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The cult of the nymphs in the province of Thracia is a subject that has barely been studied and is unpopular as a whole. It is probably due to this circumstance that there are omissions in the discovery and identification of nymphaeums from Roman times. It was precisely in this period that the tradition of building this type of sanctuary by mineral springs was introduced, along with the so-called thermae spas. To date, four such sanctuaries have been identified on the basis of votive materials: Aquae Calidae, Stara Zagora mineral baths, Diocletianopolis and Pancharevo. Another two nymphaeums of the so-called rural type were uncovered on the territory of Thracia - one near Ognyanovo and the private sanctuary by Kasnakovo. A logically founded and clearly supported with arguments hypothesis about the location of the nymphaeum in the thermal complex of Diocletianopolis has been developed by means of comparative analysis of the finds from the former, the architecture of the latter and the clarification of the essence of the cult.
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Several early Christian basilicas have been discovered in the region of Karlovo up to now: down the route to the Roman road Oescus-Philipopol at the Roman station Soubradice and the ancient settlement nearby the village of Hristo Danovo, on the lands of the ancient settlement nearby the village of Hristo Danovo, on the lands of the village of Voynyagovo, in the monastery complex of the Medieval stronghold Kopsis nearby the village Anevo. Another Christian church is located down the route of the Balkan Roman road from Serdica to the Black Sea on the lands of the village Iganovo nearby the late ancient settlement. On the lands of the village of Vasil Levski in a late ancient settlement an early Christian basilica - the only one in the region with baptistery and synthronon - has been studied. Religious building found had played a great role for Christianization of the local population, whereas it is suggested to be the Yoanica episcopate during VII-IX century
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The present preliminary report concerns two churches (Nos 1 and 2) dating from the Middle Ages and located in the Hissarya locality by Dragoinovo village in the region of Purvomai. They are single-naved, single-apse churches with narthexes and entrances from the west. Church № 1 is part of a larger complex including another two Christian churches dated from the second half of the 10-th or the 11-th century, while church № 2 is dated from the 12-th - 13-th century.
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Medieval ceramics from Paterna and Manises were highly prized and very widely traded in the Mediterranean and Atlantic Europe during the Middle Ages. Although a decline in their presence can be observed in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries due to the boom in Italian majolica, they continued to be distributed, despite the fact that they now represented old-fashioned styles and tastes. The eighteenth century saw the beginnings of a certain commercial recovery, thanks to tiles from the factories in the city of Valencia. The Royal Factory at Alcora (Castellón), in the north of the Valencian region, played an important part in this revival of taste, and its products came to be widely distributed throughout the Spanish-speaking world. This study presents a general overview of the commercial distribution of Valencian ceramics between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries based on archaeological and historical evidence.
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This study consists of initial observations made upon Byzantine, Seljuk, Begliks and Ottoman pottery finds from the Aphrodisias excavations since 2013. Chronology of the pottery finds uncovered in the North Avenue, South Agora, Hadrianic Baths, Theatre and Temple of Aphrodite will be presented briefly. To resolve the contexts in which the potteries belong to, the emphasis is on the history of the city and political events that could have potentially caused considerable changes to the economy. By establishing analogies and considering the chronology of the city, an attempt is made herein to put the pottery finds into their possible contexts.Through the end of the 9th century in Aphrodisias, a sudden rise in the quantity of Byzantine potteries is observed. The city was in commercially connected to Constantinople and centers such as the Adriatic Coasts or Corinth. Pieces of Fine Sgrafitto Ware, Green and Brown Painted Ware and Slip Painted Ware produced from the middle of the 12th century and the beginning of the 13th century have been found in many areas of the city. Very few pottery finds belonging to the Seljuk period have been uncovered. In Aphrodisias, glazed pottery production probably started during the Byzantine or Begliks period.There was a period of growth in Aphrodisias from the first quarter of 15th century to the mid 16th century. In excavated areas, a large number of pottery finds have been found. With the change of commercial routes in the 17th century, the city was increasingly reduced into a rural settlement and has subsisted to the present day.
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Whereas historical, political and cultural studies reach the postmedieval period in Lebanon, interests for archaeological artifacts remains neglected.The archaeological excavations undertaken in 1996 and 1997 in Beirut, sites Bey 070, Bey 071 and Bey 111, led to the discovery of tableware ceramics (in the surface layers) dated to the 16th —19th centuries.In this paper, we examine tableware ceramics of various origins: Didymoteicho and Çanakkale (Thrace), Kütahya and Iznik (Analolia), Pisa and Montelupo (Tuscany), Albisola in Liguria, Varages in Provence, European porcelain, as well as local and/or regional ceramics.
