The International Review of Ancient Art & Archaeology NERVA NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1999 PUBLISHED IN GREAT BRITAIN £3.50/$6.00 USA VOLUME 10 NUMBER 6 | INGIUDING A SPNGIAL SECTION DEVOTED TO NUMIBMATICS SCYTHIAN TREASURES FROM ANCIENT UKRAINE PHARAOHS OF THE SUN: AKHENATEN, NEFERTITI, TUTANKHAMEN KING ALFRED: LONDON’S FORGOTTEN KING THE ROSETTA STONE CLEANING THE ELGIN MARBLES SUTTON HOO SHIP BURIAL MOSAICS IN RIMINI EARLY COINS IN THE AEGEAN NUMISMATIC MUSEUM OF ATHENS 10 i all Hi (Gold fnta from Bratoiubrs'yi Kurgan, near Ot hye, Sth cenbry RC. Hi 178 om, From the touring exhibition: ‘Gold of the Nomads: Seythlan Treasures fom Ancient Ukralne San Antonio Maseum of Art.ENQUIRIES Richard M. Keresey R, Seth Bright, (212) 606-7266 carncosue: 800.444.3709 outside the continental U.S. 203.847.0465 fax 203,849,023, soriear's 1334 York Avenue 10021. New York www sothebys.com SOTHEBYS Founded 1744MINERVA = VOLUME 10 NUMBER 6 Gold of the Nomads Scythian Treasures from Ancient Ukraine Ellen R. Reeder, Gerry D. Scott, II, & ‘Shelby L. Wells London’s King Alfred Exhibition to commemorate the 11th centenary of King Alfred’s death John Clark Ancient Mosaics in Rimini D.L. Patan’ Pharaohs of the Sun Major international exhibition on Egypt’s Amarna Period Yvonne J. Markowitz Sixty Years of Sutton Hoo The Sutton Hoo Ship Burial Richard Hodges The Rosetta Stone Egyptian Hieroglyphs deciphered Peter A. Clayton ‘Sir, They are Scrubbing the Elgin Marbles!’ International Colloquium will re-examine the controversial cleaning of the sculptures in the 1930s Tan Jenkins The Numismatic Museum of Athens Theo G. Antikas and Laura Wynn-Antikas Early Coins from the Aegean Touring exhibition of Greek Coins ‘Theo G. Antikas and Laura Wynn-Antikas IN FORTHCOMING ISSUES: + Roxie Walker Galleries of Egyptian Funerary Archaeology * Christian Wall Paintings in Georgia MINERVA 1 * The Yarmukians + Masterpieces from the Getty Museum FOUNDER, EDITORIN- CHIEE, AND PUBLISHER Jerome M. Eisenberg, Ph.D CONSULTING EDITOR Peter A, Clayton, FSA. ASSOCIATE, EDITOR Sophia Wilberforce EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS Luciano de Marsilae ‘Stephen C. Ross, ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Emma Beatty Dr eter Meyers, Cambie a: cf ie, De Fata a ‘CORRESPONDENTS vid Bees, Dbl pat ber een Jean Pitre Montesino, DraPerea Yebens, Drip Sia ome ould Sith ope Published in Engiand bth eee 14 Old Boo 5 Fae (0171) 391 1598 Smal nner= _ —\———, —=| ___News CELEBRATING 10 YEARS OF PUBLICATION, As we complete our tenth year of publishing Miner, the Ealitorsin-Chief wishes to thank our readers for thelr faithful support ofthis publication. We believe that Minerwt has served a worth- while purpose in bringing to the English-speaking community the most timely coverage of ‘world-wide archaeological excavations, muscum exhibitions of ancient art, reviews of major symposiums and conferences, the trade in antiquities, a balanced reportage of efforts to combat the illicit trade, and a second-to-none world calendar of exhibitions, meetings, and lectures dévoted to the ancient arts; all with an emphasis on England and the United States. We have Jmereased ous size from 48 10 72 pages and greatly expanded the number of colour illustrations, yet the subscription price has remained the same for the past five years. However, ince this pub: Iicatlon is heavily subsidised by Dr Elsenberg in order to maintain this value, the continuing and enthusiastic support of our readers Is essential. As we enter into the new millennium, may we continue to share our passion for ancient art and archaeology. NEWS FROM EGYPT. Discovery of four statues at Franco-Egyptian. Archaeological Karnak Temple representing Studies Centre in Luxor in the near Tuthmosis future there may well be a new angle ‘on the famous temple at Karnak ‘This new important discovery has raised among scholars and Naglaa Habib Bl Zaha researchers a very Important ques tion as to who built the Fourth Pylon ir ions i ff the temple at Karnak, Was it Hat. O”'S0ing excavations in the ofthe temple at Karak asf Hats Contra Delta of Egypt continue hevtather Tithmosis PoThe cone #0 delight archaeologists Potion ofthe pylon hasbeen undet EI Dakablia governorate located in Fesorton tough a ant effort of