Numismatic Evidence Research Articles

From Dioskurias / Aia (Ochamchire) over Sebastopolis / Dioskurias (Skurcha) to Sukhumi / Sebastopolis. The Letter of the Episcopus Sanastupolitanus Inferioris Georgiae Reconsidered

Traditionally, Dioskurias was equated with Sebastopolis and located at Sukhumi, although the literary and archaeological source base is rather slim and epigraphic and numismatic evidence is nearly absent. Recently, A. Coşkun (in VDI 80.2, 2020, 354-376; 80.3, 2020, 654-674) proposed to seek the location of Aia-Dioskurias near Ochamchire and its refoundation as Sebastopolis by Lake Skurcha. For this, he draws on the mythical and geographical traditions, which describe Aia and Dioskurias as situated in the “recess of the Black Sea.” River names and neighbouring tribes further suggest that the land- and riverscape of legendary Aia was developed from the environs of Dioskurias / Ochamchire. Ancient itineraries and periplus literature further seem to support this reconstruction. T. Schmitt (2022, 14-44) has tried to refute the new approach. After closely comparing the arguments and counter-arguments, Coşkun’s position can be further strengthened. Schmitt, however, adduces for the first time important Medieval evidence, including a letter of the episcopus Sanastupolitanus inferioris Georgiae (1330). But this is not sufficient to prove that Sebastopolis lies buried under Sukhumi. After exploring the context of Genoese colonial activities and king George V’s fight for independence from Ilkhanid and Mongol occupation, it will be suggested instead that the Catholic bishop of Sukhumi became the titular successor of the then defunct Orthodox bishopric of nearby Sebastopolis-Skurcha.

Origins and Ends: Money and Power in and beyond Thucydides’ Peloponnesian War

Abstract This article examines the disconnect between, on the one hand, the insistence on the part of multiple characters in Thucydides’ first book on the need for the Peloponnesians to invest in naval power to defeat Athens, and, on the other, the failure to act on this in the narrative of books 2–7. It then analyses the numismatic evidence for the way in which Sparta does then act upon this advice in the course of the Ionian War, and suggests that Thucydides’ view that this was done primarily with Persian support may be missing a (brief) Spartan attempt to create a fiscally self-supporting empire.

Integrating Numismatic Evidence into the Study of the Urban Landscape of Paphos. From Palaepaphos to Nea Paphos with the Last King


 
 
 The discovery of a bronze coin, in the context of controlled excavations conducted by the Palaepaphos Urban Landscape Project (PULP) on the plateau of Palaepaphos-Hadjiabdoullah since 2009, presented the opportunity for a challenging collaborative dialogue on the integration of numismatic discoveries, as well as relevant inscriptions and literary sources, with the current results of the landscape analysis and the excavations that have contributed to the identification of the plateau as the citadel of the polis of Paphos in the Cypro-Classical period.
 The identification of the coin as a bronze issue of either Timarchos (350? – 325? BC) or his son and last king of Paphos Nikokles (325? – 310/9 BC) leads first to an updated assessment of the state of research regarding the bronze coinage of the Paphian mint under its last fourth-century kings. The coin is then contextualised in the micro-environment of the recently located secular monument, a workshop complex, where it was found. A preliminary study of the ceramic material suggests that the workshop functioned contemporaneously with the palace, an architecturally impressive monument with which it shares the north side of the citadel.
 The precarious state of the fourth-century phase of the palatial building, which suggests that it could have lost its official status before the abolition of the Paphian dynasty (an event historically dated to 310/9 BC), turns the discussion towards Nea Paphos, where five coins of the same type were also discovered during controlled excavations. It is hereby suggested that by exploiting the results of the landscape analysis conducted by PULP, in combination with the still limited archaeological evidence, the establishment of Nea Paphos can be approached from the perspective of its predecessor, the old capital of Paphos. The possibility that a fourth-century monetized society was already residing in Nea Paphos reopens the long-debated issue of its foundation
 
 

Reviving the temple of Athena Ilias at Troy/Ilion

Owing to the legendary fame of Troy's story, the Temple of Athena (the Athenaion) is one of the most enigmatic monuments of antiquity which holds an influential mythical legacy. Long after the great days of Homer's Troy, a new Hellenistic city called Ilion (Roman = Ilium) was founded on the site. At Ilion a new custom that solidified the Homeric credentials of the site was established, and a new temple was built to Athena. Since the temple was almost completely decimated and even its remains were demolished during excavations, it has been one of the most difficult Hellenistic temples to reconstruct. A virtual revival of the non-existing superstructure is presented in this work by synthesizing the existing knowledge (e.g. literary evidence, archaeological evidence, numismatic evidence, topographical evidence, etc.) to support a realistic reconstruction. Along with the immersive visualizations offered by digital technologies, a virtual 3D visit to the sanctuary of the Temple of Athena offers a very attractive opportunity to examine this temple or experience its cultural space. The realistic reconstruction of the Athenaion is important in reviving the Homeric associations of the site and refreshing the memory.

