Quantitative analysis of the archaeological evidence of the Artemision

Project number: Research project P 13187 Project title: Quantitative Analysis of the Archaeological Evidence of the Artemision ABSTRACT OF THE PROJECT A: The Early Pottery from the Artemision at Ephesos The excavations of the Artemision at Ephesos, since 1965 under the direction of Doz. A. Bammer, have revealed an important Greek sanctuary of the Geometric and Archaic period. This project is intended - in co-operation with others - to contribute to the research on the different aspects of the early Sanctuary of Artemis and its cult. Pottery has the greatest share of the excavated finds. Its range includes simple cooking pots as well as exquisitely decorated vases. The scientific potential of pottery lies in its quantity and diversity which can be tapped by using quantifying methods. The huge amount of pots and fragments can be recorded now in a quick and effective way by means of a computer system that was adapted to the specific needs of the Artemision excavations in 1997. If the vessels and fragments are sorted according to their exact position within the stratigraphic sequence, the pattern of the changing features of the individual pieces will result in a `diachronic typology` of the site Ephesos, that is a summary of the represented shapes of vessels and their development during the surveyed period. This typology is the basis for dating the layers and the connected architectural remains. Painted pottery is one of the most important branches of craftwork in the Geometric and Archaic period. One of the main aims of this project is to discover the contribution of the Ephesian potters and vase-painters to early Greek art. If the vessels out of a closed deposit are sorted according to the ancient use of the different shapes, the resulting pattern will provide valuable information about the original function of the assemblage. Furthermore it will be possible to reconstruct some essential features of the cult events in the Artemision. This way it has already been possible to trace cult meals with roasted and cooked food and plenty of wine. Pottery also provides important evidence for the history of ancient economy. The origin of the imported vessels and their amount in relation to other wares give information about the contacts between Ephesos and other regions of the Mediterranean world and their intensity during the first half of the first millennium BC For economic investigation it is necessary to know the exact provenance of the various kinds of pottery. Archaeometric methods provide an objective approach to this problem. In interdisciplinary collaboration with Prof. H. Mommsen (Bonn) and Dr. R. Sauer (Vienna) the ceramic samples will be analysed by chemical and/or mineralogical methods depending on how the fabric is constituted. B: Corinthian Imported Pottery and Archaic Drinking Vessels from the Artemision of Ephesos Aim of the project, which refers closely to the project "The early pottery from the Artemision of Ephesos", is the treatment of a part of the pottery findings form the archaic period. Out of the numerous material the groups "Corinthian pottery" and "Archaic drinking vessels" are chosen. From the Corinthian pottery the findings from the excavations since 1991 will be treated. A focal point is the reference of the Corinthian pottery to the stratigraphy. The relatively well studied Corinthian pottery, numerous fragments of which have been found, give the clue to a detailed dating of the eastern Greek and western Anatolian pottery. The archaic drinking vessels outnumber the other pottery types of the findings from the Artemision. For both groups, Bird bowls and so called Ionian cups, there is need of a temporal differentiated, diachronical typology, which is especially important to the stratigraphy. The today used typologies are in need of a revision and an adaptation to the specific findings of Ephesos. The Bird bowls have been recognised as being products of a north- Ionian centre. A significant part of the Ionian cups is likely to have been produced in Ephesos itself; this is a first result of the determination of the types of the potsherds. The question of provenance should be answered with specific archaeometric analysis. A sample collection of potsherd-types from Ephesos will be provided with a binocular microscope. The separation of the groups must be confirmed by a natural scientist. Besides it should be dealt with problems of the acts of worship and trade relations in Asia Minor and the Aegean. The material shall be recorded digitally and be documented by drawing and photographing. The numerous findings require a statistically interpretation. This will be done with the digital documentation system developed in 1997 and is a part of the overall digital documentation of the excavation. C: The Bronzes from the Artemision in Ephesos The excavations of A. Bammer from 1965 to 1994 brought out a lot of artefacts made of bronze. These finds are an important complex concerning both the number of the objects (about 4880 pieces, partly fragmentary) and the variety of the types (jewellery, weapons, vessels, tools). Some examples have been published already. Now the whole group of these bronzes shall be presented in the context with the other finds from the Artemision. In the preceding project, which was promoted by the FWF (no. P11033), Mag. Gudrun Klebinder studied all bronzes and made a catalogue of those objects which are relevant for a stylistic and stratigraphic analysis. Since the bronzes have been excavated stratigraphically, it is possible to analyse them in the whole context. Based on the stratigraphy, the manufacturing process and the analysis of formal categories a chronology and typology is to be established. The bronzes from the Artemision can be compared with examples from other places discussing them within a wider range. So the generally accepted chronology and typology can be verified or improved. The connection with other kinds of objects and the architectural remains in the Artemision are to be analysed. The interpretation of the bronzes is important for understanding the cult practice in the sanctuary of Artemis. It is the aim within these studies to examine aspects of technical production and distinction of special workshops. After deciding between imports and local products it is substantial for the project to examine the widespread relations to other cultures and contacts to offering persons, who visit the sanctuary donating sacrified objects. Within the whole context the bronzes can give information for a social and religious study about the cults in the sanctuary. Since the knowledge about bronze objects in connection with the cult in sanctuaries of Eastern Greece is insufficient, the finds from the Artemision will give important information for this area, its art history and the religious life. D: Topography and Architecture of the Temple of Artemis of Ephesos - Preceding the Sanctuary Built by Kroisos Since 1965, numerous building remains dating to the Archaic and Geometric periods have been uncovered in the Artemision of Ephesos under the direction of Univ.-Doz. Dr. Anton Bammer. These early constructions are extremely important, not only for the history of the sanctuary of Artemis of Ephesos, but also because few contemporary temples could be excavated in a comparable scale. The building remains covered by the monumental temple commissioned by Kroisos (ca. 570 BC) belong to smaller sanctuaries, altars and square stone bases (called "cult bases"). A small temple surrounded by columns in the centre of the pre-Kroisos sanctuary is of special interest since it is one of the earliest examples for a Greek peripteros. In the immediate surroundings of some of the buildings numerous finds have been excavated which offer important evidence for the ancient cult practice. When Kroisos had the Archaic Artemision and its altar built, the foundation walls of all the earlier structures were covered. At present, the chronological sequence of the predecessor buildings and their functional connections with each other are in want of further study. The topography has always been an important factor for building in the Artemision since both the dynamics of the nearby Kaystros river and the high ground water level are decisive for all construction work. Therefore, a study of the evolution of the Artemision has not only the foundations and walls to take into account, but also measures taken against humidity and flooding. These can be found in the excavation record e.g. in the form of plastered floors and bevelled walls. In order to interpret the excavation results and to understand the cultic proceedings in the Artemision, it is necessary to firmly establish the connection between the stratigraphy and the different groups of finds on theone hand and the excavation areals and the buildings of the sanctuary on the other hand. By digitalizing the excavation plan and by filing the different groups of finds with the help of database system, the plotting of the distribution of finds in relation to the buildings of the Artemision can be automaticized to a large extent. Another goal is the dating, description and graphic display of the Artemision`s different building phases preceding the sanctuary built by Kroisos. The close collaboration with those engaged in studying the finds will allow to attribute the individual buildings stratigraphically and to date them more exactly than has been possible so far.