Category: bija-knowles - Part 7

Exhibition Review: Stunning Realism at Rome – The Painting of an Empire

The exhibition Roma: La Pittura di un Impero, which opened this week in Rome at the eighteenth century Scuderie del Quirinale exhibition space, may come as a bit of a shock to afficionados of the classic Roman style. These ancient realist paintings look more like the works of 18th century masters than the ancient Romans.

Think of Roman art and you might think of marble statues, imposing architecture and intricate mosaics: the sculpture of the Dying Gaul at the Musei Capitolini or the Alexander Mosaic from Pompeii are just two examples of the thousands of famous Roman artworks that are known to us. Roman paintings aren’t so common and far fewer of them have survived the centuries.

The exhibition brings together what the Romans would have considered to be ‘real’ art: portraits, frescoes, wall decorations and miniatures from the Roman era from the wealthy houses of Pompeii, to the Patrician villas of Rome. There are exquisite portraits from as far away as El Fayyum in Egypt, as well as playful depictions of pygmies painted onto a Roman dove house from Villa Doria Pamphilj. The Romans, along with the Greeks before them, considered ‘real’ art to be painting, rather than sculpture and this exhibition presents some of the small number colourful artworks that have survived the centuries.

More than 100 exhibits are on display covering the Roman era from the beginning of its expansion and conquest of Greece in the second century BC, up until the beginnings of the Christian era under Constantine I in the fourth century AD. Although most of the works are not signed by specific artists, there were several well known artists working during the latter part of the republic, including Pacuvius, the female painter Iaia of Cyzicus (working between Rome and Naples), Serapion and Dionysos (who concentrated solely on the human figure).

Pompeiian Wall Paintings

Art was often painted onto stuccoed walls throughout the ages of the republic and the empire. Several examples are shown at this exhibition, many of them from the houses discovered at Pompeii. The changes of the fresco styles over time are also noted: from the depictions of structural features characteristic of early Roman frescoes found at Pompeii before the first century BC with a progression to the use of trompe l’oeil effects and vegetal or floral images.

The examples of paintings on display from inside houses at Pompeii and Herculaneum show the variety of styles. Other examples of interior wall designs come from the Villa Farnesina, discovered in 1879 when construction work was being done on the Tiber embankment. The intricately painted walls suggest that the villa’s owner might have been someone with money in fact archaeologists think that person may have been Augustus‘s daughter, Julia.

Figurative paintings are also highlighted in the exhibition, with works such as Le Tre Grazie (The Three Graces) and Ercole and Telefo (Heracles and Telephus) on loan from the Museo Archeologico Nazionale in Naples and originally from a house at Pompeii and the basilica at Herculaneum respectively. Both works show the realism, depth and movement that we associate more with Renaissance-era paintings as well as with Greek and Roman sculpture.

Colour and Still Life

The Romans also made use of bright colours as shown by the painting of a couple with a naked female figure on a mustard background and they didn’t limit themselves to decorative motifs and figurative forms.

There are several examples of still life arrangements on display which the Greeks used to call ‘hospitable gifts’, or ‘xenia’, because guests would often be sent a gift of fruit, eggs or vegetables by a host.

The still life portraits on display show fruit, game and other household items as if displayed on a wooden shelf or in a box this was a common Greek and Roman composition.

Portraits

Perhaps it is the portraits that are the most strikingly modern-looking works of the Roman era though. The male portrait from the age of Hadrian in particular stands out with its vibrant colours, the dark features and sad eyes of the young man staring out from the painted stucco. It’s hard to believe this is a 2,000-year old painting, rather than the work of an 18th or 19th century artist.

Other Roman portraits show a high level of detail, individuality and realism. This is shown by the heavy lids and hollow cheeks of the miniature portrait of a man mounted on a small glass medal, and also by the distinctive down-turned mouth and large eyes in a female portrait from the fourth century AD. The latter portrait’s vibrant colours and high definition seems to be a pre-cursor of the unique Byzantine iconographic style that developed in the following centuries.

The exhibition was curated by Eugenio La Rocca, along with Serena Ensoli, Stefano Tortorella and Massimiliano Papini. It also marks 10 years since the Scuderie del Quirinale first opened as an arts venue.