the cena Dela of Egypt inludes the Supreme Counell Of antigulties many important achatdogia ste SeA)"tnd the franco-bayptian the nee used tobe te tah and Sewtologeal Studley Cente Kars the 17h Nome of Lower Egypt du fak.'The central section ofthe wall Ing the pharaonte era, The matt vrs but nlimestone with layer of sites that revel important remains ttuce over theblocs, and theallof are Tell E'Rabeer tell Temy. 2) ints yer many centuries ago so Ende Tet H hedaman To brougit down some ofthe lngesoneBulamoun. An Old Kingda neon. ioc Restorer sorted by plcng ells wes discovered tt Monshaet Upthe pleces ofthe clapsedvall it Fazat, 1Skms south of elt Rabee Oder to cpa the easten Seclon, that was Mendes Sn siscoveed the emains of out \"'Mendes wes mentioned in the limestone nicheseachconainng ne Miele Fingdonn Cott Teas es the lower par ofa seated Osian statue, meting place of Oss anda They Tne four statues represent Th. und and became the unlted Ba sons 1 evidenced by an ints the same lex sake tha OSM be Esttouche found nearby and the was manifested through the tans inscriptions over the intl that spec. body conequenaly Oxetwes epres iy that Hsthepsot ordered the etee.senigd' a's fam and the Morhlp of tion of these Hatucs Some of the Ours continued nto the Plate fragmentary pees al eseyInscp. rar Mendes became the copltl of ans represencing te wingea Stn fyypr using te 29th Byosty 9 tise witha red coloured eg shove it 380). Cision inte tea goes that implies the existence Sarl back'ts the Od Kingdon Cane ts whole scene surmounting the ZI81 Be) ss une sane fobs nae niches and adorning the ease sec. are mantabas retested eo he ok ton of the pylon, Tunther work andSed gpa esp ae Should lead fo another four aches but sce ao 2 BC) Covered by the debs of allen blocks used Gartng ihe Seana ee that could possbly ve the answer archaic wand to the question whether it was Hat- The SCA archaeologists started shepsut or Tuthmosis ! who built the their excavations in September 1998, Fourth Pylon. Thanks to the com- when the Old Kingdom necropolis bined efforts of the SCA an The was discovered, and excavations MINERVA 2 ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION (issues) UK £18; Europe £20 ‘est of werk Air £27/USS44; Surface £20/USS33 Published bi-monthly. Send subscriptions to either the London or New York offices below, ADVERTISEMENT SALES. (Workdwide except US) Emma Beatty, 14 Old Bond Street, London, WIX 3DB, Tek (171) 495 2590 Pax: (0171) 491 1595 ws) Swanne Verdugo, Suite 28, 153 Bast $7th St, "New York, NY 10022. ‘Tek: (212) 385 2033, Fax: (212) 688 0412 "TRADE DISTRIBUTION United Kingdom: Diamond Magazine Distibuton Lud Tel. (01797) 225229 Fax (01797) 225687 US & Canada: Disticor, Toronto Expt & the Near Fast: ‘American University in Cairo Press, Cairo, Egypt Printed in England by: Simpson Drewett, Richmond, Suny, Allughs eserves opt of his pubis tian may be reredued stored in a eel _ysler or tans in any fora by any mei, lectoni, mechani, photo copying ecoang, voters without tithe the peor writen perio ofthe Publisher ence petting ested epylng sub te Copy Licensing “Agency Lid $034 Aled Pe, Toon, WIE TDP 90 0957 7718 Second ls postage pa oath Hackensick, Us Postmaster, please send change of ‘adress to loyal Mal ntratonal io Yellowstone international §7Huens “Cot Hackensack, N} 07601, ‘he bir of ern rca sont th econ eae rails ha ements ant he fre ‘hi shah of pnd espe ‘ar he psy of eps: continue 10 recover more details of that period, The excavations pro duced many important objects including exquisitely beautiful pot tery vessels, Some of these have sig nificant signs on them such as the fish symbol of Hat Meheit, the major deity worshipped in the isth Nome at Mendes, modern Tell El Rabee, 15kms north of the newly disco ered necropolis, Hat Meheit was probably the frst deity worshipped nd, represented as a fish, symbol of the fishing economy of ‘he fishing Pig, ated nt community”, That area was known long Laie with the in hieroglyphs as Anebet and then Set of king Den, Djedet and is mentioned in the geo Me fou'th Kg of graphical list carved on the walls of" 7258%m" Senusret I's ‘White Chapel! in the Karnak temple at Luxor Salem Cabs El Boghdadi, chief archaeologist for the area and the person responsible for the present Excavations, Is