André Lemaire
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- May 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780197265895
- eISBN:
- 9780191772023
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197265895.003.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, History of Christianity
Our knowledge of Phoenicia during the Achaemenid period has made important progresses during the last thirty-five years thanks to new epigraphic discoveries and researches: the succession of several ...
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Our knowledge of Phoenicia during the Achaemenid period has made important progresses during the last thirty-five years thanks to new epigraphic discoveries and researches: the succession of several kings has been précised as well as the chronology of their reigns and the extent of their kingdoms. Although all of them used the Phoenician language and writing in their administration, each kingdom kept its originality within the huge Achaemenid empire with various orientations of their political, economic and religious spheres. Their political, economic and cultural influence was very strong on Persian period Cisjordan, especially in Galilee, the Sharon plain and Ashkalon.Less
Our knowledge of Phoenicia during the Achaemenid period has made important progresses during the last thirty-five years thanks to new epigraphic discoveries and researches: the succession of several kings has been précised as well as the chronology of their reigns and the extent of their kingdoms. Although all of them used the Phoenician language and writing in their administration, each kingdom kept its originality within the huge Achaemenid empire with various orientations of their political, economic and religious spheres. Their political, economic and cultural influence was very strong on Persian period Cisjordan, especially in Galilee, the Sharon plain and Ashkalon.
Joe Cribb and Georgina Herrmann (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780197263846
- eISBN:
- 9780191734113
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197263846.001.0001
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Asian and Middle Eastern History: BCE to 500CE
This is a study of the history, archaeology, and numismatics of Central Asia, an area of great significance for our understanding of the ancient and early medieval world. This vast, land-locked ...
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This is a study of the history, archaeology, and numismatics of Central Asia, an area of great significance for our understanding of the ancient and early medieval world. This vast, land-locked region, with its extreme continental climate, was a centre of civilization with great metropolises. Its cosmopolitan population followed different religions (Zoroastrianism, Christianity, Buddhism), and traded extensively with China, India, the Middle East, and Europe. The millennium from the overthrow of the first world empire of Achaemenian Persians by Alexander the Great to the arrival of the Arabs and Islam was a period of considerable change and conflict. The book focuses on investigations in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, providing a complex analysis of the symbiosis between the city life based on oases, and the nomadic peoples grazing their animals in the surrounding semi-deserts. Other topics include the influence of the Greek colonists on military architecture, and the major impact of the Great Kushans on the spread of Buddhism and on the development of the Central Asian metropolis. Although written documents rarely survive, coinage has provided essential evidence for the political and cultural history of the region.Less
This is a study of the history, archaeology, and numismatics of Central Asia, an area of great significance for our understanding of the ancient and early medieval world. This vast, land-locked region, with its extreme continental climate, was a centre of civilization with great metropolises. Its cosmopolitan population followed different religions (Zoroastrianism, Christianity, Buddhism), and traded extensively with China, India, the Middle East, and Europe. The millennium from the overthrow of the first world empire of Achaemenian Persians by Alexander the Great to the arrival of the Arabs and Islam was a period of considerable change and conflict. The book focuses on investigations in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, providing a complex analysis of the symbiosis between the city life based on oases, and the nomadic peoples grazing their animals in the surrounding semi-deserts. Other topics include the influence of the Greek colonists on military architecture, and the major impact of the Great Kushans on the spread of Buddhism and on the development of the Central Asian metropolis. Although written documents rarely survive, coinage has provided essential evidence for the political and cultural history of the region.
Christopher J. Howgego
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780197262962
- eISBN:
- 9780191734533
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197262962.003.0012
- Subject:
- Archaeology, Methodology and Techniques
The systematic study of coinage at the level of individually engraved die revolutionized numismatics; however the laborious nature of such work has severely limited its application. Die studies are ...
