Roman Mosaics Research Articles

Inventory of Roman Mosaics in Portugal. Cataloguing and Analysis of Geometric Motifs: 2. The Pelta

As part of the RoGeMoPorTur international cooperation project and in parallel with the Inventory of Roman Mosaics in Portugal, a catalogue of the different geometric motifs present on these pavements is being drawn up. In the present work - the second in a series that began with the study of the meander (Duran Kremer 2016) and is dedicated to analysing the meaning and iconography of the motifs chosen for the decoration of Roman mosaics in the current territory of Portugal - we focus on one of the oldest motifs present in the decoration of the pavement - the pelta.

Graphic Reconstruction of a Roman Mosaic with Scenes of the Abduction of Europa

This paper presents the reconstruction framework of the Roman mosaic with the central scene from the abduction of Europa. The mosaic depicting Europa, discovered in Ptuj (Slovenia) and dated from the second half of the third to the beginning of the fourth century AD, once decorated the representative room of a Roman villa. The experimental section addresses the materials and methods used in the 2D reconstruction of the mosaic, including the creation of line drawings of the mosaic based on the preserved part of the mosaic, photogrammetric acquisition, and the creation and processing of 1:1 raster reconstructions of the entire mosaic. This is followed by color management and interpretation approaches which allow the mosaic elements to be implemented in a 3D animation. The presented approaches could be implemented in the reconstruction process of other mosaics and archaeological objects with adaptations to the specifics of related objects.

A Motif of Parrots in Dionysian Contexts on Selected Examples of Hellenistic and Roman Mosaics

This paper provides an overview of the mosaics in which parrots are represented as a motive accompanying Dionysian themes. Based on the written and iconographic sources, the author argues that a parrot was an intrinsic element of the visual language conveying ideas of earthly happiness and eternal bliss, as well as the Hellenistic concept of tryphé.

Vulnerability Analysis of the Cultural Heritage Sites—The Roman Edifice with Mosaic, Constanța, Romania

Heritage monuments are religious, historical, strategic, or civil edifices and could be deteriorated or even damaged due to their exposure to natural and anthropogenic hazards. The Roman Edifice with Mosaic (II-IV A.D.), the largest civil edifice (2040 m2) in Eastern Europe, is an ancient civil edifice built on the steep cliff in the western part of the Black Sea, Constanța, Romania, and is exposed to geomorphological and hydrogeological processes, which are affected by degradation. The main objective of this paper is to assess the current state of this ancient historical site in relation to environmental instability and offer scientific support for the rehabilitation process through interdisciplinary and non-destructive methods. Geophysical methods had been applied to comparatively analyze the spatial variations and flows of groundwater around the Roman Edifice with Mosaic in 2008 and 2019. Geomorphological hazards had already been inventoried and mapped. The results emphasize the state of degradation of the Roman mosaic pavement and ancient walls, mainly through high variations in the deposits’ moisture due to poor maintenance, which caused suffosion, and slip processes, bringing the mosaic into a high vulnerability range. The vulnerability map of the Roman Edifice with Mosaic environment is a necessary tool for continuously improving risk management because it clearly emphasizes the sectors that still have hazards.

Integration of laser level survey, photogrammetry and GPR to examine the deterioration of Roman mosaics: A case study of Venus house, Volubilis, Morocco

AbstractVolubilis was founded in the second century B.C. and was one of the largest cities on the fringe of the Roman Empire. In 1997, it was listed as a world cultural heritage site by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and is one of the most important archaeological sites of Morocco. Volubilis is renowned for its large number of mosaic floors. Among the major mosaics of Volubilis, and undoubtedly the most remarkable ones given their aesthetic and the variety of themes they hold, are found in the house of Venus. These mosaics have been restored between the 1940s and 1950s, but unfortunately, most of these restorations are past due or nearing their ends. Today, the mosaic floors are becoming unleveled, fractured and separated from their surrounding walls. These deteriorations can be triggered by many factors including inadequate foundation, a clayey soil beneath it sensitive to moisture and the heaving of the thin concrete layer due to the expansion of the soil. The corrosion of the reinforcing bars within these concrete slabs is enabling these deformations as well. The objective of this study is to examine the causes of the mosaics' deterioration by integrating three techniques including a laser level survey, photogrammetry using a small unmanned aircraft vehicles (UAV) and ground‐penetrating radar. The methodology adopted herein can generate documentation that can be used during the preparation and decision making prior to any restoration. The restoration should not only be focused on the visible tesserae on the surface but must also consider the entire layer of the mosaics. These techniques were applied to several mosaics in Volubilis, yet only two mosaics within the house of Venus were selected for this study, and the following findings were accomplished: (1) Void spaces were found beneath the mosaic floors, (2) presence of sinking and heaving of concrete slabs and (3) potential corrosion of rebars. The three methods used in this study were in perfect concurrence in showing how the settling of the concrete slab was directly related to the deteriorations visible on the mosaic surface.