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The article offers an analysis of main stages in development of glazed ceramics of Uzbekistan: Samanid, Karakhanid and Timurid periods, the period of the late medieval Uzbek Khanates and the modern period. The author characterizes local ceramic schools and centers and reveals traditional elements in development of pottery. She discusses reasons behind the spread of glazed ceramics during the first centuries of Islam. Its further specific development is explained within the context of social-historical development of the region.The ceramic industry of Uzbekistan is shown as a vibrant and dynamic process, which has maintained sustainable archetypical features through time. These include: conventional pattern, contrast colors, basic repertory of decoration: floral motifs, stylized images of animals and birds, simplistic geometric ornamentation.
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The article deals with the most popular among the warriors offensive melee facilities weapons, especially swords, medieval sabres, falchions and their components found in the northern part of the Dniester-Prut interfluvial area.The territory of the Northern Bukovina knows 11 swords. The above analysis of blade weapons made it possible to distinguish among them some types of XIIa, XVIа, XVII, and XX according to E. Okshott, dating to 14th—16th centuries. The proposed typology is not exhaustive and definitive, and perhaps further research and new finds will be able to clarify it more.The fragments of the sabre, as well as the saber guards, were found on the studied area. The latter refers to types I, II according to A. Kirpichnikov. The guards are dated by the analogies of the 11th—13th centuries. Among the weapons found in the investigated territory, there are also known two falchions, of cross-guard shape and pommel shape. The falchions are type 1 and 2 according to A. Nadolsky. They are dated by the middle of the 15th — the beginning of the 16th centuries.Thus, it is obvious that the local population from the investigated territory was quite sufficiently armed. Evolution of these weapons was mainstreamed with the general development of the military art in Europe. The territory of the Northern Bukovina in the 12th—16th century was involved into the pan-European political events. And the finds of the advanced weapons of that time serves as evidences to the fact.
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The solution of the problem of localization of the Khadzhibey castle on the territory of modern Odessa became possible due to the first geo-radar exploration in the area of its most probable existence. The work revealed at a depth of more than 2 m an anomaly that coincides in size and contours with the plans of the stone castle in Khadzhibey, known by cartographic materials of the 1780s. The castle was located opposite the modern houses no. 4—5 on Primorsky Boulevard. The depth of occurrence corresponds to the horizon of the surface of the Khadzhibey period, revealed by the expedition of A. O. Dobrolyubsky during excavations near the Vorontsov Palace in 1997.The castle existed at this place (almost unchanged) in the period from the 1420s to the 1790s. It was built in connection with the defensive initiatives of Witold or T. Buczacki. In 1593, the Turks attempted to reconstruct the castle. In 1765, the structure was slightly modernized — a coastal artillery battery was added from the north-east, coastal side. In 1789, it was incapacitated by blasting two mines. After 1794, it was disassembled to harvest building materials.
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The article is devoted to revealing regularities of formation of the Russian-nomadic frontier in the Middle Don region based on the analysis of the geographical location of the archaeological sites of the 9th—17th cc. The sites of Slavic Borshevskaya culture (the end of the I Millennium AD) are located in the lower reaches of the Voronezh river and on the right Bank of the Middle Don (Central Russian upland). The sites of the Saltov culture are located on the right bank of the Middle Don, to the North of the Tikhaya Sosna river. The left bank of the Middle Don (the Oka-Don plain, Kalacska hill) was not an area of active colonization by the bearers of the Borshevskaya and Saltov cultures.In 12th — first half 13th centurie, the Russian population is documented in the lower reaches of the Voronezh river, Semiluki area reaches of the Don. Polovtsian nomads used to camp on the right bank of the Middle Don and do not spread beyond the South of the Tikhaya Sosna river and on the left bank of the Middle Don to the Bityug river.In the Golden Horde period, the Russian population colonized the left bank of the Middle Don. There is archaeological evidence of the coexistence of different ethnic groups. Nomadic sites do not extend to the North of the Tikhaya Sosna river, on the right bank of the Don river, and the mouth of the Voronezh river, on the left bank.Belgorod defensive line reproduces the line formed by the fortified settlements of Slavic Borshevskaya cultures on the rivers Don and Voronezh, and fortified settlements of the Saltov-Mayaki culture on the Tikhaya Sosna river. The left bank of the Middle Don in the 17th century, just like in the time before that, was still the region of the original colonization by the Russian population.