fascinated by the Sslabaster, schist, and everyday pot. tery found, and especially by the Fig 2, Slate palette “decoration. sit cm MINERVA 3 plates in different sizes and shapes, fowever, one masterpiece is a beau {iful flaked flint long knife with the serekh of king Den, the fourth king of the Ist Dynasty (Fig 1). The serekh was the shape that contained the king’s name in early times, and subsequently it was written ia an fval cartouche. Horus, on top of the ih, is represented as a falcon showing that Den was a powerful king and his reign particularly strong and prosperous, Among the finds was a cylinder seal with 4 hieroglyph inscription that might represent the owner's title or his position, The signs smr-skimrsb# om it might indicate the combination of the soul, ka, and the ba according to the SCA archaeologists working on the site The number of known decorated palettes is very few, not more than ten, but the example found here is particularly beautiful in its designs with animats (Fig 2). The palette was restored as it was broken into four parts and, repaired, It Is almost com: plete. The design shows a hunting og chasing an elegant animal that looks like a leaping gazelle trying to escape from It, The gazelle’s head is lost with the damage at the top left The dog is followed by another an ‘mal, possibly a gazelle, but in a more placid attitude, The two animals that Circle the centre portion may symbol- ise the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt; they face each other holding their tails upright. Thele long necks interact and their heads meetin a probable sign of the unification. The animals’ nails on their paws are repro: duced in some detail, a8 they are on another animal represented in the Tower part of the palette, This animal with its long ears and tail, standing Quietly, i possibly & donkey. An elon gated feather that looks like a palm tree runs up the right side of the palette, As with most of the known figurative palettes this new example still needs detailed study in order t Interpret the significance of its design and iconography. This palette has close parallels with several of the pother animal-decorated palettes and, ‘with its elongated neck animals, prin. Cipatly with the obverse side of the famous Narmer Palette with its entwined neck ‘serpopards', now in the Cairo Museum Dr Gaballa Ali Gaballa, Secretary General to the Supreme Council of Antiquitles, visited the site and noted the progress of work there; he said: ‘we hope to discover mare and more tombs related to this period that goes back five thousand years. We also hhope that we can find more exclusive land rare finds related to that impor lant period of our history as excavations reveal the consecutive and con- tinuous progress of civilisation over these important areas in Egypt. We can easly notice, through the contin ued use of a specific necropolis, the evolutionary steps that occurred in Ancient Egyptian civilisation. T peaise the efforts of the SCA employees in the Egyptology Department super. vised by Dr Mohamed El Soghayar.” Monshaet Ezzat, EI Senbellavreln, Jn the Dakablla governorate is only part of a series of important archaeo: logical sites covering many Dynastic periods. Tell El Rabee is a 230-feddan (approximately 230 acres) area that Ineludes pharaonic relics and mon ‘ments such as temples, granite naos, ‘mastabas, and a rams’ necropolis with hnuge granite sarcophagi, etc. Tell El Balamoun, 158 feddans, wes Diospolis Parva during the Ptolemale period and is mentioned in important docu- ‘ments; in the Edfu texts it was the capital of the Behdet Nome. Many important sites occur not only in the Dakablia governorate but also in the whole Delta area and are the subject of great interest from the SCA and the foreign missions working in Egypt. Naglaa Habib E! Zahlawi Neolithic caves found on the Red Sea Stone Age well paintings of animals birds, and oats have been found by a Belgian-Fgyptian archaeological mission in acave at Qusel, due east of Dendara, on the Red Se3..A num ber of stone tools dating to the Neolithic Period, ¢. 