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The systematic study of coinage at the level of individually engraved die revolutionized numismatics; however the laborious nature of such work has severely limited its application. Die studies are important for attribution and chronology as well as for quantification. Exhaustive study on coinage reveals great evidences particularly in economic history. This chapter discusses the potential posed by image analysis and photography on the field of numismatics. It discusses the principal technique challenges, with a view to stimulating discussion as to the best way forward.Less
The systematic study of coinage at the level of individually engraved die revolutionized numismatics; however the laborious nature of such work has severely limited its application. Die studies are important for attribution and chronology as well as for quantification. Exhaustive study on coinage reveals great evidences particularly in economic history. This chapter discusses the potential posed by image analysis and photography on the field of numismatics. It discusses the principal technique challenges, with a view to stimulating discussion as to the best way forward.
NATASHA SMIRNOVA
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780197263846
- eISBN:
- 9780191734113
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197263846.003.0018
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Asian and Middle Eastern History: BCE to 500CE
This chapter aims to address questions concerning the numismatics of pre-Islamic Merv. Most of the coins from ancient Merv were excavated by the South Turkmenistan Archaeological Multi-disciplinary ...
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This chapter aims to address questions concerning the numismatics of pre-Islamic Merv. Most of the coins from ancient Merv were excavated by the South Turkmenistan Archaeological Multi-disciplinary Expedition (YuTAKE) between 1992 and 2000, but there is not a single reliable coin of the fourth century BC. The Sasanian coinage of the fourth and fifth centuries AD is well represented by coin finds from the city sites of Merv, but there are no registered coins of Ardashir II.Less
This chapter aims to address questions concerning the numismatics of pre-Islamic Merv. Most of the coins from ancient Merv were excavated by the South Turkmenistan Archaeological Multi-disciplinary Expedition (YuTAKE) between 1992 and 2000, but there is not a single reliable coin of the fourth century BC. The Sasanian coinage of the fourth and fifth centuries AD is well represented by coin finds from the city sites of Merv, but there are no registered coins of Ardashir II.
Anna J. Clark
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- January 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780199226825
- eISBN:
- 9780191710278
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199226825.003.0004
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, European History: BCE to 500CE
This chapter focuses on the late second and early first centuries bc and considers the temple foundations and refoundations that are attested for this period, including the competition of Marius with ...
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This chapter focuses on the late second and early first centuries bc and considers the temple foundations and refoundations that are attested for this period, including the competition of Marius with Catulus and with Sulla. Many of these cluster around the Forum and Capitol. The most important hill in Rome was reshaped in terms of divine qualities, creating and recharging both cognitive and physical spaces. The chapter also explores the flowering of numismatic imagery in the same years, from the 130s bc. This opening up of the coin-field as a resource was itself presided over by moneta, and other divine qualities, represented as female figure, head, or attribute with accompanying legend, began to form a fruitful means of framing and expressing a variety of numismatic messages.Less
This chapter focuses on the late second and early first centuries bc and considers the temple foundations and refoundations that are attested for this period, including the competition of Marius with Catulus and with Sulla. Many of these cluster around the Forum and Capitol. The most important hill in Rome was reshaped in terms of divine qualities, creating and recharging both cognitive and physical spaces. The chapter also explores the flowering of numismatic imagery in the same years, from the 130s bc. This opening up of the coin-field as a resource was itself presided over by moneta, and other divine qualities, represented as female figure, head, or attribute with accompanying legend, began to form a fruitful means of framing and expressing a variety of numismatic messages.
Catherine Homes
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199279685
- eISBN:
- 9780191707353
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199279685.003.0002
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Asian and Middle Eastern History: BCE to 500CE
This chapter begins with a summary of existing scholarship about Basil II. It argues that most interpretations reflect modern historians' reliance on the testimony of the mid 11th-century historian ...