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The author publishes some new recently obtained and analyzed data related to historical topography of a Golden Horde city of Ukek. He specifically examines history of field research on the Uvek Hillfort, which dates back to 90s of 19 th c. His special focus in examining natural and geographic factors is on peculiar local topography affected by some landslides, as well as on a high hill with a flat top (the Uvek Mount), which gave the name to the city — Ukek, from a Mongolian word meaning ‘plateau’. Changes in landscape caused by either natural or anthropogenic factors are also assessed. New data on fortifications and hydraulic structures of the hillfort, a rich estate, a hammam, kilns and a mausoleum are also published and discussed in the article.
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This article represents the first full publication of the materials from restoration works (1984—1985) at one of the famous cult Muslim buildings of Medieval Crimea. An inscription above its door way states that the construction was made by Abdul-Asis, son of Ibrahim al-Arbeli, during the reign of khan Uzbek in 714 anno Hegirae (= 1314 AD). The field survey of the monument allowed the author to specify its chronology and architectonics, as well as to get an idea about some of its completely or partly lost architectural and construction details. Three building periods were distinguished: second half of 15th century, 1512—1513 and late 19th — early 20th century. The research has shown, that the mosque, despite of some Ottoman elements, was still influenced by Seljuk building traditions, involving reuse of some architectural and construction details from some earlier Golden Horde buildings, including the previous mosque of Uzbek from 1314, whose location is still unknown. The architectonics of the building clearly illustrates the beginning of a new stage in Muslim cult construction of Medieval Crimea and makes the so called Uzbek mosque a unique building of the transitional period between two architectural styles.
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The paper focuses on analysis and comparison of two types of sources (selected late antique and medieval narrative sources as well as late medieval charters on purchase, sale, exchange, pawning, donation and perambulation of estates) referring to forests in the region between the Sava and Drava rivers. The aim is to detect and present which types of data on forests can be found in late antique and medieval narrative sources (of western/Latin and eastern/Greek provenance) and in late medieval documents, particularly in perambulation records. Through the analysis of narrative sources, the paper also endeavours to detect how much and what the writers knew about the forests, whether their knowledge was based on their personal experience, on acquired information or on the knowledge of literature; consequently what they have to say could simply be construed as a direct transfer of identical data and formulations from earlier literature references. Late medieval documents should for instance show the importance of the forests and trees in the determination of boundaries, which sorts of trees could be found in forests of the region between the Sava and Drava rivers, as well as what forests meant to the population of that time. The analyzed narrative sources offer too few information that is directly related to forests in the region between the Sava and Drava rivers. The exception is Claudian who makes the only explicit mention of forests in the region, and apparently in its eastern part, the former Roman province of Second Pannonia (Pannonia Secunda). However, given the panegyric character of his poem, his description has primarily symbolic power and is also quite general. On the contrary, Sextus Aurelius Victor was for a while governor of the Second Pannonia, and his remark about immense forests of Pannonias carries a greater weight as an eyewitness account.
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On the slightly risen and very easily defended northern edge of the hill on which present day city of Udbina is situated, there is the locality named Gradina (▲ 849). This locality is situated on the very top of the rocky uplift under which the Krbava field is divided in two parts. Eastern part leads to Visuć and Kozja Draga, while the second part leads to south towards Kurjak and Komić. Therefore, the Gradina is situated on the location of the excellent control of those parts of Krbava field. This location was inhabited from the prehistoric period, which was confirmed by the results of the archeological excavations on the northern part of the defense wall, and the excavated items are dated in the Iron Age, that is in the period between the 8th and the 5th century BC. This position was also used in the Roman period what can be confirmed by the founding of two cententionals from the 3rd century. The life on this position was continued in the middle of the 14th century, if not even in the end of the 13th century, what still has to be proven by the excavation of the so far intact layer of the first phases of the building of the stronghold of the counts Kurjakovići. The excavations conducted after 2008 were focused on the upper area of the hill (preliminary named “upper city”) with the circular tower of the diameter of 7m (external diameter of 11m). Bellow of this round tower on its western and northern external side the foundation of even older circular tower was found. This older tower was connected with the inner room with smooth daub flooring. The dimensions of the both towers are almost identical, although the older one is slightly smaller. On the northern part of the older tower the remains of the stairs which had lad to tower were found. Furthermore, several excavation probes were open on the northern slope just beside to the remains of the entrance of the outer wall. Near to the inner part of the wall the remains of the burned beams and huge iron axle pins were found. These founding indicate the possibility of the existence of the wooden console and/or the room for guards. Besides the western part of the entrance of the outer wall the carved remains of fi re place were found also. Furthermore, in order to alleviate the hill slope, the shallow staircase was made of compact boulder. The excavated moveable material is very various and it ranges from numerous construction tools as well as axle pins and staples, to the various weapons and military equipment (rifle barrels, lead bullets, stone cannon bullets, spurs…). Finally, the various ceramic, glass and bronze dishes were also founds, and these artefacts are evidence of the civil life in Udbina castle in the period between the 15th and the 17th century.