7000 BC, includ ing granite axes, avs, knives, and scrapers were uncovered. Additional exploration resulted in the discavery of another cave about 500 metzes away which also contained similar paintings. Additional tombs excavated at Bahariya De Zah Haws, the decor of anti ues forthe Giza Plateau, who has the newly discovered necropolis at Tuhaya Oss 26s blometes south west of Giza (ee "The Valley of the Mummies, Mineo, Septembe/Octo ber 1999, pp 9:19), reports that two adational tombs have been uncow ered, yielding Gozens of additional mummies, many of whieh have cor tonnage srcophagi lavish deceed with gilded designs. ta One of the tombs, constructed lke a catacomy with @ sels of chambers one above the other, he has discovered the inummmy ofa child ently cqrees with gold. ° Antiquities smuggled to Jordan returned to Egypt ‘An over-lifesize Roman-Egyptian marble head of the god Serapis, probably sculpted in Alexandria, dat Ing to the 1st century AD, was zecently smuggled to Jordan, then registered as @ Jordanian antiquity and placed on display at their National Museum, was returned to the Egyptian authorities. Also repa- trlated were 21 ushabti figurines, four amulets, and several scarabs that were found in a container being transported across the border between Egypt and Jordan. Jerome M, Bisenberg, PhD. 9000-YEAR-OLD FLUTES EXCAVATED IN CHINA The oldest known playable musical Instruments, six remarkable well: preserved bone flutes, have been excavated at the eatly Neolithic site of Jiahu in Henan Province, China According to radiocarbon dating, the site was occupied from c. 7000. 5700 BC. Though fragmentary flutes hhave been found at older sites oceu pled by Neanderthal man, these are the first that have survived in such perfect condition that one of them can be played, producing a scale MINERVA 4 ‘covering about an octave, Because of the carefully selected tone seale it is possible that they were used to play Hot just single notes, but music, The five- to elght-holed flutes were made red-crowned crane, This could tle into the ancient legend that cranes could be summoned by playing on the flute. The flutes bad been exea- vated as part of a six-year campaign which took place in the 1980s at Jiahu, a prolific site with more than 300 graves containing thousands of stone, pottery, and bone objects Pictograms carved on tortoise shell indicate that their use for divination {goes back thousands of years beyond those previously found from the 2nd millennium BC Jiahu 15 a site of $5,000 square metres, with over 40 house founda- tions, 370 cellars, and nine pottery kilns already uncovered even though less than five percent have ‘been excavated. Dr Gatman Harbot- tle of the Brookhaven National Lab- ‘oratories on Long Island, New York, hhad been invited by Chinese scien tists and archaeologists, while on a trip to China, to visit the site and st was only at the end of his visit that they took the flutes out from a safe Fragments of about 30 other flutes were also uncovered, Dr Harbottle then convinced them to allow him to do radiocarbon analyses and to publish the findings in Nature, No, 401, 366-368 (1999), In conjunction with three of the Chinese scholars, Juzhong Zhang, Changsul Wang, land Zhaochen Kong, Jerome M, Bisenbers, Ph._——_—_—_—_—_—_—_————————————————————————————————— —— L News -— CORINTH MUSEUM ANTIQUITIES RECOVERED MAJOR COLLECTION ] OF ANCIENT On 7 September the FBI and the sale in December 1997. The cons antiquities thefts squad of the Greek signee, no doubt a bit emboldened, CHINESE/ART security police recovered 273 of the then placed five additional vase, in DONATED, 276 antiguites stolen in April 1990 _ twolots,in the March 1998 ste TO SMITHSONIAN from the Archaeological Museum at Dr Thomas Mannock of the Beaz SO) Corinth, Greece, in a-van in Miami, ley Archives at Oxford University, in Florida, Among the recovered objects charge oftheir pottery database, spot were a Gretk Sth century BC marble ted the skyphos, noted Its strong Dr Paul Singer, a New York psychila kouros head, a Roman marble head of resemblance to one of the stolen tist who died in 1997 at the age of Menander, twelve other Hellenistic vases, and contacted the writer in 92, has willed a major collection of and Roman marble heads, a Roman New York, who immediately notified about §,000 objects, valued betweem marble statue of Pan, a Gracco-Roman the Fl and Dr Catherine Vanderpool $50 to $60 million to the Arthur M. bronze statuette of a general, and a of the American