First Century Roman Amphitheatre Revealed at Tiberias by Sea of Galilee

Archaeologists in Israel have uncovered an amphitheatre in Tiberias, overlooking the sea of Galilee. It has taken 19 years of research and excavation work to enable the site to be made public by the team of experts, led by the late Professor Izhar Hirshfeld from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Yossi Stefanski.

The team now believes that the amphitheatre dates from the first century AD, which would mean it was built near the time when Tiberias was founded in 20 AD (by Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great, during the reign of Tiberius). According to Dr Wallid Atrash, an archaeologist from the Israel Antiquities Authority, the site would have been a central meeting point for the community of Tiberias and could have seated more than 7,000.

According to a report in Haaretz, the site will be named after Amir Drori, the first director of the Israel Antiquities Authority.

Photo by the Israel Antiquities Authority.

Roman Army Camp and Metal-working Furnace Discoveries in Austria

The sites of three Roman army camps dating from the time of Tiberius have been found in Austria on the route of the ancient Amber Road. The archaeologists leading the excavation believe the discovery brings new evidence about the presence of the Roman army in the region known between around 20 and 102 AD as Pannonia. Furnaces for metal-working and iron-smelting have also been found near the three camps, suggesting that the Romans had taken control of the metal-producing capabilities of that area.

The Amber Road (die Bernsteinstrasse in German) is one of the oldest trade routes connecting the Baltic sea with the Italian peninsular and Greece. It stretched from southern Greece and Brindisi in Italy, through ancient Aquileia and then lead up through Austria and Poland to the Baltic states. The sites being excavated are near Strebersdorf, Lutzmannsburg, in Burgenland, about 50km south of Vienna.

The leader of the team that unearthed these findings, Stefan Groh from the Austrian Archaeological Institute (AI), explained that the presence of the Roman army and cavalry at this location on the Amber Road would have been unusual at the time of Tiberius. He said: The three military camps were built one on top of the other, from Tiberian times onwards – that means very early for the province of Pannonia. The first camp (about 2.2 hectares) was the biggest one, followed by two smaller ones, each of them a third smaller. According to Groh the sites were discovered in Spring this year by using a magnetometer, which can detect structures and objects up to 70cm below ground level. He said: In the geophysics photos you can see quite clearly the camps with a rectangular shape, the doors with two timber towers, and inner building structures of at least the second and third camps. While the earliest camp dates from the Tiberian era, the second is thought to be Flavian and the era of the third camp has yet to be determined.

Rewriting History

Groh added that the discovery of the metal-working furnaces is the latest result of the research in the surroundings of the camps. Other objects found during excavations include coins, brooches, military equipment and ceramics. Groh said: These are evidence that cavalry were stationed in the oldest camp. Tombstones from show the presence of the ‘Ala Pannoniorum’ [legion] in Tiberian times.

He is quoted by the Wiener Zeitung as saying, Our work in this area last year and this year means that the history of the Roman presence in this region and in Austria will have to be rewritten.

During the reign of Augustus, the local tribes of the area (at that time part of Illyricum) were at war with the Romans. In 6 AD, Tiberius and his nephew Germanicus fought to put down the revolt of the Pannonian, Illyrian and Dalmatian tribes and this war lasted three years. The Romans finally subdued the barbarian tribes in 9 AD – the same year as the Battle of Teutoburg Forest. Possibly at some point during the reign of Tiberius (14-37 AD) or at least before 50 AD, Illyricum was divided into Pannonia and Dalmatia. There was to be a heavy army presence in the region for a long time to counter attacks from barbarian tribes.

Photos by AI / a. voves and GYMSMMI Soproni Mzeum.

3D Rome Built in a Day: New Algorithm Harnesses Power of the Flickr Community

Less than 24 hours is all your need to build Rome these days: a team of developers from the University of Washington and Cornell University has come up with an algorithm that can aggregate thousands of tourist photos from social network photo-sharing websites and create a three-dimensional virtual city model from them.

Highly popular tourist sites such as Rome work well currently there are more than two million photos of Rome on Flickr. The Washington University team has also used its technology to recreate the cities of Venice and Dubrovnik.