Lost or Unprovenanced? The Suggested Fate of an Important Archaeological Discovery (an Aureus of Trajan) from Aldborough (Isurium Brigantum)

In 1770 an aureus of the Emperor Trajan was found by the north wall of the churchyard at Aldborough (Isurium Brigantum). This was a very important archaeological discovery as contemporary antiquarian reports provide a clear description of the coin in addition to detailing the precise find spot. Subsequently the aureus disappeared from the historical record but, in this note, historical and numismatic evidence is presented suggesting that an unprovenanced coin now in the British Museum - R.7569 - is the lost Aldborough aureus.

THE CORNELII AND JUPITER: A CASE STUDY IN THE MANIPULATION OF TRADITIONAL RELIGION BY AN ARISTOCRATIC ROMAN KINSHIP GROUP

The Cornelii were one of the oldest and most prestigious Roman gentes, extended family kinship groups, in Republican Rome. Various members and branches advertise some kind of connection to Jupiter, Jupiter Optimus Maximus in particular, notably Scipio Africanus, but he was certainly not the only Cornelius to do so. Numismatic evidence has long suggested some kind of claimed relationship between the Cornelii and Jupiter. The Cornelian connection to the religious office of flamen Dialis (high priest of Jupiter) is more proof that their claims to be associated with Jupiter were accepted by Roman society. Some later branches of the Cornelii, notably the Sullae, began to prefer Venus instead, but a connection with Jupiter was still explicable via the genealogy of the Trojan royal house.

Di Apollo e di alcune fondazioni seleucidi

This paper questions the widespread view associating the Apollo’s epithet ἀρχηγέτης/ἀρχηγός with the Seleucid city foundations in the Greek East. Special attention is paid to the epigraphic and numismatic evidence coming from the poleis of Apameia in Syria and Hierapolis of Phrygia, where Apollo was honoured as divine ἀρχηγέτης in imperial times. A reassessment of the available sources does not substantiate the claim that the mention of Apollo Ἀρχηγέτης in the inscriptions from Apameia, Hierapolis and other cities of the Greek East automatically points to cults going back to the Seleucid period.

Rebellion of al-Ḥārith b. Surayj (116–28/734–46)

This article addresses the rebellion of al-Ḥārith b. Surayj, which occurred between 116 and 128 AH (734–46 CE) in Umayyad Khurasan. Combining Bactrian documents, Chinese, Arabic, and Persian narratives, and numismatic evidence, it highlights the local aspect of this rebellion. It shows that in the frontier region of Khurasan, the Umayyads were only one political group among many other local and regional powers, all with different political priorities. Al-Ḥārith b. Surayj successfully united Arab soldiers, Sogdian converts, and local western Bactrian rulers by appealing to their political priorities and by mobilizing local cultural symbols against the Umayyads. The role of Bactrian local rulers in the initial success but also in the downfall of al-Ḥārith’s rebellion turns out to have been crucial.

Review: Religious Violence in the Ancient World: From Classical Athens to Late Antiquity, edited by Jitse H. F. Dijkstra and Christian R. Raschle

Review: <i>Religious Violence in the Ancient World: From Classical Athens to Late Antiquity</i>, edited by Jitse H. F. Dijkstra and Christian R. Raschle

Insights on the Bar Kokhba Revolt from the Coins

Without having any contemporaneous account of the Bar Kokhba Revolt comparable to the writings of Josephus that describe the First Jewish Revolt, our knowledge about many aspects of the later uprising is rather sketchy. The publication of Roman military diplomas and the remarkable series of documents recovered from caves in the Judaean Desert, along with other major archaeological findings, has filled in just some of missing details. This study is devoted to a reexamination of the rebel coinage. It has highlighted the importance of the numismatic evidence in helping to elucidate the religious ideology that succoured the rebellion and shaped its leadership.