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This chapter begins with a summary of existing scholarship about Basil II. It argues that most interpretations reflect modern historians' reliance on the testimony of the mid 11th-century historian Michael Psellos. It demonstrates the importance of other sources for this period, including the historians John Skylitzes, Yahya ibn Sa'id, and Stephen of Taro. The significance of extant letters, military manuals, and poetry is outlined, as well as evidence provided by the sigillographical, numismatic, and archaeological records. The chapter also illustrates the unevenness of the supply of relevant source materials for the different decades of a long reign, and for the different regions of a vast empire. It is this unevenness of evidence that persuades against charting the history of the reign simply by stitching different sources together. Instead, it is argued that further progress will only be made following a much more profound analysis of the relevant Byzantine historiography.Less
This chapter begins with a summary of existing scholarship about Basil II. It argues that most interpretations reflect modern historians' reliance on the testimony of the mid 11th-century historian Michael Psellos. It demonstrates the importance of other sources for this period, including the historians John Skylitzes, Yahya ibn Sa'id, and Stephen of Taro. The significance of extant letters, military manuals, and poetry is outlined, as well as evidence provided by the sigillographical, numismatic, and archaeological records. The chapter also illustrates the unevenness of the supply of relevant source materials for the different decades of a long reign, and for the different regions of a vast empire. It is this unevenness of evidence that persuades against charting the history of the reign simply by stitching different sources together. Instead, it is argued that further progress will only be made following a much more profound analysis of the relevant Byzantine historiography.
Andrew Burnett and Marion Archibald
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- January 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780197262788
- eISBN:
- 9780191754210
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197262788.003.0013
- Subject:
- History, Historiography
John Kent FBA, Keeper of Coins and Medals in the British Museum from 1983 to 1990, was the world's leading authority on the coinage of the late Roman Empire and presented the coinage of that ...
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John Kent FBA, Keeper of Coins and Medals in the British Museum from 1983 to 1990, was the world's leading authority on the coinage of the late Roman Empire and presented the coinage of that complicated period in a modern and systematic way. He published The Roman Imperial Coinage (RIC) volumes VIII and X. Kent studied the Merovingian coins from the Sutton Hoo Mound 1 ship burial and was able to provide evidence towards a revised interpretation of the mound's historical context. Obituary by Andrew Burnett and Marion Archibald.Less
John Kent FBA, Keeper of Coins and Medals in the British Museum from 1983 to 1990, was the world's leading authority on the coinage of the late Roman Empire and presented the coinage of that complicated period in a modern and systematic way. He published The Roman Imperial Coinage (RIC) volumes VIII and X. Kent studied the Merovingian coins from the Sutton Hoo Mound 1 ship burial and was able to provide evidence towards a revised interpretation of the mound's historical context. Obituary by Andrew Burnett and Marion Archibald.
Andrew Burnett and Roger Bland
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780197264348
- eISBN:
- 9780191734250
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197264348.003.0007
- Subject:
- History, Historiography
Robert Andrew Glendinning Carson (1918–2006), a Fellow of the British Academy, spent his career at the British Museum, where he rose to be Keeper of the Department of Coins & Medals. He was the ...
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Robert Andrew Glendinning Carson (1918–2006), a Fellow of the British Academy, spent his career at the British Museum, where he rose to be Keeper of the Department of Coins & Medals. He was the leading British expert in Roman numismatics of his generation. Carson was a prolific scholar and his bibliography runs to more than 350 items. He had been set high standards by his mentor, Harold Mattingly, who served as Curator of Roman coins at the British Museum from 1910 to 1947. But perhaps Carson's most influential contribution to the study of Roman coins lay in the work he carried out in collaboration with John Kent. As Curator of Roman coins at the British Museum, it was perhaps inevitable that Carson should take an interest in the coins of the British usurpers Carausius and Allectus, and he published a series of papers on their coinages. Carson had an international reputation: he was actively involved in the organisation of international numismatic congresses from the 1950s.Less
Robert Andrew Glendinning Carson (1918–2006), a Fellow of the British Academy, spent his career at the British Museum, where he rose to be Keeper of the Department of Coins & Medals. He was the leading British expert in Roman numismatics of his generation. Carson was a prolific scholar and his bibliography runs to more than 350 items. He had been set high standards by his mentor, Harold Mattingly, who served as Curator of Roman coins at the British Museum from 1910 to 1947. But perhaps Carson's most influential contribution to the study of Roman coins lay in the work he carried out in collaboration with John Kent. As Curator of Roman coins at the British Museum, it was perhaps inevitable that Carson should take an interest in the coins of the British usurpers Carausius and Allectus, and he published a series of papers on their coinages. Carson had an international reputation: he was actively involved in the organisation of international numismatic congresses from the 1950s.