But how does the technology work? And how can the work be done so quickly? Noah Snavely, assistant professor in the Computer Science Department at Cornell University, told me that there have been a couple of innovations. He said: “Possibly the main one is that we figured out how to exploit large clusters of machines, which has enabled us to then work with large collections of images.”

The algorithm developed by the team is able to run simultaneously on many different machines including remote servers through an Internet connection which multiplies the power and speed of the calculation significantly and has enabled the team to attempt more complex projects.

“The plan is to release the code and put it in a form that anyone can use. We are planning to apply it to other large cities, such as Manhattan and London.”

The second innovation is that the newly developed computer algorithm is able to establish ‘matches’ for the photos. Snavely explained: “If we have 200,000 images of a city, we don’t know which ones ‘match’ each other – some of the photos might be irrelevant, so figuring out which sets of photos go together is important.”

A 3D image using a type of ‘point cloud’ system can then be created (see this article for how 3D scanners created point clouds and a virtual model at the catacombs in Rome). Even the position of the photographer at the time the photo was taken can be calculated.

Sameer Agarwal, computer science and engineering assistant professor at the University of Washington, says that previously this process would have taken a very long time. He told physorg: Even if we had all the hardware we could get our hands on and then some, a reconstruction using this many photos would take forever.”

Previous attempts to create virtual 3D models using photo-stitching techniques have had limited success. Programmes such as Photo Tourism and Photosynth have been able to recreate individual landmarks but the results obtained with Photosynth seem fairly patchy, as this virtual view of the Pantheon in Rome suggests (sorry but it made me feel a bit seasick!).

The Washington team downloaded 150,000 photos of Rome from Flickr and in 21 hours they were able to create the 3D digital model which enables a viewer to ‘fly’ around the city’s main sites, including the Pantheon and the Colosseum.

There is of course huge potential for this technique and Snavely is optimistic that the algorithm will be used by archaeologists in future. He said: “The plan is to release the code and put it in a form that anyone can use. We are planning to apply it to other large cities, such as Manhattan and London.” He adds that he is very interested in heritage work and is already working with an archaeologist to develop the use of the code for heritage sites.

The idea of creating a virtual Venice for people to visit instead of the actual sinking version of the city has already been suggested. Other possible uses include virtual online maps, automatically creating cities for video games, and digitally preserving certain cities. The possibilities for virtual viewing seem almost endless.

I’ll be speaking to the brains behind the operation very soon for a Heritage Key interview, so keep an eye on this page to find out what the team have planned next. You can also get vitual with Heritage Key’s Google-Earth-based 3D Rome here.

Pit-Buried Skeleton Found at Caistor was Murdered… or Murderer

One of the ‘most important, but least understood, Roman sites in Britain’ is how the University of Nottingham has described the Roman town of Venta Icenorum at Caistor St Edmund in Norfolk. Excavation work began at the site at the end of August, as mentioned in this previous blog, but the archaeologists working there had little idea of the mysterious discovery they were about to make. In the past few days a highly unusual burial has come to light, with a Roman-era skeleton interred in a shallow grave and placed in an unconventional pose.

It could be that they were executed as a criminal, murdered and shoved into a pit or it was someone who was deemed abnormal in some way so the body was not accorded the normal burial.

According to Dr Will Bowden, from the University of Nottingham‘s archaeology department and leader of the excavations, the burial is abnormal. He is quoted as saying: The body, which is probably male, was placed in a shallow pit on its side, as opposed to being laid out properly. This is not the care Romans normally accorded to their dead. It could be that the person was murdered or executed although this is still a matter of speculation.”

At this stage very little is known about the skeleton and scientific tests have yet to be carried out, leaving the cause of death as yet unknown.

The excavators at first assumed that the skeleton was buried in the town’s cemetery but the unusual burial has cast doubt on this. Bowden concedes that the individual is ‘strange-looking’ and that the experts working at the site had not seen a Roman burial of this kind before. He is quoted by Norwich eveningnews24 as saying: It could be that they were executed as a criminal, murdered and shoved into a pit or it was someone who was deemed abnormal in some way so the body was not accorded the normal burial.