The Chittagonian Coinage of Arakan’s Royal Sons

A researcher approaching the multi-lingual coins of the former Kingdom of Arakan (circa 1430-1784) must overcome many challenges. Difficult to read specimens, incorrect translations, poor scholarship and at times deficient photography within the existing treatments, when one can find them, are some of the obstacles encountered. Despite all the recent attention the Rohingya controversy has brought to these coins, studying them can still be productive of new information about Arakan. The objectives of this article are relatively modest, nonetheless. It will focus on a particular series of multi-lingual coins issued by a number of Arakanese-appointed governors of the Chittagong region, located in present-day Bangladesh, beginning in the 1570’s and ending circa 1612, with the aim of correcting some mistranslations and errors in descriptions as well as uncovering additional information about these governors, particularly those who were sons of Arakanese kings. It will also assess the effectiveness of the numismatic evidence in approximating the succession of these governors during the subject period. We will be assisted in this endeavor by the sale at auction of a major collection of Chittagonian coins in 2011 by Stephen Album Rare Coins (SARC) of Santa Rosa, California, a numismatic dealer specializing in Asian coinage. This unmatched assemblage of over 75 specimens offers students of Arakanese numismatics an unprecedented opportunity to study these coins, as today’s on-line auctions provide quality digital photography unavailable in the past.

Ceramic collections from the citadel of the Uzundara fortress have been dated as the first third of the 3rd century BCE

This paper presents preliminary archaeological data of the Uzundara fortress, one of the military settlements founded at the border between Bactria and Sogdina regions, in the context of the military campaigns of Alexander the Great and his successors in Central Asia. Recent archaeological and numismatic evidence reveal that a garrison of the Greek- Macedonian army was stationed at Uzundara (Long gorge) at the beginning of the 295–280 BCE during the kingdom of Seleucus I or Antiochus I in order to protect the border and the oasis of northern Bactria from the nomad invasions; the fortress remained encamped by the Greek-Bactrian kingdom until its final collapse in 150–130 BCE.The paper focuses on the archaeological contextualization and the typological evaluation of three ceramic collections found in several areas of Citadel of the Uzundara fortress, which have been accurately dated by numismatics to 295–261 BCE. These collections include several types of tableware, common use items, and storage jars whose shapes and surface finishing resemble those of the ancient pottery in Hellenistic tradition discovered at the nearby settlements.

Oracle of Apollo in Kalkhedon

Ancient literary sources, inscriptions, and numismatic evidence, although few, attest to the existence and activities of an oracular center of Apollo in Kalkhedon, starting from the Hellenistic period until the beginning of the 3rd century AD. This oracle, exhibiting characteristics pertaining to a supraregional domain, was the subject of discussion instigated by the asylia decrees written on two different occasions. Kalkhedon was declared “sacred and inviolable” on behalf of Apollo, who was named with different epithets on each occasion, namely Pythaios and Khresterios. The possibility of there having been two separate Apollo sanctuaries and proposals about the location of the oracle are examined in this article by evaluating the related material, in addition to the supraregional characteristics of the oracle of Apollo in Kalkhedon.

Oracle of Apollo in Kalkhedon

Ancient literary sources, inscriptions, and numismatic evidence, although few, attest to the existence and activities of an oracular center of Apollo in Kalkhedon, starting from the Hellenistic period until the beginning of the 3rd century AD. This oracle, exhibiting characteristics pertaining to a supraregional domain, was the subject of discussion instigated by the asylia decrees written on two different occasions. Kalkhedon was declared “sacred and inviolable” on behalf of Apollo, who was named with different epithets on each occasion, namely Pythaios and Khresterios. The possibility of there having been two separate Apollo sanctuaries and proposals about the location of the oracle are examined in this article by evaluating the related material, in addition to the supraregional characteristics of the oracle of Apollo in Kalkhedon.

China, Hungary & India: Aditya Birla – carbon black

This paper presents preliminary archaeological data of the Uzundara fortress, one of the military settlements founded at the border between Bactria and Sogdina regions, in the context of the military campaigns of Alexander the Great and his successors in Central Asia. Recent archaeological and numismatic evidence reveal that a garrison of the Greek- Macedonian army was stationed at Uzundara (Long gorge) at the beginning of the 295–280 BCE during the kingdom of Seleucus I or Antiochus I in order to protect the border and the oasis of northern Bactria from the nomad invasions; the fortress remained encamped by the Greek-Bactrian kingdom until its final collapse in 150–130 BCE.The paper focuses on the archaeological contextualization and the typological evaluation of three ceramic collections found in several areas of Citadel of the Uzundara fortress, which have been accurately dated by numismatics to 295–261 BCE. These collections include several types of tableware, common use items, and storage jars whose shapes and surface finishing resemble those of the ancient pottery in Hellenistic tradition discovered at the nearby settlements.