Visual and Physical Degradation of the Black and White Mosaic of a Roman Domus under Palazzo Valentini in Rome: A Preliminary Study.

Palazzo Valentini, the institutional head office of Città Metropolitana di Roma Capitale, stands in in a crucial position in the Roman archaeological and urban contexts, exactly between the Fora valley, Quirinal Hill slopes, and Campus Martius. It stands on a second-century A.D. complex to which belong, between other archeological remains, two richly decorated aristocratic domus. One of these buildings, the domus A, presents an outward porticoed room with a fourth-century AD central impluvium (open air part of the atrium designed to carry away rainwater) with a black/white tiled mosaic pavement, the preservation status of which is compromised by an incoherent degradation product that has caused gradual detachment of the mosaic tiles. To identify the product and determine the causes of degradation, samples of the product were taken and subjected to SEM-EDS, XRF, NMR, FT-IR and GC-MS analyses. The findings reported in this study can help restorers, archaeologists and conservation scientists in order to improve knowledge about the Roman mosaic, its construction phases, conservation problems and proper solutions.

Pisões Roma Villasından Mozaikler (Beja, Portekiz). Dekoratif Program ve Villanın Mekânsal Organizasyonundaki Önemi

Located in the Conventus Pacensis, about 7 km southwest of the Roman Pax Julia (today: Beja), this imposing Roman villa is a reference point in the study of the Roman settlements in the south of present-day Portugal. Within this group of constructions in Pisões only the pars urbana has in large part been uncovered: the existence of the wall of a dam, an aqueduct and some peripheral constructions has already been ascertained over the years.It is here that one of the most relevant sets of mosaics with figurative, vegetal and geometric motifs for the study of Roman mosaics can be found and allow the identification of possible mosaic workshops in the current territory of Portugal. Apart from a very concise description by Fernando Nunes Ribeiro in 1972, these mosaics have not yet been studied in depth.In the scope of this work the mosaics of this villa uncovered till today - most of them unpublished – are inventoried using a methodological approach of registration, study and publication, highlighting the interrelation of the pavement and the spatial planning.

Zeugma’daki Poseidon Evi Emblemasından Skyros’taki Akhilleus: Caracalla ve Görüntülerin Gücü

This iconographic and iconological analysis has shown the existence of a long tradition about this subject, that is Achilles on Skyros in the emblema from the House of Poseidon at Zeugma. This tradition dates back to the 1st century AD and it concerns the Roman mosaic and painting. The model of Achilles on Skyros travelled from the West to the East, especially from Italy (Rome and Pompeii) towards the eastern part of the Roman Empire. This model arrived in Zeugma on the Euphrates at the beginning of the third century AD, under Caracalla (211-217 CE). The rich owner (dominus) and client of the Poseidon Villa was to be a high officer of Caracalla belonging to Legio IV Scythica or Parthica. In fact Zeugma became the settlement of this Roman legion and the outpost against the Parthians, above all during the reign of Septimius Severus (193-211 CE) and under his successor Caracalla. The dominus of the Poseidon Villa made the imperial propaganda his own by choosing the subject of Achilles on Skyros, which was very favourite by Caracalla on the ideological level, as the subject of Alexander the Great (Cfr. Cassius Dio, Herodian, Scriptores Historiae Augustae). The myth of Achilles on Skyros is very ancient (Cfr. Cypria, Pindar, Sophocles, Euripides) and privileged by Roman (Domus Aurea) and Pompeian painting and mosaic dating back to the emperor Nero, ardent admirer both Achilles and Alexander the Great, as Caracalla.

Roma Mozaiklerinde Mevsim Hayvanları

Animals were popular subjects for Roman mosaics, featuring in many contexts. In his influential book, Season Mosaics of Roman North Africa, David Parrish included a short section on animals symbolising the Seasons, appearing either with personifications or representing the Seasons by themselves.This article widens the discussion and looks beyond North Africa. It begins by examining mosaics on which personifications of the Seasons ride animals and continues with those in which the association is progressively less direct, with a view to analysing which animals can be shown to carry seasonal connotations and whether those animals were associated with more than one season.Mosaics in which four animals appear without personifications are also considered in order to assess whether or not they represented the Seasons. The presence of other seasonal imagery supports this idea, while factors such as the context in which the animals appear and the order in which they are shown can suggest an answer one way or the other.The aim of the article is to demonstrate that whenever four animals are depicted in a mosaic it is worth considering whether they might have seasonal associations, while bearing in mind that this will not necessarily be the case in every instance.

