Saturday, September 16, 2017

Digitales Forum Romanum

[First posted in AWOL 18 September 2017, updated 16 September 2017]

Digitales Forum Romanum
http://www.digitales-forum-romanum.de/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Phase-L_Viewpoint-BeckOst13-760x338.jpg
deutsch – english – italiano
Forschungs- & Lehrprojekt des Winckelmann-Instituts der Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
in Kooperation mit dem Exzellenzcluster TOPOI


Das antike Forum Romanum gehört zu den Hauptattraktionen eines jeden Rombesuchs. Täglich erkunden hunderte von Besuchern das Forum Romanum und lassen sich von der stimmungsvollen Ruinenlandschaft und der historischen Bedeutung dieses Ortes faszinieren: Hier lag das öffentlich-politische Zentrum der antiken Metropole, hier wurde Politik gemacht und Geschichte geschrieben – und entsprechend pulsiert hier für uns heutzutage die Vergangenheit des antiken Roms in einer ganz besonderen Intensität. Doch angesichts der idyllischen Ruinenlandschaft, als welche sich die Ausgrabungsstätte heutzutage präsentiert, fällt es schwer, sich ein wirkliches Bild von diesem antiken Platz zu machen: Wie erlebten ihn die Menschen in der Antike, wie präsentierte er sich als Bühne des politischen Handelns und der gesellschaftlichen Kommunikation, und wie funktionierte er überhaupt konkret als öffentliches Zentrum dieser einzigartigen antiken Metropole? Es sind diese Fragen, mit denen die Ausgrabungsstätte ihre Besucher oftmals alleine lässt. Und es sind die Fragen, auf die wiederum die Klassische Archäologie seit jeher mit Hilfe von Rekonstruktionen Antworten zu geben versucht.

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  • ISAW Papers 12 (2017): P.Berl. 9825: An elaborate horoscope for 319 CE and its significance for Greek astronomical and astrological practice

    P.Berl. 9825: An elaborate horoscope for 319 CE and its significance for Greek astronomical and astrological practice
    by Dorian Greenbaum and Alexander Jones

    Abstract: The discovery of this elaborate horoscope in the Berlin papyrus collection is a milestone in the history of ancient horoscopes. The papyrus takes its place among very few such detailed horoscopes well preserved from antiquity. This paper discusses both the astronomical and astrological details of P.Berl. 9825, enumerating its contents and situating it within the broader historical and cultural context of astrological material from western antiquity. The first section outlines the physical details of the papyrus, its paleography, and the layout of the material among the different sections of the papyrus. It consists of seventeen columns spread among four framed sections. The beginning of the papyrus is lost, but enough remains to allow reconstruction of the date and time of the horoscope, in addition to the positions of the missing luminaries and planet (Saturn). A transcription and translation with apparatus and textual notes follow. A commentary in three parts follows the first section. Part 1 contains restorations, confirmations and corrections. This includes both a tabular summary of the data given in the horoscope, and a diagrammatic representation of the data. Part 2 consists of an astronomical commentary, comparing the astronomical data in the papyrus with Ptolemy’s Almagest and modern theory, to demonstrate that the horoscope was constructed using tables distinct from Ptolemy's, though of comparable quality. The commentary also includes analysis of solar and lunar data, planetary latitudes, and fixed stars “co-rising” with the longitudes of the relevant heavenly body. Part 3 is an astrological commentary. Comparisons with other elaborate horoscopes are made, in addition to analysis of the astrological techniques based on the data provided. Because this is the only extant example of a documentary horoscope containing all seven of the “planetary” lots of Paulus Alexandrinus, there is a more extensive discussion of the lots used here within their historical and cultural context.

    Contents

        Introduction
        Text
        Apparatus
        Translation
        Commentary
            Part I: Restorations, confirmations, and corrections.
            Part II: Astronomical commentary.
            Part III: Astrological commentary
        Notes
        Manuscripts
        Bibliography

    And see AWOL's list of all ISAW Papers

    Friday, September 15, 2017

    The Interactive Past: Archaeology, Heritage, and Video Games

    The Interactive Past: Archaeology, Heritage, and Video Games
    ISBN 978-90-8890-436-3 (softcover)
    ISBN 978-90-8890-437-0 (hardcover)
    ISBN 978-90-8890-438-7 (PDF e-book)
    Edited by
    Angus A.A. Mol,
    Csilla E. Ariese-Vandemeulebroucke,
    Krijn H.J. Boom
    & Aris Politopoulos
    9789088904363

    Introduction

    Video games, even though they are one of the present’s quintessential media and cultural forms, also have a surprising and many-sided relation with the past. From seminal series like Sid Meier’s Civilization or Assassin’s Creed to innovative indies like Never Alone and Herald, games have integrated heritages and histories as key components of their design, narrative, and play.

