VI Century Research Articles

Catalogue of small finds from excavations outside the fortified palace of Romuliana, 2005-2007

The excavations of the trial trenches extra muros Romuliana, in the 2005-2007 period, were carried out in cooperation with the DAI RGK (R?misch-Germanische Kommission des Deutches Arh?ologische Instituts), in order to verify the results of a previously conducted geophysical survey. Although the number of finds obtained from the eight test-pits (05/1, 05/2, 06/1, 06/2, 07/1, 07/2 07/3 and 07/4), that had been explored during four campaigns, was not big among them we can still find artifacts of great importance for studying the history of Romuliana, relating to the Late Classical and Early Byzantine period, from the end of the III up to the end of the VI century A.D. We point out finds of cruciform, gold fibula, coming from the tomb explored in the year 2005, and a gilded specimen with imperial portraits, from grave 6 explored in 2006. Finds of early Byzantine bronze fibulae, with a reversed back foot, are also of some importance, as well as glass vessels and a large number of iron tools. The finds in the catalogue are listed according to the explored units.

La transformación material e ideológica de una ciudad de Hispania: Iluro (Mataró) entre los siglos I y VII D.C.

As a result of the several archaeological works carried out in the Roman town Iluro (Barcelona) in the last two decades the knowledge on the town has undergone a radical change. Now, this information allows us to reconstruct the main features: its material and institutional evolution from the imperial municipium to the new type of habitat characteristic of the VI and VII centuries AD. This process contributes with some arguments to the debate for the understanding on the evolution of the urban life in the context of the general changes in late antiquity, as well as the different situations created as its result.

El <i>aryballos</i> corintio de la necrópolis de Milmanda (Vimbodí, Tarragona) y su cronología

A revision is presented on the aryballos of the necropolis of Milmanda, paying special attention to its chronology. For this study it is convenient to redefine the approaches of typological attribution, its forms and decoration, as well as to consider in a brief way other aryballoi of VI century BC found in Catalonia.

FT-IR and micro-Raman spectroscopic study of decorated potteries from VI and VII century BC, excavated in ancient Ainos – Turkey

Ancient decorated pottery fragments belong to sixth and seventh century BC, excavated in the archaeological district of Enez – Turkey (Ancient Ainos) were analysed using micro-Raman and FT-IR spectroscopy. The experimental results allowed us to identify the peculiar components of the ceramic body and the main pigments of the decoration. The presence of albite and anatase suggests low firing temperatures.

Arquitectura monumental y arquitectura doméstica en la Contestania

En este trabajo se toma en consideración un conjunto de edificios cuyas dimensiones, distribución interna y características constructivas permiten su calificación como residencias privilegiadas, con una posible función palacial. A su condición doméstico se añade la de representación social en el marco de la trama urbana ibérica, de manera que se podría ver en ellos los ejemplos contestanos de una arquitectura monumental doméstica. Finalmente, dicho análisis nos conduce a una serie de consideraciones sociales y políticas que explican la aparición de estos edificios en el Sureste peninsular a fines del s. VI a.C.

Abortions – History and Facts

AbstractSince ancient times gestation has been part of a woman's role starting from her very existence. To give birth is no doubt an universal experience and although this experience may be the cause of death of the mother, the child or both, all the Treaties of Medicine (Ancient, Middle Age, Renaissance, Islam and Modern days) have devoted special attention to such an important event in a woman's life. Starting with the ancient culture, the assistance to the birth of a child (banned to men in the Christian or Arab world) has been endorsed to the hands of women nominated as “mid-wives” or “matrons”; it is only by the end of the XVIII century that physicians begin to act, and, starting from then, the obstetrics practice is promoted in various Universities. Practices connected with the birth or abortions were only of public knowledge long after they were used, through various manuscripts and documents. Even the finding of pregnant women with newborns buried next to them does not prove that difficult deliveries were not in the basis of these findings. Regarding the scientific philosophers little is known viewing the field of obstetrics. The IX and VIII centuries (BC) were followed by the pre-Hippocratic philosophers of the VI century. These philosophers created medical schools, masters in medicine and practicing students, but they were not really concerned about sexual problems – gestation, deliveries, abortion, etc.

