Propylaeum

Although the archaeology and history of the Byzantine Crimea is a well-researched subject, the results of this research have received little attention outside the Russian-speaking world.
This monograph by the internationally renowned archaeologist Aleksandr I. Ajbabin, the result of a joint project between the RGZM and the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences, is intended to help raise awareness of this region, which was essentially characterised by the tense relationship between the steppe peoples and the Byzantine Empire.  
This thoroughly revised and expanded translation of the work, which was first published in Russian in 1999, provides the German public with a comprehensive overview of the find material and its chronology, some of which is difficult to access.

As the only representatives of their kind, the ship finds from Mainz shed new light on late Roman military history. Their state of preservation provides insight into partly complex boat-building techniques and measures, which reveal links with the Romano-Celtic seagoing ship of north-western Europe; at the same time, Mediterranean know-how is also recognisable. Traces of ancient surveying and construction bear witness to special planning and work organisation achievements. Moreover, nowhere else is there such a comprehensive opportunity for the structural study of Roman belt drive systems and how they interacted with humans.
Designed as an evaluation of the archaeology of ships and the history of technology, and with a comparatively broad scope, the book opens up a new order of the finds, differentiating both chronologically and in terms of ship type. Meticulous documentation in words and pictures forms the basis for plan reconstructions that trace the shape, size, equipment and usability of the vessels.

Between the second half of the fifth century BC and the first quarter of the following century, there was an increase in Athenian choes featuring images of children. A systematic analysis of these vase paintings has discovered that the painters did not document the lives of Athenian children, their activities, and how their parents perceived them. However, the choes with depictions of children is a valuable source of historical information on the self-image of Athenian men.

This book examines how the military prowess of Augustus’ family was advertised within the city of Rome. The study draws on a variety of different sources. The focus is on contemporary written sources – in particular texts by the poets Virgil, Horace and Ovid. In addition, the study takes into account Rome’s monumental architecture and reports on celebrations for Augustus’ relatives held in the city. On this basis, the book paints a multifaceted, polyphonic picture of the discourse surrounding Rome's new first family and its military achievements.

The book’s aim is to make a comprehensive introduction of the Sarmatians, the crucial people in the world of Iranian language speaking nomads.
The first part of the volume deals with the history and archaeology of these tribes starting from their emergence to the Hunnic invasion after which Iranian domination of the steppe belt was replaced by the power of Turkic nomads. Based on literary sources and archaeological material, the second part synthetises the history of the Sarmatians in the Carpathian Basin from the 1^st to 5^th century AD. A special emphasis is put on the steppe relations of the Alföld Sarmatians, innovations brought by new migration waves and, their impact on the autochthonous population. The third part is an outlook to the afterlife of the Sarmatians the traces of which stretch out from Britain to China.

Since 2012, an Egyptian-German archaeological Mission has been working in the temple district of Heliopolis in Matariya/Cairo. Under the circumstances of progressive urban development, findings from the temple buildings and their associated infrastructure were examined in a number of areas. The publication gives an initial overview of the results and presents a selection of important finds. The project is carried out by the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities of the Arab Republic of Egypt, Leipzig University, the High School of Applied Sciences Mainz and the German Archaeological Institut – Cairo Branch. The project was funded by the German Research Foundation, the Gerda Henkel Foundation, various other foundations and individual support.

The bilingual book accompanying the exhibition “Mehr als nur Sport: GymnAsia in der Antike” was realized as part of a Franco-German research project dealing with the history of the Greek gymnasium in ancient Asia Minor, a part of modern Turkey.
The volume provides an overview of the spread and development of the gymnasium and its role in society, politics and religion from the beginnings in archaic Greece to late antiquity. Special attention is paid to the connection between the gymnasium and the culture of competition that was so characteristic of Greek antiquity.

Architectural terracottas are typical of many Roman buildings from the Republic to the early Imperial period. Rich in imagery and colour, these terracottas adorned private and public buildings of the elite.
In spite of their broad use in Antiquity, modern research on this aspect of Roman architecture and cultural history is relatively scattered and often concentrates on the same aspects. For the first time, this volume gathers new international and interdisciplinary research on the topic, thus mapping out the current state of knowledge and at the same time introducing interesting perspectives for the future. Its sixteen contributions cover a broad range of topics, including the genesis and morphology of the genre, its imagery and polychromy, as well as the history of reception and collecting.

“ARCHAEOZOOMS” is the result of collective work between early career researchers. Scholars from Greece present their field of study, elucidating some of their major archaeological research questions. Traditional methods and interdisciplinary approaches are combined, establishing an open dialogue while outlining some current archaeological research trends and prospects in Greece and abroad. The primary objective of this publication is to communicate the methodological tools currently used in certain archaeological research fields. The variety of topics covered highlights the multifaceted skills that young archaeologists are required to possess during their professional journey.