    This has allowed hundreds of millions of people to experience humanity’s diverse heritage through the thrill of interactive and playful discovery, exploration, and (re-)creation. Just as video games have embraced the past, games themselves are also emerging as an exciting new field of inquiry in disciplines that study the past. Games and other interactive media are not only becoming more and more important as tools for knowledge dissemination and heritage communication, but they also provide a creative space for theoretical and methodological innovations.
    The Interactive Past brings together a diverse group of thinkers — including archaeologists, heritage scholars, game creators, conservators and more — who explore the interface of video games and the past in a series of unique and engaging writings. They address such topics as how thinking about and creating games can inform on archaeological method and theory, how to leverage games for the communication of powerful and positive narratives, how games can be studied archaeologically and the challenges they present in terms of conservation, and why the deaths of virtual Romans and the treatment of video game chickens matters. The book also includes a crowd-sourced chapter in the form of a question-chain-game, written by the Kickstarter backers whose donations made this book possible. Together, these exciting and enlightening examples provide a convincing case for how interactive play can power the experience of the past and vice versa.

    Download the book here (PDF, 4.4MB)

    Europeans and Archaeology

    Europeans and Archaeology
    http://www.nearch.eu/IMG/jpg/euro_archaeo_247.jpg
    In order to obtain an objective view of the perception of heritage and archaeology we asked European citizens about their relation to it directly.

    Working with the poll-survey institute Harris Interactive, we set up a survey across nine European countries.

    The results showed us that the Europeans are quite well informed about archaeology and heritage and want a closer relationship with it!

    In this booklet you will find an easy to use synthesis of the results of this survey, to be used and reused within your own context.
    You can download the Open Access PDF version of the book.

    The Theban Necropolis Database

    [First posted in AWOL 15 October 2012, updated 15 September 2017 (new URL)]

    The Theban Necropolis Database
    Compiled by Jiro Kondo
    Introduction
    There is a vast mortuary area on the West Bank of Thebes (the ancient city of Waset) in the 4th nome of the Upper Egypt. Over 400 private rock tombs have been registered so far in this area excluding small-scale shaft tombs in the Deir al-Madina.

    Since the 19th century, these tombs have been extensively studied by researchers of the Western World. There is a sharp contrast between these private tombs and the royal tombs, which must have struck and impressed those who visited a private tomb for the first time. That is, the walls within the royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings and Queens are mainly decorated by religious texts such as the Book of Am-Duat, the Book of the Gate, the Book of the Cavern, the Book of the Day and the Book of the Night. On the other hand, the wall paintings within private tombs vividly depicted the daily life of the nobles with striking colours...

    The purpose of this database is to introduce all the data available so far concering the details of the private tombs in the Theban Necropolis, such as location, plan, the name and title of the owner, family relationship, wall decoration, funerary cones, etc., and the complete bibliography of the past research, in order to prepare the framework and to enhance the future research of the Theban Necropolis.

    Six Palmyrene Portraits Destroyed in Manbij, Syria: A Salvage Reading

    Six Palmyrene Portraits Destroyed in Manbij, Syria: A Salvage Reading

    Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research, May 2017,"Six Palmyrene Portraits Destroyed in Manbij, Syria: A Salvage Reading" by Jeremy M. Hutton (University of Wisconsin-Madison).
    Operatives of the Islamic State reportedly destroyed six Palmyrene funerary busts and statue fragments in Manbij, Syria, on July 2, 2015. This article considers the ethical implications of publishing photographs of antiquities that have been destroyed, arguing that in such dramatic cases as destruction, it is justified to publish readings. Photographs of these antiquities are then analyzed, their physical and iconographic characteristics described, and readings for three of the inscriptions suggested. Finally, the loss of data caused by the items' destruction is measured against the loss of data occasioned by looting.
    Available without charge until September 22, 2017

    Thursday, September 14, 2017

    Open Access Journal: Minos: Revista de Filología Egea

    [First posted in AWOL 13 January 2010. Updated 14 September 2017 (vols. 35 ff. added)]

    Minos: Revista de Filología Egea
    ISSN: 0544-3733
    ISSN electrónico: 2530-9110
    Minos
    Revista de Filología fundada en 1951 y cuyo tema es la filología egea. Actualmente, su es Julián MÉNDEZ DOSUNA  profesor de la Universidad de Salamanca.
    La revista tiene una periodicidad anual (1 volumen al año) y publica los textos fundamentalmente en inglés. Esporádicamente publica una serie paralela denominada Suplementos a Minos, en la que han visto la luz hasta el momento 17 títulos monográficos.