School of Classical Sackler Gallery of the Smithsonian wide varlety of Greek terracotta heads Studies. The A.S.C.S had excavated, Institution, He bought his fist Asian and figurines, Geometric, Corinthian, recorded, and photographed the object as a youth of 17 in Vienna. He and Attic vases, small bronzes, jew objets, and also built the museum at fled Austria in 1938, passed through I ellery, and glass vessels. A number of Corinth in 1931. Dr Vanderpool hed London, and then resided in New the hetter pleces were published by supplied Minerva in 1990 with a com- York and Surnmi, New Jersey, where ' the writer in Minerva, September plete list of the stolen pleces and a he began to collect avidly for nearly | 1990, pp. 23.25. Selection of photographs of some of 60 years, concentrating on carly | For several years there were no the more important objects which archaeological objects, and becoming Jeads, until the Greck authorities were Were then published, The FAI was able aM authority ofthe Sth to 3rd century | contacted in 1997 by @ Christos to locate three additional vases which BC antiquities of the state of Chu in Mavrikis who said that he had been had been consigned to the auetion southern China. Many of his objects approached by a Greek-American who house and to track down the con- have been displayed in museums claimed to have purchased the stolen signee, who was located in Miami, throughout the United States. Some pieces; however, they were not able to Several months later Maviiks went ofthe antiquities have been placed on locate him or to recover them at that to Miami after having contacted the temporary display at the Sackler | time. Three small and inconsequen- owner of the stolen pieces, who was Gallery to celebrate the bequest tial vases ftom the group were illus- willing to return them if he were not | trated and sold in a secondary New named or prosecuted. Unfortunately, | York auction for Antiquities and Sou- three of the better marble heads hadi venits of the Grand Tour in March apparently already been-sold. They 1998 as a single lot, one of which, a ate illustrated here in the hope that SICILIAN GOLD PHIALE | small Attic black‘igure slyphos with they too can be recovered in the near | lions attacking a boar, was subse- future. Should any of our readers have TO BE RETURNED Guently published by the writer, any information concerning their ‘TO ITALY Unaware of its origin. However, these whereabouts please contact the write ‘were not the first of the missing who will pass on the Information, In objects to appear on the art market, a5 confidence, to the proper authorities, two vases, both Attic black-figire asitisstill an ongoing investigation, "The Second Cireuit Court of Appeals Wie cues with (Giga ewes aatl ruled on 12 July that the Distt flanking sphinxes, were sold as one Jerome M,Blsenberg, Ph.D. Court decision that the insribed Sic Jot in # major New York antiquities ian gold phiale, sai to date from the 4th century BC, acquited by a New York collector, Michael Stefnhardt, THESE THREE MARBLE HEADS ARE STILL MISSING. aod seized by US. Customs in 1995, ‘ust be returned to lta, due to the risrepresentations made to US Cus toms upon its importation in 1991 by the dealer, Robert Haber, that the country of origin was Switzerland, rather than Tealy, and that the value declared was substantially lower than its true value. However, it did not attempt to tackle the more important Issue that the Italian government con: siders the gold phiale stolen property since It considers all antiquities to be the property of the State and this would thus fall under the National Stolen Property Act. | Fg 1 Roman marble Fig 2. Roman marble Fig 3. Roman marble portrait head of flius peal of eraps wearing head of Ens | ‘Caesar. H: 32.5 cm. ‘a modlus. H: 40.0 cm. 1H: 17.20m. | (Marked 5.2771) ‘Marked $2987). (Marked 5.2988). | | MINERVA $“The Kingdom of Pergamon emerged as a powerlul independent state in west- fan Anatalia in 323 BC, after the death of Alexander the Great. During the Atal Period (281-133 BC) successve rulers erected a splendid city of marble on the peak of the acropolis, a site worthy of Peigamon’s status as the ‘most powerful state in Asia Minor. ‘Most monuments on the Pergamon “Acropolis were built under the ambi tious and enthusiastic