Murallas de la Edad del Hierro en la Cultura Talayótica. El recinto fortificado del poblado de Ses Païses (Artà, Mallorca)

Recent excavations in the proto-historic settlement of Ses Paisses, in the Island of Mallorca, allowed the authors to recover stratigraphic and radiometric sequence that for the first time enable us to date the construction of the walls of Balearic Talayotic villages. In addition to listing different types of sites which were surrounded by walls, we describe the building techniques and the elements which comprise the walls and their typology, paying special attention to the unpublished findings made at Ses Paisses. The dated stratigraphy analysed allows us to assess the construction of the stone wall between the VIII and the VI century B.C., probably closer to the latter one. Finally, we interpret the appearance of the phenomenon and the function of the walls themselves in their relationship to the economic and social transformations detected. We propose a new evolutionary scheme in three parts for the talayotic village, developed from its predecessor the navetiform settlement.

La legislación civil y eclesiástica concerniente a las supersticiones y a las pervivencias idolátricas en la Hispania de los siglos VI-VII

Civil and canonical Hispanic legislation in VI and VII centuries provides us with multiple examples about the persistence of supersticious and idolatrous practices.The Visigothic laws relating to this subject mainly concern the auguries and the employ of magic, both of them considered harmful and hardly punished. Although ecclesiastical canons also regulated the issue of auguries and magic, they devoted almost all their attention to the legacy of paganism (something that we do not observe in civil legislation). The analysis of contemporaneous narrative sources permits us to confirm that it was a real and daily problem. Therefore, the inclusion of these laws in legislative codes did not answer to the simple need to fill a legal void.

Les pots de médicament de Yakushi Bouddha (bouddha de la guérison) au Japon

The origin of Yakushi buddha (Bhaisajyaguru in Sanscrit, buddha of healing) is not clearly known. It has been proposed the original statue of Yakushi buddha may have been conceived from Varna, a god in Brahminism, believed to be a god of justice who possessed medicines and prolonged life. It is believed that Yakushi buddha appeared in Japan when the buddhism was imported from Korea and China in VI century, Yakushi buddha was believed more profoundly in Japan, compared with Korea and China.The reasons are probably as follows: Yakushi buddha is buddha of healing, Emperor Temmu (672-685) built Yakushi-ji temple in Nara, Emperor Shomu (724-749) built Kokubun-ji temples at principal towns. The principal statues of buddha in these temples are Yakushi buddha. In Japan, there are 252 Yakushi Buddha statues in Buddhistical Temples, which are listed in Important Cultural Property including 14 National Treasures. Belief in Yakushi Buddha was especially prevalent from the 7th to the 13th centuries in Japan. The oldest wooden Yakushi Buddha statue is in the Horin-ji temple in Nara. Among the 252 Yakushi Buddha statues, 224 are in wood, 15 are in copper, 6 are in picture and etc. 212 (84,1%) have medicinal pots (or rarely, a bowl) on the palm of left hand. However, these medicinal containers are wooden blocks. Very recently, it was found that Yakushi Buddha statue in the Suho-Kokubun-ji temple (Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan) has a medicinal pot on the palm of the left hand in which an offering (220 g materials) was found. The date on the reverse side of lid places the offering at October 12, 1699. The offering is composed of five cereals (rice, barley, wheat, soybean, adzuki bean), five medicinal plants (Acori Graminei, Acori Calami, Radix Ginseng, Flos Caryophylli, Lignum Santali Albi), and five minerals (rock crystals, purple and blue glasse, CaCO3, particles, silver and golden foils). DNA analysis proved those three randomly selected seeds of rice all belongs to the template japonica, which is predominant in the present variety of Japan.

Religijne motywy w rewolcie Witaliana w 513-515 roku

The short of the first twenty years of VI century of Byzantium's history when political changes in Constantinople took place was described in the article The religious motives. The leader of the rebellion indicated two aspects of his pronouncement as the most important ones. They were restoration of the religious union on the East based on resolutions of The Chalcedonian Council and recognition of the leading role of The Apostolic See in the field of guarding religious authenticity. Despite the military defeat Vitalianus' revolt ended with success on the religious field.

Carians as Skilled Masons in Israel and Mercenaries in Judah in the Early I Millennium B.C.E.

