Jahreshefte des Österreichischen Archäologischen Instituts in Wien, Band 80/2011

In this article, the author sets out to define the specific concept of ›realism‹ as materialised in Archaic Greek sculpture. First, he shows how current archaeological literature fails to address the issue inherent in this problematic notion by solely emphasising the lack of realism in Archaic imagery. In the main part of the article, he then analyses the depiction of drapery in archaic korai in order to show how archaic sculpture evades the sorts of underlying antitheses which modern scholarship assumes: figurative depiction versus ornamental abstraction; concrete individuality versus general, ideal types; lifelikeness versus stiff perfection. In all these cases, Archaic sculpture turns out to align with both sides of the assumed dichotomy. In the final section, the author tries to outline some basic elements of an alternative, archaic concept of ›realism‹ i. e. its anti-empirical character; its mingling of the realms of image and text; the license for contradiction between different elements of the depiction.

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Work in 2010 at the ›West Complex‹ of Cape Kolonna was concerned with the East Street with a series of late Archaic occupation layers, the usage levels beneath these dating to the late Neolithic – Early Bronze Age period, and the concluding architectural recording of East Building 0–II. A central column emplacement could be ascertained at the East Building II; due to the specific situation on the slope, the deeper layers here brought to light exclusively Middle Helladic finds. In the region of the court to the east of the core building, the late Archaic levelling work for the West Complex proved to be far-reaching; in addition to a disturbed child burial of Proto-geometric date, predominantly early Helladic usage levels were encountered successively in the lower strata. Work in the area of the ›South Hill‹ concentrated on concluding investigations at the so-called Large Stone Building of Middle Helladic date, as well as stratigraphic trenches to clarify an Early Bronze Age predecessor development, marked by the remains of an Early Helladic II structure with white exterior plaster and a tiled roof.

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At Ephesos, six successive temples and altars were erected to Artemis from the early 7th until the late 4th century B.C. Based on the analysis of the stratigraphy and find contexts, the first four constructions can now be dated to the period from the second quarter of the 7th century until the end of the 7th century. They were constructed of limestone marl slabs. Marble was used for the first time after the second quarter of the 6th century, for the Dipteros 1 (›Croesus-Temple‹). The foundation in the west, formerly known as the ›Hecatompedos‹, was the altar which belonged to it. For both structures, marble of the type ›Ephesos II‹ was employed, which most probably came from the quarry near Belevi. After the mid-4th century B.C. the new Dipteros 2 was erected, using marble of the type ›Ephesos I‹ from the quarry at Ketli Çiftlik. A monumental court altar belonged to Dipteros 2, within which older structures made of ›Ephesos II‹ marble were integrated. The paving also was of this type of marble, and was reused in the court altar.

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The ancient city of Pheneos is located at the south-west boundary of the region of Corinth. In 2008 and 2009, on the northern slope of its acropolis, the northern, 3.2 m thick city wall was cursorily excavated by the Greek archaeological authorities, over a length of 220 m and including 4 semi-circular towers with a diameter of ca. 5.5 m. A gateway is presumed to be located approximately in the middle of the revealed stretch of wall. A small exploratory trench to the west of the enclosure wall of the Asclepieion, discovered between 1958–1964 on the south slope, revealed a street of the Hellenistic period, running towards the acropolis. Through cleaning activities, it was possible to expose the circular watchtower with conical substructure in the southern area of the Phenean valley, and therefore to clarify its function, form and dimensions. By means of an excavation cutting on the periphery of this unusual fortification building, the date of its construction could be confirmed: the collected pottery sherds and roof tiles point to the early Hellenistic period

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The production of imperial cameos which began under Emperor Augustus came to a temporary conclusion with the end of the Severan dynasty. During the period of the soldier-emperors hardly any cameos were carved; at best, older cameos, after re-cutting, were reused. With the cameo in Dumbarton Oaks, the creation of large-format cameos was reintroduced in ca. 300 A.D., experiencing a Late Antique heyday under Emperor Constantine. In close continuity with the cameos of the early imperial period, ambitious reliefs in stone were produced anew. In part, these consciously pick up the forms of early imperial iconography, transplanting them into a Late Antique format. Based on the pictorial themes, it can be assumed that the type of ›ruler cameo‹ which had not been produced for a long time was taken up again to serve the propagandistic purposes of the emperor. Stylistic observations allow a stone cutter to be identified who must have worked for the imperial house.

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The karstified limestone of the Panayırdağ dips flatly towards the southeast and is dissected by three steep joint sets. At the eastern slope of the Panayırdağ, deep gorges trace the local joint pattern in two levels. The southern slope of the Panayırdağ is hydrologically isolated from the karst system of the adjacent Bülbüldağ. The geological data support a hydrogeological model which reconstructs the water supply of the late geometric to early Hellenistic settlement of the Panayırdağ. The proposed model describes a marine karst system with an aquifer in the level of the ancient sea level, possibly accessed by 10–20 m deep wells from the karst gorges.