In Situ Application of Anti-Fouling Solutions on a Mosaic of the Archaeological Park of Ostia Antica.

Biodegradation is among the most common issues affecting Cultural Heritage stone materials in outdoor environments. In recent years, the application of chemical agents with biocidal activity has been the most usual practice when dealing with biofilm removal. In outdoor environments, the use of these biocides is not effective enough, since the materials are constantly exposed to environmental agents and atmospheric pollutants. Thus, it becomes necessary to protect the surface of Cultural Heritage works with antimicrobial coatings to either prevent or at least limit future colonization. In this study, innovative biocides—both natural and synthetic—were applied on a Roman mosaic located in the Archaeological Park of Ostia Antica to compare their effectiveness in removing the biological degradation affecting it. In addition, an antimicrobial coating called “SI-QUAT” was applied and analyzed in situ. SI-QUAT has recently entered the market for its prevention activity against biocolonization. The biocidal activity of these products was tested and monitored using different analytical portable instruments, such as the multispectral system, the spectrocolorimeter, and the bioluminometer. The analyses showed that promising results can be obtained using the combination of the biocide and the protective effect of Preventol® RI50 and SI-QUAT.

Cymbals playing in a Roman mosaic from Mariamin in Syria

The mosaic of the six female musicians from Mariamin in Syria depicts in exquisite detail a late antique musical performance. The present study focuses on the cymbal tongs player and the finger cymbals player from this mosaic, who have raised little interest so far, yet provide much information on cymbal playing in the Roman-Imperial period. The first part of this work studies the technical aspects of cymbal playing revealed by the Mariamin mosaic. It discusses the typology and playing techniques of cymbal tongs, using a comparative iconographic approach and an experimental reconstruction approach. The Mariamin mosaic portrays a type of cymbal tongs in which the cymbals are struck laterally, in contrast to cymbals tongs in which cymbals are struck frontally, the only type discussed by archaeomusicologists to date. Significantly, lateral cymbal tongs similar to those of Mariamin appear in other late antique mosaics from Bulgaria and Algeria, suggesting that this instrument was widespread. The reconstruction of lateral and frontal cymbal tongs shows that the two instruments sounded different. The Mariamin mosaic also provides information on the use of small cymbals attached directly to fingers. It shows a finger cymbal tying system that seems to differ from the few other Roman examples known to date. It also shows that finger cymbals players could use two different pairs of cymbals to make two different musical notes, one with each hand. These findings illustrate the technical richness of cymbal playing in the Roman Empire. The second part of this work discusses the instrumental associations visible in the Mariamin mosaic, placing them in the context of other late antique representations. The trio of three resonant metallic instruments discernible in the Mariamin band (cymbal tongs, finger cymbals and acetabuli) illustrates the Roman-Imperial taste for abundant metallic tinkling. Finally, the inclusion of cymbal tongs or finger cymbals in musical bands recurs in mythological representations. The cupid disguises of the two children in the Mariamin mosaic echo these images. However, the scene depicted by the mosaic seems anchored in the reality of the late Roman Empire. Remarkably, the Mariamin mosaic shows that ‘simple’ small cymbals could hold an important place in a high-class musical band equipped with prestigious instruments.

The Waiting-Servant Motif in a Late Antique Textile in Chicago: Iconography, Visuality, and Materiality

This article explores the use and adaptation of the iconographic motif of the waiting servant, known primarily from late Roman wall paintings, mosaics, and other media, within the sphere of Late Antique furnishing textiles. Taking as a case study a fifth- to sixth-century CE hanging in the Art Institute of Chicago’s collection, the first section argues that the addition of elaborate, multihued architectural settings and floral motifs in this hanging and several comparable examples built upon the existing waiting-servant iconography offer an enhanced message of “the good life” within the household. Such compositional elements were rooted in earlier Greek and Roman artistic traditions, namely architectural polychromy and the visual interplay between artifice and reality. However, they also exemplify the Late Antique “jeweled style”, an aesthetic characterized by dazzling visual and polychromatic effects and an interest in artistic mimicry of other media. Striking visual parallels between the waiting-servant hangings and contemporary painted interiors suggest that textiles were considered on par with permanent media and operated in a system of cross-media artistic exchange. The article concludes with a consideration of the materiality of the Chicago hanging and its potential functions within a Late Antique residence, exploring how its portability as a woven object encouraged its flexible use within the home and allowed it to convey and even amplify particular messages through its juxtaposition with other objects, architecture, or people.