Christopher Howgego
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- September 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780199562596
- eISBN:
- 9780191721458
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199562596.003.0014
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, European History: BCE to 500CE
This chapter outlines prospective numismatic contributions to the quantification of the Roman economy. Attention is drawn to the potential of the programme of metal analysis of the Roman silver ...
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This chapter outlines prospective numismatic contributions to the quantification of the Roman economy. Attention is drawn to the potential of the programme of metal analysis of the Roman silver coinage being undertaken by Ponting and Butcher. By way of example, four economic topics which may be illuminated by their work are identified: (1) the use of debasement as an indicator of the fiscal inadequacy of the Roman Empire; (2) the analysis of the extent to which price change was driven by monetary change; (3) the relevance to economic modelling of the extent to which monetary change proceeded in parallel across the Roman world; and (4) the significance of the maintenance of a fixed bimetallic system to our understanding of the Roman economy and its potential contribution to economic theory.Less
This chapter outlines prospective numismatic contributions to the quantification of the Roman economy. Attention is drawn to the potential of the programme of metal analysis of the Roman silver coinage being undertaken by Ponting and Butcher. By way of example, four economic topics which may be illuminated by their work are identified: (1) the use of debasement as an indicator of the fiscal inadequacy of the Roman Empire; (2) the analysis of the extent to which price change was driven by monetary change; (3) the relevance to economic modelling of the extent to which monetary change proceeded in parallel across the Roman world; and (4) the significance of the maintenance of a fixed bimetallic system to our understanding of the Roman economy and its potential contribution to economic theory.
Alan Deyermond
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780197263952
- eISBN:
- 9780191734083
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197263952.003.0001
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Medieval History
This introductory chapter explains the coverage of this book, which is about twentieth-century British scholarship on the European Middle Ages. This book covers English and European history, ...
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This introductory chapter explains the coverage of this book, which is about twentieth-century British scholarship on the European Middle Ages. This book covers English and European history, scholarship in particular geographical or cultural areas that is neither mainly historical nor exclusively literary, and other disciplines of crucial importance to medieval studies including archaeology, numismatics and science. The specific topics examined include British research and publications on ecclesiastical history, Slavonic studies and Celtic studies.Less
This introductory chapter explains the coverage of this book, which is about twentieth-century British scholarship on the European Middle Ages. This book covers English and European history, scholarship in particular geographical or cultural areas that is neither mainly historical nor exclusively literary, and other disciplines of crucial importance to medieval studies including archaeology, numismatics and science. The specific topics examined include British research and publications on ecclesiastical history, Slavonic studies and Celtic studies.
Philip Grierson
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780197263952
- eISBN:
- 9780191734083
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197263952.003.0023
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Medieval History
This chapter examines the history and developments in the study of medieval numismatics in Great Britain during the twentieth century. It explains that during the first three decades of the century ...
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This chapter examines the history and developments in the study of medieval numismatics in Great Britain during the twentieth century. It explains that during the first three decades of the century there was not much progress in numismatics because the funding of the British Academy was too small for it to undertake major publishing projects. After 1930, the Academy continued to provide assistance to numismatists and it helped numismatics come into the twenty-first century by promoting the use of new technology.Less
This chapter examines the history and developments in the study of medieval numismatics in Great Britain during the twentieth century. It explains that during the first three decades of the century there was not much progress in numismatics because the funding of the British Academy was too small for it to undertake major publishing projects. After 1930, the Academy continued to provide assistance to numismatists and it helped numismatics come into the twenty-first century by promoting the use of new technology.
Florin Curta and Siu-lun Wong
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780748638093
- eISBN:
- 9780748670741
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Edinburgh University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3366/edinburgh/9780748638093.003.0003
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, European History: BCE to 500CE
Although the early medieval period is one of great significance for the history of medieval Greece, its systematic study began comparatively late, and only as a reaction to the theories of the German ...