Excavations of Venta Icenorum have also encompassed a prehistoric settlement at the site dating from 10,000 BC. Dr Bowden said: “These excavations have added an enormous amount to what we knew before. There are flints so sharp you could still shave with them they are so fresh they have barely moved in all that time.” He added: “To have the opportunity to excavate here is the chance of a lifetime.”

The excavation at Venta Icenorum will be open to the public until Saturday 19 September 2009.

Photo by Dr Will Bowden, Nottingham University‘s archaeology department.

Fourth-Century Aphrodites Show Paganism Persisted in Judaean Town of Hippos

Three Roman-era figurines of Aphrodite, the goddess of love, have been unearthed at an archaeological site east of the sea of Galilee in Israel. Sussita, known as Hippos to the Greeks on account of the horse’s head-shaped hill on which it was built, was a Greco-Roman town that became one of the 10 cities (the Decapolis) in Coele-Syria that were granted some independence when Pompey conquered in 63 BC. (Other Decapolis cities include Qanawat and Jerash.)

It is thought that the figurines, measuring 23cm high, date from the fourth century AD a time when Constantine the Great laid out the beginnings of the Byzantine empire and Hippo would have become increasingly Christian. This discovery suggests that pagan beliefs persisted, although the fact that the miniature Aphrodites were buried whole, as if hidden, could suggest that their worship could have been clandestine or suppressed. The figurines are depicted in the ‘Venus pudica‘ pose, showing the goddess modestly covering herself with her hands.

The excavation of the site of Hippo, now in its 10th season, is being done by researchers of the Zinman Institute of Archaeology at the University of Haifa, headed by Professor Arthur Segal and Dr Michael Eisenberg. Segal suggests: It is possible that during the fourth century AD, when Christianity was gradually becoming the governing religion in the Roman empire, there were still a number of inhabitants in Sussita who remained loyal to the goddess of love and therefore wished to hide and preserve these items.

It is thought that the figurines have been buried for over 1,500 years. They came to light when archaeologists working in the forum area of the site uncovered a shop.

Several other structures and items of interest have also been uncovered during the excavation at Hippo. These include:

  • An odeion a small, roofed theatre for poetry-reading and musical recitals, which is the first of its kind to be exposed in Israel. An odeion was generally used for intimate performances for a select audience this one can seat about 600. According to the researchers, the construction is of high quality and it seems that it can be dated back to the first century BC or AD.
  • A basilica with a roof that would have been used for public gatherings in bad weather. According to the University of Haifa, this is the second basilica to be exposed in Israel, the first being the Roman basilica of Samaria. Professor Segal is quoted as saying: Just the look of the restored columns is enough to get an impression of the beauty and tremendousness of Roman architecture during that period.
  • Some fourth-century AD houses, which provide rare insight into the daily lives of the inhabitants of Sussita. All of the houses that were exposed surround a stone-paved courtyard. The researchers assume that this style of planning is evidence of everyday household activity taking place in the courtyard, including the cooking.

The Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw and the Concordia University of Minnesota, USA, are collaborating on this project with the University of Haifa. The Israel Nature and Natural Parks Protection Authority also support the work.

Photos by the Division of Communications and Media Relations, University of Haifa.

This Day in History: Rome’s Defeat in the Battle of Teutoburg Forest

Two thousand years ago today, one of the most decisive and devastating battles of Roman times was raging at the northern edge of the empire. The Battle of Teutoburg Forest was to have a pivotal effect on Rome’s strategy in central and northern Europe and was probably the deciding factor in keeping the empire’s boundaries not much further north than the Danube for the following four centuries.

Between 10,000 and 20,000 Roman soldiers lost their lives in the battle against Germanic tribes and the circumstances and timing were a hard psychological blow to emperor Augustus back in Rome. The defeat came as a massive shock and set-back at a time when the Roman army seemed to have no equal and was able to conquer with little resistance. However, the alliance of Germanic tribes, led by Arminius, were able to decimate three legions using tactical knowledge of the Teutoburg forest itself, as well as the elements of surprise and knowledge of Roman fighting tactics.