patronage of ~Attalos 1 and Eumenes Ml (241-159 BC) Their achievements include the royal palace, decorated with famous mosacs ‘nd works of art, and the addition ofa ‘two-story colonnade around the ten. News THE ‘ARUNDEL GIANT’ ple of Athena that connected a series ff rooms exhibiting 4 collection of famous Greek sculptures, The renovined library built By Eumenes 1, second only to the one in Alexanda, housed some 200,000 scrolls accord: ‘ing to ancient sources. When the Alexandrian brary burnt in 41 BC, Mare Antony took the Pergamon library to give as a gift to Cleopatra ‘The last of the Attalid kings, Attalos 1M, bequeathed his kingdom to Rome. Afler his death Pergamon became the Roman capital of the Province of Asia in 133 BC. Aitalos I erected over-lifesize stat- ues of the conquered Gauls to cele- MINERVA 6 Fig The reconstructed Gra taro ‘tert. Fig, ddassing of the atte ofthe gods ‘nd the Glants on the Pergamon ‘iter. brate his victories over these barbarian Invaders. Between 165/4 and 156 BC, hls son, Eumenes 1, built an impres sive marble altar 0 commemorate, land in graticude fos, his military suc cesses. Of remarkable beauty and grandeur, the Great Altar (Fig 1) stood 6 a large terrace below the summit of the Pergamon Acropolis. The site is visually aligned with the ‘Temple of Athena, the goddess to whom the Altar sas dedicated, ot 10 Zeus, as ‘was once believed. A broad flight of Stalts, which divides the entre of the west side of the Altar, leads to an upper court enclosing the altar proper. The walls surrounding this court were decorated with a small flee depicting the life of Telephos, the legendary founder of the city, and numerous sculptures decorated the wide roof of the Altar. However, a thied sculptural feature the Great Frieze = accounts for the Altar’s fame, even in ancient times, Only a monumental, central staircase interrupts the band of over-life-size relief figures encircling the base of the Altar."The small frieze in the spper ‘court depiets episodes inthe lite of tne hhero Telephos in a traditional manner, but the Great Frieze portrays the mythical battle between the Olympian, gods and the sons of Mother Earth, the Giants, in anew way. ‘A dramatic battle has erupted between the Giants and gods, who fight with extraordinary physical and emotional strength. Their struggle extends around six walls, not a series ‘of events, but rather as the representa tion of a specific time and place —ISS — - News here attains a high point in the deplc- twisting to the right, rests on his tion of drama and pathos. At east 16 shoulders, and his head is compressed artists must have worked on the Great against his chest (Fig 3). In death, his Frieze who combined all their artistic brow is furrowed, his eyes are closed, and technical experience to work the and his lips are slightly parted reveal. marble. Jewellery and weapons, else- ing the teeth (Fig 4). On the entire where added in bronze, here are frieze, which is more than 100 metres, Worked in the stone. The deep under- long, this Is the only instance where cutting of the garments of the god. the face of a dead individual Is pre desses in some places leaves them served, almost detached from the background, The ‘Arundel Giant! has an unusual ‘The artists sculpted extremely muscu- history. In 1967, the former Keeper of lar yet always anatomically correct the Gréek and Roman Department of bodies, and were gifted at capturing the British Museum, Denys Haynes, expressions of pain and desth on the rediscovered the fragmentary slab at tottured faces of the glants in marble, Fawley Court, Henley-on-Thames. 2 material they seemed 10 model as Haynes established that the slab readily asi it were clay, belonged to the Great Altar of Perga The ‘Arundel Giant’ is a key frag- mon, which has been exhibited in ment from one of the most unusual Berlin's Pergamon Museum since scenes on the Altar, the north frieze 1930. A few years ealier, Haynes had depicting Ares’ companions engaged identified another fragment that origi single moment captured by a series of Fig3.The Arundel jn battle, The physical attitude of the nated ftom the Great Frieze, the Wor ingenious artistic devices. The figures lant’ fiagment downed giant exemplifies the rematk-_sop-Giant. Both were pieces from the "om the are mostly