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Elongated and relatively strait the Humščak hill is the integral part of the relief of the south-western part of the Varaždin County that is the integral part of the micro-region northern of Breznički Hum. The landscape of this region is mostly composed of the hills and lower mountains with the average altitude between 150 and 300 meters. Although covered by the forest, the Humščak hill is dominant hill in the landscape and it straits from the east to west with the highest peak at 370 meters. This is an excellent strategical position with great control of the neighbouring areas and with plenitude of water resorts – all of this pinpointed the Humščak hill as a possible archaeological site. First artefacts were recovered from the surface layers in 2001, but the first archaeological probes were done in 2010, while full scale archaeological excavations started two years later. It was the footnote no. 406 in the Milan Kruhek’s book “Krajiške utvrde i obrana Hrvatskog kraljevstva tijekom 16. stoljeća”, in which the čardak on the Hum hill was mentioned, that brought the attention of the archaeologist, who conducted field surveying, archaeological probing, topographic and toponomastic analysis in order to define the possible position of the čardak on the Hum hill mentioned in the historical documents. During the two archaeological campaigns on the presumable location of the čardak, the remains of the architectural sets as well as numerous movable artefacts were found. In spite of the fact that excavated architectural remains are only fragmental, the author argues that these remains confirm that on that position the wooden object had existed. The excavated architectural remains were remains of the stone wall, the stone covered passage, the flooring made of daub as well as two holes in the ground used for the settling of the perpendicular wooden pillar. Among the movable artefacts, which are still not processed, there are numerous iron nails, the examples of the simple ceramics, the vast quantity of the plate stove tiles with square openings, as well as many other different types of stove tiles from the upper coronal of the stove. Furthermore, the various metal artefacts were also excavated such as lead bullets, horse equipment (ring for attaching the saddle), and horseshoe, hunting arrow, buckle and bronze fibula. Finally, the luxurious artefacts are rare, but two biconical glass bottles, as well as glazed decorated glasses and a piece of faience. The spectra of the artefacts very well fits in the everyday life of the 16th century guards that served on the Humščak hill during the 16th century.
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The upper town of the Knin castle is chronologically third complex on the St. Savior hill overlying of the modern city of Knin, as well as the core of the present day stronghold placed on the whole western part of the St. Savior hill. The oldest part of this stronghold were constructed no later than 950 and therefore the upper town of the Knin castle is one of the oldest medieval strongholds in Croatia. The upper town of Knin is developed mountain longitudinal noble castle which was thoroughly modified during the baroque period just to become artillery stronghold. It is place on the very northern edge of the Knin castle on the very long and strait ridge with the steep flanks, which is additionally separated from the rest of the hill by the broadside dike. The complex of the castellan’s residence is divided in two courts by the inner door. The southern court is smaller and lower, while the northern court is bigger and placed in the central part of the stronghold. In both of these courts there are several buildings of which the biggest are military barrack and the castellan’s house placed in the bigger court. Among the other existing buildings there are the remains of the old warehouse, than two large cisterns, powder warehouse, dungeons and the complex of the restrooms. The upper town of the Knin castle was defended by four rectangle and one circular semi-turret, but today only eastern and the upper town of the Knin castle semi-turret still exist. After the Venetian capture of Knin, during the period between 1688 and 1711, the former medieval and Ottoman upper town was transformed in baroque stronghold and incorporated in the complex of the Knin castle. During these construction work in the beginning of 18th century on the site of the southern turret the new fi ve-square cannon platform was built, while on the site of the north-eastern turret the new large prison house (Kalunerica) was constructed. Finally, the south-western turret was demolished in the period. In spite of the fact that the later baroque reconstruction had somewhat changed the original medieval upper town of the Knin castle, it remains one of the best preserved medieval defensive complex in Croatia.
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