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Although the early medieval period is one of great significance for the history of medieval Greece, its systematic study began comparatively late, and only as a reaction to the theories of the German journalist Jakob Philipp Fallmerayer. The obsessive preoccupation with the problem of ethnic continuity may be at least in part responsible for the lack of interest in any other aspect of the history of early medieval Greece. The foundation of the Ecole Française d’Athènes, the Imperial (later German) Institute in Athens, the American School of Classical Studies, and the British School of Archaeology at Athens had a great impact on the study of the “Middle Byzantine” period in Greece, while Greek contributions focused primarily on sigillography and numismatics.Less
Although the early medieval period is one of great significance for the history of medieval Greece, its systematic study began comparatively late, and only as a reaction to the theories of the German journalist Jakob Philipp Fallmerayer. The obsessive preoccupation with the problem of ethnic continuity may be at least in part responsible for the lack of interest in any other aspect of the history of early medieval Greece. The foundation of the Ecole Française d’Athènes, the Imperial (later German) Institute in Athens, the American School of Classical Studies, and the British School of Archaeology at Athens had a great impact on the study of the “Middle Byzantine” period in Greece, while Greek contributions focused primarily on sigillography and numismatics.
Florin Curta and Siu-lun Wong
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780748638093
- eISBN:
- 9780748670741
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Edinburgh University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3366/edinburgh/9780748638093.003.0006
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, European History: BCE to 500CE
The many hoards of bronze coins buried in Greece in the sixth and early seventh century may have belonged to soldiers or officers in the army. That hoards of the 580s were a military phenomenon, not ...
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The many hoards of bronze coins buried in Greece in the sixth and early seventh century may have belonged to soldiers or officers in the army. That hoards of the 580s were a military phenomenon, not an index of barbarian invasions, may also explain why hoarding in Greece stopped after 585 (although barbarian attacks continued after that). This could also explain the sudden reduction of the number of coins in circulation in Greece, which is particularly striking for the years between 582 and 602. In Greece, an economy exhausted by the combined effects of inflation, barbarian raids, and overwhelming military demands was not given sufficient respite to recover. Under Phocas and at the beginning of Heraclius’ reign, the army re-appeared in Greece, which explains the last horizon of hoards buried in the region. After the withdrawal of the Roman troops from the central and northern Balkans, troops and coins were restricted in Greece to the coastal areas around Thessalonica, Athens, and Corinth.Less
The many hoards of bronze coins buried in Greece in the sixth and early seventh century may have belonged to soldiers or officers in the army. That hoards of the 580s were a military phenomenon, not an index of barbarian invasions, may also explain why hoarding in Greece stopped after 585 (although barbarian attacks continued after that). This could also explain the sudden reduction of the number of coins in circulation in Greece, which is particularly striking for the years between 582 and 602. In Greece, an economy exhausted by the combined effects of inflation, barbarian raids, and overwhelming military demands was not given sufficient respite to recover. Under Phocas and at the beginning of Heraclius’ reign, the army re-appeared in Greece, which explains the last horizon of hoards buried in the region. After the withdrawal of the Roman troops from the central and northern Balkans, troops and coins were restricted in Greece to the coastal areas around Thessalonica, Athens, and Corinth.
Shiona Airlie
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- September 2011
- ISBN:
- 9789888028924
- eISBN:
- 9789882207615
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Hong Kong University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5790/hongkong/9789888028924.003.0009
- Subject:
- History, Asian History
By the beginning of 1907, James Stewart Lockhart had done virtually all he could for Weihaiwei. The administration was organized on a sound footing, and with Reginald Johnston, Walter, and the cadet, ...