parallel with, and worked pay f%@M ‘MB, able new cications of the Pergamene first great English collection of Classi- almost free from, the background, artists. At the feet of two fighters ~ a cal antiquities assembled during the Singly and in groups, they clash, not god wielding a tree trunk, and Giant 17th century by Thomas Howaed, sec: haphazardly, but connected by care: preparing to ward off the awaited ond Earl of Arundel (1585-1646) fully orchestrated genealogical, icono- blow with an animal skin (Hig 2)—lies Arundel's agent, Reverend William graphical, and compositional detals, another bearded Giant, the subject of Petty, had collected antiquities for For example, the ever-victorious god- Figs, escent this fagment. The blow of a god has Arundel House in the Strand, London, deses, who never come in close phsi- from he Cr by sent him plummeting to the ground from throughout the Near East and in cal contact with thelr opponents, are Peer Paul Rubens. Go that he lands upside down, break~ Italy. It Is known that the “Giant shown to overpower their enemies in AMW "ing his neck. The weight of his body, arrived at Arundel House in 1627. Uf 2 variety of subtle ways, The tnomen- 5 has been persuasively argued, the fous battle binds the entre world of “Arundel Giant’ is the prototype for Titans and Gods in a fateful contest eter Paul Ruben’ ‘Descent from the with the Glants, who challenged the Cross, painted in Antwerp Cathedral fixed order of the Olympians, and in 1610 (ig 5), the ‘Gant was not oceasionally appear near to winning sent from Pergamon to England, but hereby increasing the dat, from Healy where Rubens would have The pictorial programme symbol seen it during his visit there (1600- ised the military victory of Pergemon 160, lover the Gauls, and other eastern ene Sometime after Arunde's death, his tales, who had challenged the rule of sreavgrandson gave pleces inthe col Pergamon and the Independence of [ection to a former family servant, Greek cites on the coast of Asia Royeell Cuper, who used them to Minor. The Hellenistic style of Greek orate his pleasure garden, called aut, known also from other original Cupia’s Gardens, on the Thames marble sculptures excavated nearby, Embankment 3¢ Lambeth, During the carly 18th century, Joho Freeman fcqured the ‘Arundel Giant for Fev ley Court, whete he set It into 4 Gothic Revival ruin, After its redisov cry it was given on permanent loan *o the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford. lg 4. Head of The ‘Arundel Giant’ fom ‘the Pergamon Altar De Max Kunze, Bern, New Yorkers may view the “Arundel Giant’ at the Ukrainian Institute of America, 2 East 79th Street, New York, from 30 Novem- ber to 3 December between 11 and 5 daily where itis part of a special exhibition, ‘Royal Portraits and the Hellenistic Kingdoms’ presented by Robin Symes Ltd, in memory of Christo Michailids (1945.99), MINERVA 7[| ScythianGold GOLD OF THE NOMADS Scythian Treasures from Ancient Ukraine The extraordinary treasures of ancient gold discovered in Ukraine since the 18th century have rarely been seen outside eastern Europe. Not since the 1975 Metropolitan Museum of Art exhibition, ‘From the Lands of the Scythians,’ have American audiences been able to view these remarkable examples of the ancient goldsmith’s art. Beginning this November, a long-term travelling exhibition of more than 170 objects ~ many of them excavated since the 1975 exhibition — will offer audiences in the United States and France a rare opportunity to study and enjoy these masterpieces of ancient metalwork. Ellen R. Reeder, Gerry D. Scott, II, and Shelby L. Wells ne of the major nomadic peoples of the ancient world, the Scythians migrated westward, perhaps from an original homeland in the Altai Mountains, to the European Steppes. At its height, Scythian rule appears to have extended from the Danube River in the west to the Don River (and, for a tlme, the Volga River) in the east, and from the area surrounding modern Kiev (Kyiv) in the north to the Crimean peninsula and the Black Sea in the south, The region corresponds roughly to the boundaries of modem Ukraine. ‘The Seythians first enter the his: torical record in the 7th century BC as a nomadic warrior culture that allied itself with the Assyrians against the Cimmerians, a