Archaeological Studies: 2010 Aims

July 9, 2010

Pottery studies

The territorial survey campaigns, as well as the intensive suburban and urban survey work, and the excavation programmes at Sagalassos and D?ºzen Tepe, have resulted in the outline of ceramic production and use within the territory of ancient Sagalassos between the Iron Age and mid-Byzantine times. During the 2010 campaign, the general aim will be to increase our understanding of the many patterns of evolution represented by the wide variety of wares, mainly by implementing macroscopic fabric characterization, quantification of diagnostic sherds, chronological seriation and pattern distribution analysis.

Glass studies

The aim is to shed new light on the different typological versus chronological contexts in order to compile a typology and an internal chronological seriation of the glass, independent of other, already available chronological criteria, such as ceramic table wares and coins. Additionally, a special effort will be made to register the studied glass finds digitally.

During the 2010 campaign, the general aim will be to increase our understanding of the many patterns of evolution represented by the wide variety of glass, mainly by implementing the methodologies developed for the Imperial to Early Byzantine phases of glass production and use, to periods before and after these centuries. These methodologies imply the establishment of chronological sequences based on seriating assemblages, developing models of production organization based on main elemental and isotopic analysis of raw glass and approaching patterns of exchange based on the identification and potential identification of imported products.

Coin studies

As in previous years, coins from the ongoing surveys and excavations are subjected to a preliminary identification, after treatment by the conservation team. At the end of the season, moulds are made of each coin in order to reproduce plaster replicas in Belgium, which together with the digital photographs allow a more precise dating by our project numismatists.

Epigraphical studies

The study of the inscriptions of Sagalassos and its surroundings, old as well as newly discovered during the excavations, will continue. During this campaign paper squeezes of new inscriptions will be made.

Sculpture studies

As part of her doctoral dissertation, Semra M?§gele has made an inventory and study of all sculptural finds. Although this inventory is complete until the 2006 campaign, sculptural material discovered in 2006, as well as major discoveries that may turn up during the 2010 excavations, may still need to be studied and included in her dataset.

Stone studies: Wall and floor veneer

Aims

The primary aim of research on the marble wall and floor veneer of Sagalassos, remains to determine the provenance of the stone types. For the public buildings we concentrate our efforts on the Roman Baths and the Neon-Library. For the domestic context we will focus on the late antique urban villa.
During the coming campaign the study of wall and floor veneer will be finalized. Once again, the wall veneer, as well as the mosaic floors of all the above mentioned contexts will be studied. For wall veneer, flat wall revetment, sham architecture as well as opus sectile will be the object of research.

Methodology

For the Roman Baths we will mainly focus on the wall veneer from Caldarium I, Caldarium III (the former Kaisersaal) and Tepidarium I. As always the material will be identified macroscopically, sorted by stone type and weighed subsequently. As this is the last research campaign, samples for further archaeometric research will only be taken sporadically, e.g. in the case of a newly discovered unidentified stone type. Dimensions of slabs, such as thickness, width and length, will be taken into account in order to get a better idea of the total surface covered by the marble slabs as well as the degree of standardization.

During this campaign we also intend to study wall revetment in situ at the Roman Baths, in specific the wall veneer in the northern semicircular niche in Frigidarium 2 (Fig. 1) and the veneer in the bath tubs and on the walls of the apodyterium and Frigidarium 2 Also the parapets framing the natatio of Frigidarium 2 (Fig. 2) and the benches in the apodyterium bear particular interest.

For mosaic floors we will concentrate on the analysis of loose tesserae as well as floors in situ, this year more particular in the Neon-Library (Fig. 3) and the late antique urban villa.

For the hinterland of Sagalassos, the material obtained during the surveys conducted in the territory, will be studied as well.

For more, see www.sagalassos.be/en/webreports/2010.