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By the beginning of 1907, James Stewart Lockhart had done virtually all he could for Weihaiwei. The administration was organized on a sound footing, and with Reginald Johnston, Walter, and the cadet, Carpmael, in the Weihaiwei service, the territory had sufficient staff to ensure its smooth running. In Hong Kong, Stewart Lockhart had suffered many attacks in the Legislative and Executive Councils. Whilst awaiting his promised promotion, Stewart Lockhart continued to oversee the smooth running of Weihaiwei, believing that he would “be sent to some other place before too long”. His return to Weihaiwei in 1910 after his vacation marks the beginning of an intensification of Stewart Lockhart's interest in Chinese art. While building up his collection of paintings, he did not lessen his devotion to numismatics, and his already impressive collection of coins continued to grow.Less
By the beginning of 1907, James Stewart Lockhart had done virtually all he could for Weihaiwei. The administration was organized on a sound footing, and with Reginald Johnston, Walter, and the cadet, Carpmael, in the Weihaiwei service, the territory had sufficient staff to ensure its smooth running. In Hong Kong, Stewart Lockhart had suffered many attacks in the Legislative and Executive Councils. Whilst awaiting his promised promotion, Stewart Lockhart continued to oversee the smooth running of Weihaiwei, believing that he would “be sent to some other place before too long”. His return to Weihaiwei in 1910 after his vacation marks the beginning of an intensification of Stewart Lockhart's interest in Chinese art. While building up his collection of paintings, he did not lessen his devotion to numismatics, and his already impressive collection of coins continued to grow.
Marcus Milwright
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780748623105
- eISBN:
- 9780748671298
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Edinburgh University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3366/edinburgh/9780748623105.003.0003
- Subject:
- Archaeology, Methodology and Techniques
This chapter considers the ways in which the archaeological record of the eighth to the tenth centuries provides evidence for significant breaks with late antiquity. These new directions can be ...
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This chapter considers the ways in which the archaeological record of the eighth to the tenth centuries provides evidence for significant breaks with late antiquity. These new directions can be detected in aspects of religious life, trade, manufacturing, urban life, and the rural environment. The chapter addresses two important bodies of evidence: the growth of trading links with western Russia, the Baltic regions, and Scandinavia; and the imposition of two new building types, the mosque and the governor's residence (dar al-imara) upon the urban spaces of the new Islamic empire. The trade with the north can principally be tracked through coin hoards, and the first section considers what can be inferred from the chronological and spatial distribution of early Islamic silver coins (dirhams). The second section employs standing and excavated building to evaluate the importance of the mosque and the dar al-imara as a means of communicating Muslim religious and political values.Less
This chapter considers the ways in which the archaeological record of the eighth to the tenth centuries provides evidence for significant breaks with late antiquity. These new directions can be detected in aspects of religious life, trade, manufacturing, urban life, and the rural environment. The chapter addresses two important bodies of evidence: the growth of trading links with western Russia, the Baltic regions, and Scandinavia; and the imposition of two new building types, the mosque and the governor's residence (dar al-imara) upon the urban spaces of the new Islamic empire. The trade with the north can principally be tracked through coin hoards, and the first section considers what can be inferred from the chronological and spatial distribution of early Islamic silver coins (dirhams). The second section employs standing and excavated building to evaluate the importance of the mosque and the dar al-imara as a means of communicating Muslim religious and political values.
Brian Rutishauser
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- January 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780199646357
- eISBN:
- 9780191746246
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199646357.003.0002
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, European History: BCE to 500CE
This chapter explores the geographic setting of the Cyclades and establishes criteria for defining which Aegean islands were included in this region in antiquity as well as the criteria for including ...
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This chapter explores the geographic setting of the Cyclades and establishes criteria for defining which Aegean islands were included in this region in antiquity as well as the criteria for including them in this study. This chapter also discusses evidence for trade routes through the Cyclades and possible models for understanding the development of island communities, including peer-polity interaction and early state modules. The chapter also outlines the various types of evidence used in the book, including literary sources, epigraphy, numismatics, and archaeological survey.Less
This chapter explores the geographic setting of the Cyclades and establishes criteria for defining which Aegean islands were included in this region in antiquity as well as the criteria for including them in this study. This chapter also discusses evidence for trade routes through the Cyclades and possible models for understanding the development of island communities, including peer-polity interaction and early state modules. The chapter also outlines the various types of evidence used in the book, including literary sources, epigraphy, numismatics, and archaeological survey.
