Propylaeum

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 1 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 2 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 "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.

The Römisch-Germanisches Zentralmuseum in Mainz currently owns 363 Byzantine belt buckles and fittings dating from the 7th to the early 11th century. Most of them come from the centre of the Byzantine Empire, where there are few cemeteries with grave goods and therefore few finds. These buckles therefore fill a major gap in our knowledge of this type of clothing accessory, even though they are all single pieces without any context.

Part 2 of the catalogue also shows the characteristics, dates and distribution areas of the various buckle types, and a chronological table makes it easier for the reader to date new finds. The analysis considers issues such as the history of craftsmanship, trade and costume, as well as the search for former owners. These were mainly men who used buckles not only to fasten their waist belts but also as a sign of rank, recognisable by the metal and decoration. For the first time, there is also evidence that women began to wear belt buckles in a gender-specific manner in the 9th century at the latest.
In a separate article, the conservator M. Fecht describes the results of her research into the manufacturing technique and the - mostly lost - colouring of Byzantine belt buckles from the 8th century.
As a supplement to Part 1, a catalogue of 33 subsequently acquired finds has also been included in this volume.

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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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Animal bones in Avar cemeteries are often interpreted as food offerings for the dead or, more generally, as "sacrifices". But why did the Avars choose certain animals and animal parts to place in the graves of their dead?
Henriette Baron presents the animal bone finds from the Avar cemetery at Csokorgasse in Vienna, analyses burial practices and provides a detailed overview of Avar animal remains from the 7th and 8th centuries - with the aim of gaining new insights into what people actually saw in the animals. It becomes clear that the interpretation as food offerings sometimes falls short; the selected animals and animal parts had deeper meanings. There is also evidence of a change in the practice of offering animals over several generations, which may be linked to fundamental social changes.
On closer inspection, animals are "like a book and a painting" - "quasi liber et pictura" - a mirror of our being, as Alain de Lille wrote in the 12th century.

The village of Vergina stands on the ancient necropolis of Aigai, the first capital of the Macedonian Empire. With over 300 burial mounds still visible in the terrain, it dates from the early Iron Age (around 1000 BC) to the Hellenistic period (2nd century BC).
This volume presents for the first time the features and finds of the rescue excavations under the direction of Ph. Petsas in the course of road construction in 1960-1961. Together with the results of the systematic excavations by M. Andronikos, representative material is available to investigate the chronology, chorology and organisation of the necropolis and to enable statements to be made about Macedonian society in the early Iron Age.

In the course of a research project on processes concerning the emergence and abandonment of medieval settlements in the Vorderer Vogelsberg, excavations were carried out from 2004 to 2006 on the church remains of the village of Baumkirchen near Laubach-Freienseen (district of Gießen) in Hesse, which has been deserted in the Late Middle Ages. This study deals with finds and features from the single-nave stone church and the surrounding area. According to the associated finds, the walls of the churchyard encompassed also secular buildings. Village and church were probably abandoned in the same period.

The ICON book is a revelation of the lives of the Aegean peoples drawn from the hands of their own artists. ICON presents the images that are carved or chased on Aegean seals and signets and interprets their meaning in the absence of accompanying deciphered texts. Throughout their long floruit, the seals give the most extensive illustrations of life as it was lived and imagined in Minoan Crete and Mycenaean Greece in the Bronze Age.
ICON, with its 1800 illustrations, is the first comprehensive iconographic analysis of the Aegean seal images. ICON describes and interprets the images through a dedicated vocabulary which recognizes their artistic innovations and celebrates the detail of their sophisticated, nuanced and polyvalent iconography. 

The Nördlinger Ries was already densely populated at the beginning of the Neolithic period (c. 5400 cal BC), with 16 documented archaeological sites. In addition, the Enkingen site is one of the oldest Linear Pottery sites outside its area of origin in Transdanubia. In this book, the sites discovered by Franz Krippner, a passionate amateur archaeologist, are presented in detail, their finds scientifically analysed, the social and economic networks examined and a settlement model drawn up. The transition to the subsequent Flomborn stage is then analysed before the book concludes with an outlook on the settlement of Central Europe at the beginning of the Neolithic period.

Additional data: https://doi.org/10.11588/data/FD7DTS

The Roman army had a complex system of signalling that used acoustic and visual aids - wind instruments and field signs - to communicate orders quickly. The standards used for this purpose, the signa militaria, were not only objects of daily use, but also important symbols of Roman military power and important symbols of identification for the soldiers united under them. The loss of such an emblem was considered a great shame not only by the soldiers but by all Romans.
In this volume, the standards of the Roman army are intensively analysed on the basis of an extensive and richly illustrated collection of material, including numerous ancient depictions, inscriptions and fragments of original field insignia. The focus is on their appearance, use and religious status. In addition, the depictions of standards in Roman art will be examined for their attention to detail and their semantic meaning. The result is a multi-layered picture of Roman field insignia, which were more than simple aids to orientation on the battlefield, and not only in the eyes of the soldiers.

The Antikensammlung of the Staatlichen Museen zu Berlin suffered great losses as a result of the Second World War. This volume lists the losses of objects made of glass, faience, silver, amber and gagat as well as organic materials. It also contains supplements to the gold objects, gems and bone work already listed in Volume V.1. All available basic information and images of the objects are published to enable identification where necessary. In particular, the highly famous glass collection, of which more than 50% is missing today, is thus made visible again.

This catalogue presents the RGZM's collection of Roman gold jewellery. A general introduction describes the development of Roman jewellery from the 1st to the early 3rd century A.D. Production techniques and the social position of goldsmiths are discussed. Finally, the catalogue presents the objects in the collection, divided into the following groups: neck jewellery, arm jewellery, jewellery of uncertain provenance and fragments, earrings and ear pendants, finger rings and modern jewellery with ancient gems.