Production technology for Roman mosaic glass vessels: new data from the domus of Tito Macro in Aquileia (Italy)

• Focus on Roman mosaic glass vessels, dated to the 1st cent. AD, from Aquileia (Italy). • Base glass, colourants and opacifiers consistent with Roman glass-making tradition. • No links between mosaic glass vessels and specific primary furnaces. • Mosaic vessels-makers acquired coloured rods and canes from different suppliers. • Production model of mosaic glass vessels seems to be composed of at least three steps. The present work focuses on five mosaic glass vessels from the domus of Tito Macro in Aquileia (northeastern Italy). The vessels were typogically attributed to three kinds of mosaic glass (marbled, striped mosaic, and composite mosaic patterns), all dated to the 1st century AD and obtained by the juxtaposition of translucent/transparent and opaque coloured glass pieces for a total of 25 analytical samples., They were texturally and chemically analysed by optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive spectrometry (SEM-EDS), and electron microprobe (EPMA). The results show that base glass, colourants and opacifiers are consistent with the early Roman glass-making tradition. Textural and chemical data suggest that the vessel makers acquired coloured rods and canes from different suppliers. There were no links between vessels and specific primary furnaces or amongst various colours of different vessels and similar colours in the same object, suggesting a complex production organisation, especially for composite canes, where the production of the single colour rods was probably separated from that of the canes. The effects of working processes on glass composition are also investigated.

Non-invasive techniques for characterization of original Roman mosaic fragments

Abstract In this study, it was reported the preliminary results on the chemical and structural composition of decorative elements remains from original Roman mosaic fragments collected from the Roman Mosaic Museum, Constanta (Romania). These investigations were carried out by using non-destructive and micro-invasive techniques such as optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction, field emission - scanning electron microscopy - energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, vibrational spectroscopy (i.e., FTIR and Raman). The studied fragments, apart from being beneficial to different restoration opportunities of this Roman mosaic, could be also included in its modification through air pollution. The major and minor phase components of the studied mosaic fragments were determined, the crystal structure of the main phases was analyzed, and their three-dimension spatial arrangement was reconstructed. The similar composition of the major phases of all mosaic fragments can indicate a generic recipe for making mosaic elements, but minor phases were presumably added for coloring of mosaic pieces. Some degradation areas inside the volume of the mosaic fragments were found by means of the X-ray diffraction method. The areas are probably related to the formation of iron hydroxides during chemical interactions of mosaic fragments with the sea and urban polluted atmosphere. The results can also offer important information about the original materials that were used in the Roman period.

In the Guise of the Popular: the Deceptive Image of the Asàrotos Òikos Mosaics

The Roman asàrotos òikos (“Unswept Floor/Room”) mosaics, which were discovered in Italy and in Tunisia, and date from the end of the first to the sixth century AD, showcase a seemingly popular theme: scraps of food that had fallen (or were thrown) under the table during the banquet, colourfully displayed, appealing and appetising to the eyes. These mosaics are, in fact, Roman variations on a famous prototype created by Sosus in Hellenistic Pergamon, which was never discovered. The Roman mosaics reveal a unique tension between the display of impersonal, mundane reality in an illusory manner and the use of irony and disguised symbolism. The depiction of everyday life and elements that carry various symbolic meanings in trompe-l’œil prompts an interpretive reading of the artwork. The use of visual deception not only forms the ground for contemplative thought, but also enriches the reading by adding more layers of veiled meanings that need to be recognised and decoded by the viewers. This particular combination of aesthetics and iconography forms complex allegorical content. This article focuses on the asàrotos òikos mosaics which were discovered in Italy, and their particular combination of a popular theme, symbolism and illusionism.

Identification and provenance determination of stone tesserae used in mosaics from Roman Celeia, Slovenia

AbstractThis study examined the provenance of stone tesserae from three Roman mosaics from Celje, Slovenia, using optical microscopy, X‐ray fluorescence spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and X‐ray diffraction. Nine microfacies were distinguished. Miliolid limestones identified in the white tesserae, and mudstones/laminated wackestones in the black tesserae, suggest they originated from the Karst region. The sparry limestone in the yellow tesserae probably originates from the Mediterranean. The mudstone/wackestone with planktonic foraminifera in the red tesserae originates from an outcrop in southwestern Slovenia. Green tesserae tuffs are of local origin, whereas the white tuffs could originate from Italian Oligo‐Miocene volcanism rhyolites.