In recent studies the Carians of pre-Hellenistic times are described as sailors and mercenaries. It is true that the inscriptions they made when serving as mercenaries in Egypt under the command of pharaoh Psammetichus I (664–610 B.C.E.) or II (595–589 B.C.E.) speak of that. We learn this also from Herodotus I.12 and 171. But now we know that the Carians in Egypt were not only men of military professions, but skilled stonecutters and masons. This most important discovery and explanation was made by Sh. L. Gosline. The author identified 37 masons' marks, which came from buildings, or from quarries, with signs of the Carian alphabet. Most of them came from the terrace of the temple of Khnum at Elephantine, and they can be dated to the VII or VI centuries B.C.E. Such Carian signs – masons' marks – are also known from Persepolis and Pasargadae of the Achaemenid times. Taking the above given material into account, N. Franklin identified 17 masons' marks as Carian letters in the wallstones of Samaria and Megiddo, cities of the Israeli kingdom at the levels of the IX century B.C.E.

Mythos, Techne y Logos: aproximaciones al origen de la ciencia occidental a través de las obras de Homero y Hesíodo

Thought about the origins of Occidental Science take us back to Greece in VII and VI centuries b. C. Being the most splendor century the V century, well known as Pericles's century. It is there were first traces of occidental literature were found and protected. Those literary texts, root of measure and principles of reason and freedom are the basic foundation not only for artistic and literary creation purposes but capital works for meaning, reason for the origin of Occidental Science. Starting from a pre-scientific thought, means of influence in the origin of rational thought and thus scientific thought, are here analysed. The fundamental literary works were considerations here stated are based on are, on the one side: The Iliad and The Odyssey by Homer, and on the other side: Cosmogony and The works and the days by Hesiod. Differences and similarities of content in a socio-political context between those days and presently have been considered, as well as religious concepts - so much relevant and connected to Science in those historical dates - whose interest for our purposes forces our deepening in origins and postulates, which, to a certain extent, are still in force.

L’hagiographie de l’Antiquité tardive : une littérature populaire ?

The perception of hagiography as a form of “popular” Christianity has been questioned by the analysis of Peter Brown (the cult of saints as promoted by the aristocratic bishopric) or of Averil Cameron (rejecting the assumed popular character of apocryphal and hagiographical literature). In describing the hagiography of the third to the fourth centuries, which is mainly concerned with the martyrs, rather than qualify it as “popular” literature, the author prefers to speak of a communitarian, ecclesiastical literature, which developed spontaneously in response to environment and circumstances, not as the execution of a systematic plan. The martyrdom narratives circulated within communities. The spontaneous tendency among the faithful to consider the Acta martyrum as new chapters of the canonical scriptures was finally discarded; but the Acts and Passions continued to be read out in public to both literate and illiterate listeners, especially in the West (in the East certain Passions, with a more intellectual tenor, may have circulated in more restricted circles). In the fourth century, the Church organised the cult of heroized martyrs. This was the time of the appearance of eulogies of martyrs in the encomiastic tradition in the East; in the West, of the homilies for the feast days of the martyrs; in the East as well as in the West, of those Passions called “epic Passions” and of collections of miracles. These different types are no more “popular” than “aristocratic”: their oral presentation made them nearly accessible to the illiterate public. The same is true for monastic hagiography, even if it addresses a restricted audience. On the other hand, hagiography generally affirms the equality in the Church of men and women of all conditions. Certain biographies of ascetics and bishops (Jerome, and even Saint Martin as delineated by Sulpicius Severus) present the case of an Unterhaltungsliteratur which is not, for all that, really intended for “the people”. Although the aristocratic public was divided on this point, the hagiographers opted more and more for the sermo humilis or rusticus. Even when in the VI century, the Bischofsherrschaft prevailed, the masses became less literate and the social gap between the “people” and the aristocratic bishops widened, hagiography, which continued to be read aloud, maintained a bond with the illitterati, especially on the occasion of the feasts celebrating local saints.

Muslim interpretation of messianism

Muslim origin arose in the VI century as a branch of Old Testament monotheism, as well as a reaction to the Jewish-Christian tradition. The founder of Islam, the Prophet Mohammed, was not for the Muslims God, embodied in the image of man. Islam denied the rebellion as in principle a false idea. Allah was recognized as the only and absolute God, which in any way could not be embodied in the image of man through his absolute transcendence. Therefore, according to the Muslims, Christ was only a prophet, but not crucified on the cross by God.