Thomas Russell
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- January 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780198790525
- eISBN:
- 9780191831720
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198790525.001.0001
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, European History: BCE to 500CE
A historical study of the city of Byzantium before the foundation of Constantinople, covering the period before the foundation of the city in the Archaic period and Constantine’s choice of the site ...
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A historical study of the city of Byzantium before the foundation of Constantinople, covering the period before the foundation of the city in the Archaic period and Constantine’s choice of the site for his new capital. This book explores the relationship between the city and the Bosporus strait, outlining how life along the Bosporus was shaped in a variety of ways by the waterway. In particular, it investigates the history of economic predation and taxation in the region, with a special focus on the Athenian Empire’s attitude to the strait and on the economic history of the region in the third century BC. Additionally, the book explores the local myths and traditions of the area, including foundation myths relating to the colonial history of the city, to create a cultural history of the city and of its Thracian neighbours. Finally, the book explores the local economic resources of the region, particularly the fishing industries of the Bosporus in antiquity. The result is a meditation on regional particularism, in which the pervasive impact of the Bosporus strait on the city of Byzantium throughout its history is revealed.Less
A historical study of the city of Byzantium before the foundation of Constantinople, covering the period before the foundation of the city in the Archaic period and Constantine’s choice of the site for his new capital. This book explores the relationship between the city and the Bosporus strait, outlining how life along the Bosporus was shaped in a variety of ways by the waterway. In particular, it investigates the history of economic predation and taxation in the region, with a special focus on the Athenian Empire’s attitude to the strait and on the economic history of the region in the third century BC. Additionally, the book explores the local myths and traditions of the area, including foundation myths relating to the colonial history of the city, to create a cultural history of the city and of its Thracian neighbours. Finally, the book explores the local economic resources of the region, particularly the fishing industries of the Bosporus in antiquity. The result is a meditation on regional particularism, in which the pervasive impact of the Bosporus strait on the city of Byzantium throughout its history is revealed.
Jane Kershaw, Gareth Williams, Søren Sindbæk, and James Graham-Campbell (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- January 2019
- ISBN:
- 9780198827986
- eISBN:
- 9780191866678
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780198827986.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Medieval History, Economic History
This book advances current debate about the nature and complexity of Viking economic systems. It explores how silver and other commodities were used in monetary and social economies across the ...
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This book advances current debate about the nature and complexity of Viking economic systems. It explores how silver and other commodities were used in monetary and social economies across the Scandinavian world of the Viking Age (c.AD 800–1100) before and alongside the wide-scale introduction of coinage. Through a multidisciplinary approach that unites archaeological, numismatic, and metallurgical analyses, it examines the uses and sources of silver in both monetary and social transactions, addressing topics such as silver fragmentation, hoarding, and coin production and reuse. It also goes beyond silver, giving the first detailed consideration of the monetary role of butter, cloth, and gold in the Viking economy. Indeed, the book is instrumental in developing methodologies to identify such commodity-monies in the archaeological record. The use of silver and other commodities within Viking economies is a dynamic field of study, fuelled by important recent discoveries across the Viking world. The fourteen contributions to this book, by a truly international group of scholars, draw on newly available archaeological data from eastern Europe, Scandinavia, the North Atlantic, and the British Isles and Ireland, to present the latest, original research. Together, they deepen understanding of Viking monetary and social economies and advance new definitions of ‘economy’, ‘currency’, and ‘value’ in the ninth to eleventh centuries.Less
This book advances current debate about the nature and complexity of Viking economic systems. It explores how silver and other commodities were used in monetary and social economies across the Scandinavian world of the Viking Age (c.AD 800–1100) before and alongside the wide-scale introduction of coinage. Through a multidisciplinary approach that unites archaeological, numismatic, and metallurgical analyses, it examines the uses and sources of silver in both monetary and social transactions, addressing topics such as silver fragmentation, hoarding, and coin production and reuse. It also goes beyond silver, giving the first detailed consideration of the monetary role of butter, cloth, and gold in the Viking economy. Indeed, the book is instrumental in developing methodologies to identify such commodity-monies in the archaeological record. The use of silver and other commodities within Viking economies is a dynamic field of study, fuelled by important recent discoveries across the Viking world. The fourteen contributions to this book, by a truly international group of scholars, draw on newly available archaeological data from eastern Europe, Scandinavia, the North Atlantic, and the British Isles and Ireland, to present the latest, original research. Together, they deepen understanding of Viking monetary and social economies and advance new definitions of ‘economy’, ‘currency’, and ‘value’ in the ninth to eleventh centuries.