Gryphon Investors takes majority stake in Vivify

This paper presents preliminary archaeological data of the Uzundara fortress, one of the military settlements founded at the border between Bactria and Sogdina regions, in the context of the military campaigns of Alexander the Great and his successors in Central Asia. Recent archaeological and numismatic evidence reveal that a garrison of the Greek- Macedonian army was stationed at Uzundara (Long gorge) at the beginning of the 295–280 BCE during the kingdom of Seleucus I or Antiochus I in order to protect the border and the oasis of northern Bactria from the nomad invasions; the fortress remained encamped by the Greek-Bactrian kingdom until its final collapse in 150–130 BCE.The paper focuses on the archaeological contextualization and the typological evaluation of three ceramic collections found in several areas of Citadel of the Uzundara fortress, which have been accurately dated by numismatics to 295–261 BCE. These collections include several types of tableware, common use items, and storage jars whose shapes and surface finishing resemble those of the ancient pottery in Hellenistic tradition discovered at the nearby settlements.

Jesus, the Holder of the Seven Stars in His Right Hand

Abstract In Rev 1:16a, Jesus is portrayed as holding the seven stars in his right hand. The immediate context interprets this imagery as Jesus’s exercising his sovereignty over the seven angels of the seven churches (v. 20). This article suggests that a secondary interpretation is possible in light of numismatic evidence and the larger context of Revelation. According to this reading, the depiction of Jesus in Rev 1:16a functions as a literary device that subverts the message embedded in the Divvs Caesar coin types—a message that promotes the imperial power. By portraying Jesus as the holder of the seven stars in his right hand, the author of Revelation places Jesus far above the imperial power, claiming that Jesus is the ruler par excellence whose sovereignty extends to both the terrestrial and celestial realms.

Note on a peculiar Arab-Sasanian coinage of Ibn al-Ashʿath

AbstractThe present note offers a new, and hopefully more nuanced, reading for a cryptic marginal legend on an issue of the Umayyad-era rebel ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn al-Ashʿath (d. circa 85 ah/704 ce). Comparing this legend with several marginal legends of like character, and contextualising the formulae within contemporary religious idiom as expressed in late ancient Arabic-Islamic epigraphy, it is argued that all these legends contain proper nouns invariably belonging to the issuing authority, in conjunction with invocations addressed to God, in an attempt to establish a hierarchic relationship between the two. Drawing on literary sources, it is then demonstrated that the legend of the Ibn al-Ashʿath issue does indeed mention the name of an individual, the local governor, Kharasha ibn Masʿūd ibn Wathīma, a new name in the repertoire of governors known through Arab-Sasanian coinage. Based on these results, a case for further reliance on literary, epigraphic, papyrological, and other forms of evidence in the study of numismatics is made. A new chronology, based on numismatic evidence, for Ibn al-Ashʿath's rebellion is also proposed.

Mince z archeologických výzkumů v areálu kláštera Sázava

During 1940–1992, systematic archaeological researches were carried out in the area of the Sázava Monastery resulting – among other things – with total of 164 single coin finds. The assemblage of this numismatic material represents a unique insight into the currency circulation from the 11th century to the early modern period. The beginning of the Hussite Era, associated with the expulsion of the monks from the Monastery, meant a fundamental change that has been reflected also in the considerable decrease of coin finds in the examined area (Tab. no. 1). Lost coins and coins found in grave contexts prevail in the collected numismatic evidence. A chronologically structured study of the coin finds is also part of this article. The analysis of the coins of the Luxembourg rulers, including important contribution to the classification of some small denomination types, is of a particular interest here. Special attention is also paid to the coins found in grave contexts – the published material presents the largest assemblage of such sources dated to the period from the 13th to 15th centuries, found in the territory of the Czech Republic (Tab. 2).

Villa of Theseus at Nea Paphos (Cyprus). Fourth–Early Fifth Century Numismatic Evidence for Architectural Transformations and Seismic Events

This paper presents coins unearthed in three separate places at the Villa of Theseus at Nea Paphos (Cyprus). With just a few exceptions they date to the fourth–early fifth centuries AD. Even though only some specimens are precisely identifiable, they deserve presentation since they may suggest termini post quem for the reconstructions and enlargement of the Villa of Theseus. At the same time, the numismatic evidence helps to support the hypothesis that more than one earthquake occurred in the late Roman period at Nea Paphos and caused the destruction of its residences in the whole or in part of the area.