The central Portugal late Bronze Age: contribution to a study on regional ethnogenesis

We discuss the ethnogenesis of the Central Portugal Late Bronze Age populations arguing that theycorrelate well with the later descriptions of the Lusitanians.The economic result of the local agricultural produce, pastoralism and wild fruits collecting was notenough by itself to support an economic growth of these societies that was capable to allow more than asmall amount of wealth concentration. Accordingly, we think that social elite's genesis and developmentin the local Late Bronze Age Groups is based on a «wealth finance» system for which the control ofmetal's production and circulation provides the means.Also matrimonial exchanges could well be behind a network of elite alliances thus accounting for thequick diffusion of metallurgical technologies and models and their local reproduction.Peripheral to the expansion of the Mediterranean network of commerce in the LX/VIII centuries BC, theinterior areas of this system are very vulnerable to any change in the metal commerce networks. Thiswill determine their demise during the VI century BC as a result of the temporary collapse of theMediterranean-Atlantic commerce network. The exception is the Atlantic Estremadura where the morediversified economy and the cosmopolitanism of its incipient urbes will allow a steady developmentduring the Iron Age.So both the characterisation of the local Late Bronze Age Groups and their subsequent evolutioncorrespond well with the description by the classic authors of the Lusitanians and the «two Lusitanias»allowing us to argue that their ethnogenesis goes back at least to the Late Bronze Age.

Los albores de la historiografía griega. Dialéctica entre mito e historia

The rise of Greek Historiography takes place between the end of the VI century B. C. and the early years of the V century B. C. The logographi in search of the logos and the physiologi in search of the φύσις appear at the same time. Both confront a mythical tradition and try to discover the coherent and verisimilar element in myth. Historiography looks for the historicity of the real facts hidden inside myth. The result is a dialectic struggle between myth and history.

La cerámica gris a torno del yacimiento orientalizante de Montemolín (Sevilla)

This paper studies the Grey Wheel-Made Pottery from the excavated graves at the Montemolin Settlement. This Orientalizing Pottery gives us the possibility of analizing the extent to which the site is related to the Phoenicians settled in the South of the peninsula, during the VII and VI centuries b.C.

Archeologia osadnicza w zastosowaniu do badań mikroregionu Graña (Galicja, Hiszpania)

In 1986 the team of Workers of the Archaeological Institute of Łódź University together with the Archaeological Institute of University of Santiago de Compostela began the common research studies. The subject of investigations of both Universities is devoted to microregional studies on the development of the settlement. The Castro culture limited to Halstatt, Latenian and Roman periods was chosen as a basis for such studies. The research group is interested in the genesis of this culture as well as its further transformations the Middle Ages. Defensive settlements of different size situated on natural hills are characteristic for this culture. The specific feature of Castro culture, at least in its present state investigations, is its long duration (from the VII century B.C. to the II century A.D. and even as others daim to the VI century A.D.). One of topics of many years programme are excavations of Graña Castro situated in the centre of Galicia, 7 km north of Melide town. The subjekt of studies is the use of methods which will allow the reserchers to learn the stratigraphy and the structure of cultural foliation and natural sediments in order to establish the exact chronology and function of the objekt. Excavations were arranged in one row to obtain initial information about all main ponts of the settlement. During the first research season of Graña the fragments of outer defensive stone wall constructed without mortar were discovered. The fragments coming from its inner structure and probably used as dwelling and subsidiary places were discovered as well. Initially two phases of the existence of the settlement with buildings both of oval and rectangular shape were distinguished. The hearth originally a Stove with stone walls and clay mud floor was very interesting. Fragments of pattery both hand-made and made on the grinding stone, clay whorls, glaze beads, gold ear-rings and stone axe most likely used secondarily constitute the antique material. All material allows us to date the exavated layers from the II century B.C. to the II century A.D. Besides excavations; archival and historiographical studies confirming or excluding relations among settlement structures functioning in the period of Roman occupation, in the Middle Ages and in contemporary times in the area of the discussed microregion were conducted as well. Palinologic investigations were begun in order to reconstruct natural environment and its changes in the time course. The number of castro settlements near Melide town is very high. Their mutual time relation is a problem to be explained. If they were existing at the same time then it is possible to reconstruct the territory of economic exploitation of this region assuming that the economy of this region was of farming character. However, these are so far very little documented assumptions which require to be confirmed by detailed studies on few neighbouring settlement morphologically constructing one microregion.

