footings from the more cluttered signal of the surrounding clay‐rich soil. Where appropriate, URL links are provided to computer animations of the GPR data that may often serve to accentuate subtle variations through the stratigraphy of the site. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Reburial research: a conceptual design for field testing for the reburial of wall plasters and mosaic pavements

A reburial design concept for field testing for the in situ preservation of some of the most vulnerable of architectural substrates commonly found on archaeological sites is described. These substrates are earthen- and lime-based plasters, including those with painted and relief decoration, and mosaic pavements. A methodology is proposed for the evaluation of the performance of a selection of fill materials, intervention layers and moisture buffering layers, in on-ground simulated reburials. The guiding principles on which the design is based are that a stable, low-moisture environment provides optimal preservation for these substrate categories and that giving careful attention to the interface between the reburial fill and the substrate is of paramount importance. Two design models are described within the context of the reburial conditions required by these substrates and with a brief description of the reburial materials proposed for use. Integral to the test design is a comprehensive and systematic methodology for evaluation of the condition of the substrates before burial and after excavation at intervals of three, six and twelve years, and proven instrumental monitoring of thermal and hygral parameters throughout the testing period.

Conservation of archaeological mosaic pavements by means of reburial

In a burial environment ancient mosaic pavements are subject to a variety of mechanisms of deterioration, both physical and chemical. However, many pavements have survived, sometimes in exceptional condition. Additionally, some mosaics that have been discovered in recent times and reburied as a means of protection have also been well preserved. This indicates that reburial can be an effective means of preventive conservation and a viable response to the need for conservation of exposed mosaics on many archaeological sites. For reburial to be successful, risks to the mosaic must be accurately appraised and the design of the reburial must be well specified, following a rigorous conservation methodology.

A Greek Inscription Dated by the Era of Hegira in an Umayyad Church at Tamra in Eastern Galilee

A recent excavation in the village of Tamra in Eastern Galilee, Israel, has uncovered a church. Four building phases could be discerned. The church was erected in the Byzantine period and continued to function as such in the Umayyad and Abbasid periods until it was abandoned. A dated inscription was discovered on the mosaic pavement of the church of the Umayyad period. The date is apparently reckoned by the era of Hegira to the year 725 AD. The present paper deals especially with the decipherment and interpretation of this inscription.

Reburial and protective covering of ancient mosaic pavements: The experience of the conservation department of the Israel Antiquities Authority

Four case studies are presented illustrating different attempts to protect excavated ancient mosaics by reburial or protective covering, with varying degrees of success, at three archaeological sites in Israel: Tel Itztaba, a site excavated between 1991 and 1994 where planning for reburial at the outset of the excavation could have prevented considerable losses; Khirbet Minya (Horvat Minim), a site excavated in the 1930s, reassessed after four years of reburial; the Promontory Palace at Caesarea Maritima, a site excavated in 1978, partially destroyed by the sea, reburied and regularly monitored since 1994; and an experimental test site at Caesarea Maritima. These examples demonstrate the importance of planning, monitoring and maintenance for successful reburial, and allow an assessment of which materials and methods performed better than others.

The Beth Ha-shitta Mosaic Floor –A New Perspective on the Light of Samaritan Oil Lamps

The article analyzes the motifs on the mosaic pavement of Beth Hashitta, in comparison with motifs on Samaritan lamps, and shows a close connection between the mosaic and the lamps. A common ideological background and common regional roots can be identified between the mosaic and the Samaritan lamps. The article endeavours to indicate meanings to some of the motifs that appear on the pavement and on the lamps.

‘De leeuw zal stro eten als het rund. De wolf en het lam zullen tezamen weiden.’

Among the inscriptions in mosaic pavements in Byzantine Palaestina/Arabia quoting texts from the Old Testament there is a group, in which the inscriptions are accompanied by a figurative representation of the text in question. Here, the quotation and representation of Isa. 65:25 (= Isa. 11:6-7) are reviewed. Text and representation are found side by side in Ma’in, whereas the figurative representation alone is found in a dozen of other localities (churches and synagogues). This Old Testament text is part of a prophecy promising a peaceful kingdom to Jerusalem. Based on the comments of Isa. 65:25 (=Isa. 11:6-7) by some of the Early Christian writers the rendering of this text in churchbuildings may be interpreted as a motif of the Peaceful Kingdom to come and of the unity of the Christians.