Al Andarin, ancient Androna, with its two enclosing walls, ten churches, a public bath and a large military building (castron) covers an area of 155 ha and is thus one of the largest ruined sites in the water-scarce steppe areas of central Syria. As the first of about 300 settlements in these areas, Androna was investigated by excavations and surveys in 1997-2007.
The present results on the surface features, the castron (559 AD) and the wall rings not only make the history of Androna in the 5th-7th centuries AD tangible, they also paint an extremely vivid picture of the relationship between countryside and city in the Late Antique-Early Byzantine period.

s. Volume 1

The study of the early medieval settlement (7th-8th century AD) and the pottery finds from the associated cemetery focuses on three main areas: Avar settlement features and settlement structures in the Carpathian Basin, pottery production and use in the Avar period, and Avar traditions in the Zillingtal regarding the burial of pottery vessels.
Among the settlement finds, the early medieval reuse of the Roman ruins is of particular interest. The analysis of the find material focuses on the pottery finds, together with the pottery vessels from the Avar cemetery. Archaeological and archaeometric analyses as well as methods of experimental archaeology are used. The chronology of the pottery and the anthropological data of the burials form the basis for the analysis of Avar traditions in the burial of pottery.

Part 2 here.

The study of the early medieval settlement (7th-8th century AD) and the pottery finds from the associated cemetery focuses on three main areas: Avar settlement features and settlement structures in the Carpathian Basin, pottery production and use in the Avar period, and Avar traditions in the Zillingtal regarding the burial of pottery vessels.
Among the settlement finds, the early medieval reuse of the Roman ruins is of particular interest. The analysis of the find material focuses on the pottery finds, together with the pottery vessels from the Avar cemetery. Archaeological and archaeometric analyses as well as methods of experimental archaeology are used. The chronology of the pottery and the anthropological data of the burials form the basis for the analysis of Avar traditions in the burial of pottery.

Part 1 here.

Just like a tree with many branches, Classical Archaeology can only thrive in the face of this century’s challenges if all of its branches are taken care of as equals. This volume is a collection of contributions by young classical archaeologists who are spread across Europe, but united by their common mentor Caterina Maderna. They present current research and projects related to some of the most pressing themes of classics today, such as the role of museums and social media, new looks at ancient sculpture and coinage, to the application of state-of-the-art methods in excavation and analysis.

Greco-Roman antiquity has strongly influenced Western cultures - also with regard to images of women and men. Who doesn't know the legends of gods seducing beautiful nymphs? The enthusiasm of Apollo for his Daphne or the despair of the abandoned Dido can also be found in films or songs today: can't live, if living is without you!
But are the texts of Homer, Ovid & Co. still contemporary - indeed, are they still socially acceptable at all? Is Apollo actually a rapist, Dido the victim of 'toxic masculinity'? Katharina Wesselmann re-reads classical ancient texts and finds surprising parallels to our present day.

The " Katalog der Punzenmotive in der arretinischen Reliefkeramik " (RGZM Kataloge Vor- und Frühgeschichtlicher Altertümer 38, 1-2 [2004]) is now followed by these two volumes on the workshops that produced relief pottery in Arezzo and the surrounding area from about 30 BC onwards.
The first volume analyses a total of 22 workshops, supplemented by a chapter on the potter Anteros, of whom we do not yet know for which manufactory he worked. The workshops have been completely reworked and their repertoire described in greater detail. There are also many hitherto unknown hallmark motifs, as well as new attributions that have been necessary in comparison with previous research, which, despite the scarcity of material from the Arezzo Museum, gives us a much clearer and more precise picture of the genre, and the repertoire of the individual workshops becomes richer.
The second volume contains a graphic representation of the name stamps and profiles known to date for each workshop, as well as the most important border motifs and the most common vegetal ornaments, which play such a decisive role in correct and reliable attribution. For a better understanding of the series of figures described in the first volume, the major cycles are also illustrated by means of numerous pictorial combinations and hitherto unique combinations of figurative and ornamental motifs.

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The " Katalog der Punzenmotive in der arretinischen Reliefkeramik " (RGZM Kataloge Vor- und Frühgeschichtlicher Altertümer 38, 1-2 [2004]) is now followed by these two volumes on the workshops that produced relief pottery in Arezzo and the surrounding area from about 30 BC onwards.
The first volume analyses a total of 22 workshops, supplemented by a chapter on the potter Anteros, of whom we do not yet know for which manufactory he worked. The workshops have been completely reworked and their repertoire described in greater detail. There are also many hitherto unknown hallmark motifs, as well as new attributions that have been necessary in comparison with previous research, which, despite the scarcity of material from the Arezzo Museum, gives us a much clearer and more precise picture of the genre, and the repertoire of the individual workshops becomes richer.
The second volume contains a graphic representation of the name stamps and profiles known to date for each workshop, as well as the most important border motifs and the most common vegetal ornaments, which play such a decisive role in correct and reliable attribution. For a better understanding of the series of figures described in the first volume, the major cycles are also illustrated by means of numerous pictorial combinations and hitherto unique combinations of figurative and ornamental motifs.

