Archaeological Contexts of Inscriptions in the Private Sphere

The project applied for is a follow-up project to the FWF-funded project P 29261, which focused on the role of inscriptions in the overall context of residential buildings in Greece and the Balkans, while this project extends the geographical scope to Turkey and Cyprus. This is accompanied by a shift in the temporal focus from the Hellenistic period to the Imperial period and Late Antiquity. The aim is to examine where, when, how and why inscriptions were used in the everyday life of ancient houses. Among various aspects we will study the spatial distribution, the exact placements, the meaning of inscriptions on moveable objects, the connection between inscriptions and the objects they were related to, the role of inscriptions within household religion, clients and the targeted audience. As to put the results in sharper relief, the results of the investigated house contexts will be matched with inscriptions from other realms. The study will be based on the examination of inscriptions in their spatial and temporal archaeological contexts. Therefore it offers the possibility to achieve new results concerning the history of living. These will contribute to a differentiation of functions and uses of rooms, and of particular areas, and they also will shed a light on the role of all the people who frequented the houses. The results of the project will be published in articles, and a monograph comprising a catalogue with an analysis of each single house and an overall evaluation. The plates will illustrate inscriptions and their bearers, and plans on which the locations of the inscriptions and their bearers will be marked for better visualization, as well as 3D models of selected contexts. After publication, the most important information will be made available in an open access database.

The project dealt with the archaeological contexts of inscriptions and inscription carriers used in residential buildings. Residential buildings from the Hellenistic, Roman Imperial and Late Antique periods in Turkey and Cyprus were examined. The project analyzed where, when, how and why inscriptions were used in ancient homes. This includes their spatial distribution, their placement and their meaning on movable objects such as jewelry; in addition, their role in the domestic cult was examined and how the inscriptions were intended to affect viewers. In the case of inscriptions from residential buildings, the method of analyzing the texts in their spatial and temporal contexts opened up the possibility of obtaining new results on the history of housing. Among other things, new results could be obtained regarding the use of rooms and the role of the people (groups) who frequented the residential buildings could be better understood. The results of the project are of great significance for research into the socio-cultural structures of ancient dwellings.