Varus and Arminius

The Romans were lead by Publius Quinctilius Varus, who was on a mission to dominate the Germanic tribes and extend the reaches of the Roman provinces into Magna Germania (an area inhabited by mainly Germanic and Celtic tribes covering much of modern-day Germany, Denmark, Poland and the Czech Republic). Having already gained the provinces of Germania Inferior (covering parts of Holland, Belgium and Luxembourg ) and Germania Superior (Switzerland and Alsace), the emperor Augustus probably saw no reason not to push north-eastwards into Magna Germania as well.

An army of German warriors appeared like ghosts from behind the trees, descended on the Romans and massacred no fewer than three Roman legions

Arminius, despite being born into a Germanic tribe, was educated in Rome and had made a name for himself within the higher echelons of the Roman military. He accompanied Varus as an aide on his mission in Germania. Varus did well to begin with and extended his reach up to the river Elbe. It was September and Varus was leading his army from their Summer camp in northern Germany (possibly near Minden on the Weser river) towards the Winter camp near the Rhine. News reached them of a barbarian uprising some distance away and Varus, directed by Arminius, decided to detour to crush the trouble immediately.

But Varus had been duped the route through the Teutoburg Forest was unknown territory to the Roman army. In the BBC book Ancient Rome(The Rise and Fall of an Empire), Simon Baker dramatises the moment when Arminius’s Germanic army would have attacked: An army of German warriors appeared like ghosts from behind the trees, descended on the Romans and massacred no fewer than three Roman legions.

The Romans were ambushed by the alliance, organised by the duplicitous Arminius (today something of a heroic figure in Germany) and were not ready for battle. The ‘battle’ was more of a series of battles, at different locations and lasting from the 9th to the 11th September. As they were attacked in the forest, the Romans realised what predicament they were in. They were able to form a night camp, but suffered heavy losses when they broke out of it and were attacked several more times as they tried to leave the heavily forested area (according to Dio Cassius heavy rain also hampered them, preventing them from using their bows and arrows). Varus, realising there was little hope of getting out and that he had been fooled into leading his men into the slaughter, committed suicide.

A Psychological Blow to the Roman Empire

The Battle of Teutoburg Forest had a very damaging effect on the aged Augustus, who would have been 71 in 9 AD. Suetonius describes the emperor’s shaken state, saying that he took to continuously bang his head against a door and stopped shaving for several months. There was a swift Roman withdrawal from Magna Germania. The bronze equestrian statue of Augustus pulled from a river in Giessen last month is thought to been discarded as a result of the swift Roman retreat.

The battle, known as Clades Variana in Latin and Varusschlacht in German, is thought to have taken place near Kalkriese, near Osnabrck, although the site is still being debated by scholars. It put a stop to the Roman’s attempts to conquer Magna Germania. Some scholars say this had far reaching effects. It meant that the Germanic tribes of central and northern Europe were not Romanized. They kept their language and culture, which have shaped the languages and nations of modern Europe. Had Varus succeeded in dominating the tribes of Germania, this may also have eliminated the threat of barbarian invasion and attack, which continued to dog the Romans throughout the days of the empire until the final Hun invasions brought an end to the Western Roman Empire in the fifth century.

The Varusschlacht Museum

The 2,000th birthday of this historic battle is passing fairly quietly, but the Varusschlacht Museum at Kalkriese has a permanent exhibition detailing the Battle of Teutoburg Forest (or the Varus Battle as it’s also known). It also has a special exhibition and programme of events this year to mark 2,000 years since the battle. Angela Merkel visited the museum earlier this year and spent some time on the virtual archaeological field making some virtual discoveries from the battle.

HBO’s Rome to Make Movie Comeback as Bona Dea

Exciting news for fans of HBO’s Rome series: it looks like a film is currently in development, with script writer Bruno Heller penning the project. The film, whose working title is Bona Dea, is due to start filming in Summer 2010 and is scheduled for release in 2011.

For those of you who remember Vorenus, played by Kevin McKidd, on his deathbed at the end of the last series, the good news is that the stalwart centurion is already being written into the script for the new film. In an interview given to Associated Press, now on youtube, McKidd explains that his character may not actually have passed away, but is actually hiding in Germania, far from the empire and from Octavian, who has come to power following the battle of Actium.