Andrew James Johnston, Beowulf Global: Konstruktionen historisch-kultureller Verflechtungen im altenglischen Epos. Zürich: Chronos Verlag. 2022, 70 pp.

Abstract An instructor at Berlin’s Free University, who has analyzed “Robin auf der Leinwand” in his Robin Hood: Geschichte einer Legende (Munich 2013) and co-edited The Medieval Motion Picture: The Politics of Adaptation (New York 2014), now focuses on Beowulf. In three lectures (given at Zurich) he deals with its international setting, styled as “tatsächlich kosmopolitisch” (p. 16). The theme is promising, as he relates it to physical entities: a Roman mosaic “auf dem Orpheus abgebildet” (p. 20) at Bath; Sutton Hoo; a sword-hilt described in Beowulf as wyrmfah (“having snake-like ornaments”); and a gold coin (after an Arabic original) of King Offa. But there are problems. Despite a worthy subject and reference to postcolonialism or theories of Derrida and others, nothing ever seems proved.

Photogrammetry (SfM) vs. Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS) for Archaeological Excavations: Mosaic of Cantillana (Spain) as a Case Study

The discovery of a Roman mosaic from the 2nd century AD in Cantillana (Seville) generated interest and the need for exhaustive documentation, so that it could be recreated with real measurements in a 3D model, not only to obtain an exact replica, but with the intention of analyzing and studying the behavior of two main geomatics techniques. Thus, the objective of this study was the comparative analysis of both techniques: near object photogrammetry by SfM and terrestrial laser scanner or TLS. The aim of this comparison was to assess the use of both techniques in archaeological excavations. Special attention was paid to the accuracy and precision of measurements and models, especially in altimetry. Mosaics are frequently relocated from their original location to be exhibited in museums or for restoration work, after which they are returned to their original place. Therefore, the altimetric situation is of special relevance. To analyze the accuracy and errors of each technique, a total station was used to establish the real values of the ground control points (GCP) on which the comparisons of both methods were to be made. It can be concluded that the SfM technique was the most accurate and least limiting for use in semi-buried archaeological excavations. This manuscript opens new perspectives for the use of SfM-based photogrammetry in archaeological excavations.

Taskscapes, Landscapes, and the Politics of Agricultural Production in Roman Mosaics

In recent years archaeologists have put forward explanations of the design and impact of mythological and allegorical scenes in mosaics as part of elite Roman visual culture. While scenes of labor have served as evidence to accompany archaeological data on rural life, depictions of labor have received comparatively less attention as part of Roman ideological structures. Through an analysis of mosaics of the imperial period, this article demonstrates the value of adapting Timothy Ingold’s concept of ‘taskscape’ for explaining shared similarities in the communication strategies underlying depictions of agricultural work in Roman art and showcases an approach to the Roman economy rooted in this body of anthropological theory. Elites were able to reinforce normative values about the agricultural world by controlling not just what was seen, but what was not seen. Their mosaics present certain generic and hidden views of work that allowed fellow elites to use their own imaginations to continually ‘fill in the gaps’ and reinforce their control over agricultural production, a strategy that endured across the Roman world for generations.

Tessellation in Architecture from Past to Present

Tessellation, which has examples of use in art and architecture, is the covering of a surface using one or more geometric shapes without overlapping or gaps. Based on Roman mosaics, the tessellation has an important place in architecture since the ancient times. Through the history, different patterns have been used by many cultures for various applications ranging from decorative covering elements to multi-functional latticework screens. The tessellation has still been used in contemporary architecture since it not only allows creating the geometrical surface in an order but also provides multi-functionality to the surface when applied as shading elements. The tessellation can be reviewed under three categories such as regular, semi-regular and demi-regular tessellations. Two- and three-dimensional examples of the tessellations can be seen in contemporary architecture either as façade elements or patterns used for structural elements. Because the tessellation plays a significant role in architecture in terms of geometrical or structural design, the interest on this topic has been increased in recent years. Due to their great potentials, more studies should be conducted on the tessellations. For this reason, within the scope of this paper, the applied examples of the tessellations in buildings from past to present are examined which include both static and kinetic ones. In this paper, the geometric design principles, combination methods and iteration processes of the examples are also presented. As well as providing a deeper understanding of such tessellation methods, this study will serve as a basis of reference for future studies in this field.