The Byzantine-Turkish Fountain in the Archaeological Museum of İstanbul

There is a double fountain of marble in the open - air display of the Archaeological Museum of İstanbul, situated in the first garden to the left of the Çinili Köşk. This monument (inventory number 3217) was first published by A. M. MANSEL in 1931. Its lower, main body is Byzantine, carved out of a monolithe marble with two niches. The crown cut at the top is a Turkish work. The back of this small monument, which was used as a fountain during the Turkish era, is covered with a decoration in relief, which clearly shows that originally it was a Byzantine work. Here are seen the curls of acanthus leaves, coming out of a kantharos and spreading symmetrically. In the middle there is a cross, whose lateral arms were wiped off during the Turkish era. We think that the lower part, that is, the section belonging to the Byzantine era, was originally related to a water system, and most probably it was also constructed as a fountain. Though the decoration at the back, by its motif and the technique of carving, indicates the VI and VII centuries, it should be taken into consideration that this type of embellishment was used until the XIIth century. During the Turkish era, this Byzantine monument was reshaped as a Turkish fountain during the XVI-XVII centuries, as is realized from the buds of the crown at the top.

Patrologie. Leben, Schriften und Lehre der Kirchenvaeler by Berthold Altaner (review)

BOOK REVIEWS115 passing in value this first part and using more effectively Oriental literature . Eligius M. Buytaert, O.F.M. The Franciscan Institute, St. Bonaventure, N. Y. Palrologie. Leben, Schriften und Lehre der Kirchenvaeler by Berthold Altaner, second edit. Freiburg: Herder Verlag 1950. Pp. XX-492. The first German edition of this work appeared in 1938. How well it was received is shown by the fact it was translated into Italian in 1940 and 1944, into French in 1941, into Spanish in 1944 and 1949, and into Hungarian in 1947. From this second German edition there is already an Italian and an English (New York) translation announced. This edition is bigger than the first one, though not so much as insinuated by the difference in pages (the first edit, had XIX-353 pages); in the new edition a somewhat bigger print is used. The plan remained the same; thirteen "Fathers" are added: Agathangelus, Aprihgius, Basil of Seleucia, Gennadius of Constantinople, Pamphilus an author of the VI century, Theodore of Raithu and Timothy of Jerusalem, — all authors forgotten in the first edition; as also the Anonymus of the Vita Charitonis, Eutropius, Hypatius of Ephesus, Leontius of Jerusalem, Macarius or Symeon of Mesopotamia and the exegete Symmachus, — authors more recently discovered. The main difference between the editions lies in the bibliography; it is now up to date, i.e. generally up to the summer of 1949. In the text small additions are made intended to make understanding easier; small corrections too, following the remarks made for the earlier editions and taking into account recent research. Of course, the additions and corrections respecting authors or problems better studied during the last years are greater . The description of persons and writings, though short, is usually clear; with sound judgment Altaner exposes the problems and the solutions given; the choice of the literature is excellent; the references already present in the first German edition are checked, and thus quite a few faults disappeared; we are especially glad to state that the retrogressive evolution of the corrected (?) Italian edition disappeared too. Surely, not everything is perfect: in the references there are still misprints , which is rather unavoidable in the system adopted by the author; further, it is not clear for instance how Altaner reconciles the fact that Eustathius of Antioch died in 337 and nevertheless wrote the Adversus Pholinum; it is not clear either, why Acacius of Cesárea, Eusebius and Nemesius of Emesa are listed in a chapter on the Ante-Nicene Fathers which is occupied with historical work; why Nemesius of Emesa comes under the heading "Disciples and successors of Eusebius of Cesárea": it is true, he- is a successor of Eusebius of Emesa in the sense he too was a bishop of Emesa ;but we do not see any other relation between Eusebius and Nemesius of Emesa,, and none at all between Eusebius of Cesárea and Nemesius. And so forth. This Palrologie is a valuable work, an aid for both learner and specialist . Eligius M. Buytaert, O.F.M. The Franciscan Institute, St. Bonaventure, N. Y. ...