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A Hellenistic relief bowl in Jena (Friedrich-Schiller-University, Sammlung Antiker Kleinkunst Inv. V 267) was bought at the auction house Hugo Helbing, Munich, in 1913. The inscription connected it with four well-known bowls which – on the basis of their ornamentation system and the utilized puncheons – can be attributed to the Charioteer workshop located at Sardis. The inscription denominates most likely the name of a workshop owner, and to that ›atelier of Kerdon‹ can be attributed one more relief bowl without signature at Sadberk-Hanım-Museum, Istanbul. The chronology, based upon the shapes of the letters and upon a recently found stratified bowl in a tumulus near Sardis, affirmed the already proposed date for the Kerdon-signed bowls to the 4th quarter of the 2nd century/around 100 B.C.

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New research on the city walls of Pisidian Antioch was begun in 2010 as part of a joint study between the Austrian Archaeological Institute and the Süleyman Demirel Üniversitesi in Isparta (TR). The research aimed at a complete documentation of the monument, and to evaluate its appearance and layout in the Anatolian context. The walls encompass the entire urban territory that was laid out on the high plateau of a hill raising up to c. 1,200 m above s. l. In the south an unusual bastion with doubled round towers and a complicated entrance system are preserved, whereas the walls in the north and the east are nearly extinct now. The earliest walls consist of a high-quality opus caementitium base layer with ashlar walls on top, probably erected in early Roman Imperial age. Later additions were made extensively in the Late Antique periods. Building material was taken from Roman Imperial necropoleis; a cautious assumption for a terminus post quem allows for a construction date in the course of the 4th century A.D.

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Amongst the still visible tomb buildings in the Harbour Necropolis of Ephesos, two tomb structures stand out due to their secondary furnishings, which iconographically illustrate the transformation in burial from pagan to Christian. Tomb building 335/10 shows itself to be distinctly Christian in character: by means of images of the cross in a paradisiacal atmosphere and a quotation from Psalm 90, dating to the end of the 5thor the beginning of the 6th century, a specifically Christian hope for immortality was expressed. Less clear in this respect is tomb building 121/10, decorated in the 4th or 5th century with a stylised motif of a garden fence: the flowers which are recognisable beyond the fence indeed indicate a sort of garden of paradise, although a Christian context for this tomb cannot be proved beyond doubt. The painting therefore stands on the threshold of a clearly articulated Christian tomb iconography.

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The Great Theatre of Ephesos is a monument almost as significant to the cultural identity of the modern town of Selçuk as it was in ancient times. It was a place of gathering and ceremonial importance in ancient times, and currently the monument is also expected to be a place of interaction for the modern day public. Therefore, conservation planning for the structure focuses on conserving the fabric of the structure and ensuring its stability; the project, however, does not only aim at archaeological conservation but also keeps an open mind about a balanced partial reuse. Furthermore, mid-project results during various stages of work will be produced, allowing continuity in visitor interaction. It is has also been necessary to develop an understanding and assessment of past interventions and usage methods, as well as to continually monitor the effectiveness of current interventions and planning in order to reach applicable conclusions for managing conservation and reuse.

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After the Temple of Artemis at Ephesos lost its religious significance, the sanctuary fell victim to extensive stone robbery and fell into obscurity. The foundations, covered by 8 m high earth levels, were rediscovered in 1869. In the following 125 years of research, the Temple of Artemis was the primary focus of archaeological fieldwork, while the once densely built up sacred enclosure remained unexplored. Since 2009 the Austrian Archaeological Institute has been investigating for the first time a Roman building southwest of the temple. The function of the structure, which has been called until now the ›Tribune‹, can finally be clarified. Due to close typological parallels, as well as equipment and furnishing, the building can be identified as a Roman Odeion, a building type known as a venue for musical contests. The existence of such competitions as part of the holy games for Artemis of Ephesos is attested by inscriptions mentioning the victory of an actor, a rhetor and a poet of encomia within the framework of musical contests during the Artemisia.

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Based on new research on the architecture and furnishings of the Cemetery of the Seven Sleepers, its original lay-out can now be dated to the 3rd century A.D. This is supported by the contextual analysis of the structure with its mosaics, paintings, stucco work, and in particular the inscriptions, which allow the identification of its character as an early Christian communal burial location. In contrast, the church was first built into the complex at a later date, probably in the late 4th century A.D. This new chronology has farreaching implications. The cult of the Seven Sleepers from the time of Theodosius II, reported in sources after the 6th century at Ephesos, is not archaeologically attested in the complex; their veneration can first be ascertained at the site through Medieval graffiti. The hundreds of communal inhumation burials, however, reveal for the first time in Asia Minor such an early Christian necropolis as is found, for example, at Rome. The cemetery needs to be repositioned in the sepulchral landscape of Ephesos and Asia Minor.

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