Frank Holt
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780520238817
- eISBN:
- 9780520938786
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520238817.001.0001
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Archaeology: Classical
To all those who witnessed his extraordinary conquests, from Albania to India, Alexander the Great appeared invincible. How Alexander himself promoted this appearance—how he abetted the belief that ...
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To all those who witnessed his extraordinary conquests, from Albania to India, Alexander the Great appeared invincible. How Alexander himself promoted this appearance—how he abetted the belief that he enjoyed divine favor and commanded even the forces of nature against his enemies—is the subject of this book. Solid evidence for the “supernaturalized” Alexander lies in a rare series of medallions that depict the triumphant young king at war against the elephants, archers, and chariots of Rajah Porus of India at the Battle of the Hydaspes River. Recovered from Afghanistan and Iraq in sensational and sometimes perilous circumstances, these ancient artifacts have long animated the modern historical debate about Alexander. The book considers the history of their discovery and interpretation, the knowable facts of their manufacture and meaning, and, ultimately, the king's own psyche and his frightening theology of war. The result is an analysis of Alexander history and myth, a vivid account of numismatics, and a fascinating look into the age-old mechanics of megalomania.Less
To all those who witnessed his extraordinary conquests, from Albania to India, Alexander the Great appeared invincible. How Alexander himself promoted this appearance—how he abetted the belief that he enjoyed divine favor and commanded even the forces of nature against his enemies—is the subject of this book. Solid evidence for the “supernaturalized” Alexander lies in a rare series of medallions that depict the triumphant young king at war against the elephants, archers, and chariots of Rajah Porus of India at the Battle of the Hydaspes River. Recovered from Afghanistan and Iraq in sensational and sometimes perilous circumstances, these ancient artifacts have long animated the modern historical debate about Alexander. The book considers the history of their discovery and interpretation, the knowable facts of their manufacture and meaning, and, ultimately, the king's own psyche and his frightening theology of war. The result is an analysis of Alexander history and myth, a vivid account of numismatics, and a fascinating look into the age-old mechanics of megalomania.
Kathleen Deagan and Jose Maria Cruxent
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- October 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780300090413
- eISBN:
- 9780300133912
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Yale University Press
- DOI:
- 10.12987/yale/9780300090413.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, Ancient History / Archaeology
This book presents detailed technical documentation of the authors' ten-year archaeological excavation of La Isabela, America's first colony. The artifacts and material remains of the town offer rich ...
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This book presents detailed technical documentation of the authors' ten-year archaeological excavation of La Isabela, America's first colony. The artifacts and material remains of the town offer rich material for comparative research into Euro-American cultural and material development during the crucial transition from the medieval era to the Renaissance. The period when La Isabela was in existence witnessed great innovation and change in many areas of technology. The archaeological evidence of La Isabela's architecture, weaponry, numismatics, pottery, and metallurgy can be precisely dated, helping to chart the sequence of this change and revealing much that is new about late medieval technology. The authors' archaeological research also provides a foundation for their insights into the reasons for the demise of La Isabela.Less
This book presents detailed technical documentation of the authors' ten-year archaeological excavation of La Isabela, America's first colony. The artifacts and material remains of the town offer rich material for comparative research into Euro-American cultural and material development during the crucial transition from the medieval era to the Renaissance. The period when La Isabela was in existence witnessed great innovation and change in many areas of technology. The archaeological evidence of La Isabela's architecture, weaponry, numismatics, pottery, and metallurgy can be precisely dated, helping to chart the sequence of this change and revealing much that is new about late medieval technology. The authors' archaeological research also provides a foundation for their insights into the reasons for the demise of La Isabela.