In an interview with movieweb, Ray Stevenson, who plays Pullo, confirmed: It is no longer a smoke and mirrors rumour. The script is in full development. He adds that Rome’s writer and creator, Bruno Heller, is not likely to lose his two central characters: That guy has a soft spot for Pullo and Vorenus. I don’t think he will let the ball drop. I don’t think he will disappoint. He never pulled his punches with the hard drama or the social status, or the action sequences. He put full honesty into the characters.

Of course a film isn’t quite the same as a third series – one sitting and it’s all over – but this is definitely one to look forward to.

Roman Invasion – Soldiers Advance on Somerset This Weekend

Somerset is getting ready for a Roman Invasion this saturday, thanks to a free archaeological open day organised by Bath and Camerton Archaeological Society (BACAS).

Ceri Lambdin from BACAS told This is Somerset: Its not every day that Roman soldiers appear in Somerset and children and adults will be amazed by the weight of the armour and the amount of kit a soldier had to carry every day. With only the remains of Roman civilisation left in Somerset, we aim to bring to life this exciting period of history and give children and adults an opportunity to experience what life was like during these times for themselves.

children and adults will be amazed by the weight of the armour and the amount of kit a soldier had to carry every day

‘Invasion Day’ will be held at the archaeological site of Upper Row Farm, near Laverton in Somerset. Excavations at the site by BACAS, which have been ongoing for the past nine years, have so far uncovered an Iron Age and a Romano-British site. Traces of the foundations of a Roman villa are visible at the site, along with an Iron Age roundhouse. Guided tours of these sites will be available on the day. Findings from this summer’s excavation will also be on show.

The aim of the event is to give both adults and children a taste of what Britain was like during the Iron Age and later as the country came under Roman control. There will be opportunities to learn how to build a roundhouse, as well as trying on Roman armour and trying out your engineering skills by building a Roman arch.

Plan Your Move:

The invasion will take place at Upper Row Farm on Saturday 5th September, 10am till 5pm.

Upper Row Farm, Laverton BA2 7RB, in Somerset, is about 10km south of Bath (on mainline railways). The farm will be signposted on the day.

For further details, contact Ceri Lambdin on 01225 761026 or bathandcam@hotmail.com

Photos by BACAS.

How to Cope With Disaster: Mitchell and Webb Pompeii Sketch

Try if you can to imagine this scenario: you are in the Roman town of Pompeii and the date is mid August, 79 AD. There is one week to go before Vesuvius spews its molten lava everywhere and obliterates the place. Sulphur is in the air and the earth is creaking and trembling. There are no two ways about it: you are facing an environmental disaster and the ‘world’ as you know it is about to end. Well, in the face of such certain doom, what would you do? Run or hide? Remember that the bodies of both those who hid and those caught as fleeing on the road out of town have been found carbonised at Pompeii. Another solution would be: divide your household rubbish up, and put it into separate bins of glass, plastic, tin, etc.

But this modern solution to a very ancient catastrophe isn’t part of some new archaeological discovery Roman recycling bins have not yet been discovered at Pompeii. It’s a scene set in Pompeii from the latest series of comedy sketches by British comedy duo Mitchell and Webb now on youtube (for those outside the UK who can’t watch BBC iPlayer), and brought to my attention thanks to Blogging Pompeii.

Watch it on YouTube of click ‘play’ below:

So what did people actually do in the run up to the eruption, thought to have gone off on the 24th of August 79 AD? According to Mary Beard, in her book Pompeii: The Life of a Roman Town, far fewer people than previously thought would have actually perished in the eruption. Most would have left town in good time and it is thought that less than 10 per cent of the population did not escape alive. There were of course those who left it too late to leave and many bodies were found hiding in basements, or burnt by the pyroclastic blast as they were leaving. But their activities in the run up to the disaster? More likely to have been packing bags, packing furniture onto carts and removing as much as possible from their houses. According to Beard, many of the houses were found with large items of furniture missing. Many of the inhabitants obviously had an idea of what was coming and they weren’t taking the chance of leaving their most precious belongings behind.

The Pompeiians must have been more sensible than Mitchell and Webb give them credit for… which just leaves the little matter of our modern disaster-aversion strategies. Well, until they think of something better, I’ll just carry on recycling my glass bottles and cans.