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Society and the environment are complex systems that were also subject to constant change in the early and high Middle Ages. However, this process of change shows specific dynamics in different temporal phases and regions. This study analyses the structural development of three small southern German regions in Middle Franconia, Lower Franconia and Swabia between the 6th and 13th centuries on different levels. On the basis of archaeological sources, written evidence and geo-archives, individual peculiarities and supra-regional commonalities are worked out through a systematic diachronic comparison. Special attention is paid to the changes around the year 1000 and the Hungarian invasions as a possible triggering factor. Especially around the turn of the millennium, however, the three micro-studies reveal a particularly pronounced individuality. Economic processes, ecological crises and political-property and social upheavals are discussed as the causes of these region-specific special paths.

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Society and environment are complex systems in constant change. This study analyses the structural development of three small southern German regions between the 6th and 13th centuries. Based on archaeological, written and geoscientific sources, individual characteristics and supra-regional commonalities are worked out by a systematic diachronic comparison. Special attention is paid to the changes around the year 1000, a period in which the three micro-studies show a particularly pronounced individuality. Economic, ecological, social and political processes are discussed as causes of these region-specific special paths.

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On the Rhine, north of the Moselle, Caesar's troops found a fertile basin with farmsteads and a flourishing millstone trade. The Germanic occupation and the urbanisation policy of Emperor Augustus meant, among other things, the beginning of stone building in Germany. In particular, the tuff deposits around the Laacher See volcano became the focus of Roman builders. An ancient industrial landscape had already developed here in early Roman times, and the conditions for its development were particularly favourable - high-quality volcanic rock and the Rhine port of Andernach only 5 km away.
This book deals with more than 200 Roman settlement sites and the development of society in this part of Upper Germania over a period of some 450 years. The introduction of the tuff industry and the stationing of Roman troops quickly gave rise to a prosperous, provincial Roman mixed culture. Even after serious destruction in the 3rd century, a prosperous society developed again in the advanced 4th century until the first half of the 5th century, with increasing immigration of Germanic tribes. Outstanding finds already known, such as the Nickenich niche tomb or the Kruft column, are analysed in their overall context. Archaeological finds from the 1st to the 5th centuries, mainly from graves of the early imperial period and the first half of the 2nd century, are newly presented. More than 20 water pipes, mostly of qanat construction, as well as a presumed civil miners' settlement shed light on the characteristics of rural settlement in the area of the Roman tuff mines.

The excavation and renovation of the castle ruins of “Altburg”, the ancestral seat of the Barons of Regensberg near Zurich, were carried out on behalf of the Department of Public Works of Canton Zurich in close cooperation with the Swiss National Museum. The project provided a unique opportunity to study and document an early castle complex of great historical importance. The castle itself is located on a morainic hill, which was fortified by the Barons of Regensberg at the end of the 11^th century. The fortifications were extended around 1200 under the Barons of Regensberg and during the 14^th century under the lords of Landenberg. In 1460 the complex was modernised by Rudolf Mötteli, but this was met with opposition from the city of Zurich, which ultimately took it over and let it fall into ruin.
The publication links the history of owners with the history of construction, paying most attention to the Barons of Regensberg, followed by a detailed presentation of the excavated features. The four main phases from the high to the late Middle Ages are presented separately, with an illustrated catalogue containing several hundred objects, divided into different categories, which include stove tiles, pots and other ceramic vessels, iron, coins, non-ferrous metal as well as bone.

The catalogue provides a comprehensive overview of the hallmark motifs of the relief pottery produced in Arezzo and the surrounding area from around 30 BCE.

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The catalogue provides a comprehensive overview of the hallmark motifs of the relief pottery produced in Arezzo and the surrounding area from around 30 BCE.

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The Römisch-Germanisches Zentralmuseum has one of the world's largest collections of Byzantine belt buckles, most of which come from the centre of the Byzantine Empire. Even as individual pieces without a find context, they provide important insights into the form and decoration of this piece of clothing, which was mainly worn by men - especially soldiers - on their waistbands. As insignia, they still allow us to infer the rank or social status of their wearer and to guess at their spiritual imagination.
Part 1 of the catalogue, first published in 2002 and slightly corrected in this new edition, presents 224 typical belt buckles from the 5th to 7th centuries in their variety of forms and former distribution. In addition, the chronological table at the end of the volume makes it easier to quickly identify and date new finds. The reader will also find a guide to distinguishing typical Byzantine belt buckles from contemporary variants made in workshops in the Empire's neighbouring countries.
The second edition is a revised and updated version, with 33 new pieces.

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The "Mainz Workshop" is the name given to a group of 114 casting moulds or fragments for the production of Hellenistic bowls with reliefs, which came into various collections at the end of the 1960s/beginning of the 1970s. The largest part, 76 pieces, is in the collection of the Römisch-Germanisches Zentralmuseum and is presented here. The vessels were probably produced at the end of the 2nd/beginning of the 1st century BC in Western Asia Minor.