similarly homadic warrlor culture displaced from the Ukrainian Steppes by the Scythians. So important was the alliance to both the Assyclans and the Scythians, it appears that a daughter of the Assyrian King Asathaddon was given by her father in mareiage to the Scythian King Bar tatua (Partatua) in 674 BC. Together, the Assyrians and the Scythians con: fquered the Medes of the Caspian Sea region. Following this victory over the Medes, Herodotus, the Greek hiss torian, reports that the Seythians controlled much of the ancient Near Bast for 28 years, plundering and extracting tribute by force of arms, He also records the story that eventu- ally the Median King Cyaxares enter tained a large number of Scythian warriors, got them hopelessly drunk, ig 1. Gold pendant, from Kurgan 2, burial 3, near Vepke Blo frka Ith cenbry NCTE. 4.2 cm. We: Gl ¢. MTU. ‘Tne pendant is worked in elaborate detall and the Greck artist ‘demonstrates a high degree of technical expertise. Ths type Tenowon elsewhere bn Greek jewlery wheres most probably denoted a Greek godess whether a Scythian owner interpreted ‘the Image as Sethian dety Us unknown. The necklace has a Dus head penatant, and she also wore earings (now missin) er headpiece, not «type contmanly fd in Greece, may lave ‘been rendered with extn Helge fo appea to the Seytan custom for tall headdresch om worn MINERVA 8 and murdezed them. Those who sur vived fled northward back to the Ukrainian Steppes. Despite this set-back, the written sources wich survive from antiquity give the impression that, as watrors, the Seythians were the equals of the Assyrians, the Greeks, and the Achaemenid Persians. To the ‘Achaemenid Perslans, the Seythians (or Sakas) were a colourful tribe of nomads and a definite threat. The Persian King Darius dealt with the Asiatic Seythians in 520-519 BC, and a relief sculpture survives showing the defeated Astatie Scythian king as one of nine subjugated enemy lead fers bound and led before a large fig ture of the Persian monarch However, Darius was not as success: ful in his campalgn against the Euro. pean Scythians. In 514 BC, he Geclded to campaign against these Seythians and assembled a massive army to subjugate them. During the ‘campaign of $1812 BC, the Seythi ans followed a “scorched earth’ pol icy, leading the Persian army deep Into the Steppes, never giving battle and destroying wells, foodstuffs, and pasture land behind them, In doing So, they wore down the Persian army, forced it to retreat, and very nearly destroyed it ‘To the ancient Greeks, the Seythi- fans were northern barbarians of almost mythic proportion, One Scythian custom that helped to mark ‘them as barbarians in Greek eyes was their habit of taking their wine neat, rather than mixing it with water in the Greek manner, The archaeologi-Fr cal record certainly bears out the Scythian fondness for deinking wine, a least in connection with funerary feasts. Large numbers of Greek wine amphorae, remains of the funerary feast, are routinely excavated from the trenches surrounding Scythian tomb mounds known as Kurgans (Rurhans) Direct contact between the Greeks and the Seythians began in the 6th century BC when Greek Colonial settlements began to appear slong the north coast of the Black Sea. The most important of these settlements grew Into.trading centres including Olbia (which Herodotus visited), Nymphaion, Chersonesos Taurica, and Pantikepaion, Trade iatgely consisted of Scythian grain from the farms of thelr subjects and slaves in exchange for Greek wine and Iuxury goods, Including metal- work, Seythian grain was essential to ancient Greek prosperity, and the Athens of Pericles very much telied fon the regular arrival of the grain ships from the Black Sea coast. In addition, Athenians of the period recruited Seythian wartiors to serve as policemen. In time, the Greek colonies of the Black Sea became something like melting pots with cultural exchanges and intermar- riage between Greek settlers and the Scythians, One example is the mother of Demosthenes, whose father was Greek and mother Seythian. Demosthenes’ Athenian opponents thus accused him of being a barbarian because of his wealthy Scythian grandmother Unlike their Greek and Near East erm neighbouss, the Seythians left no monumental architecture apart from. their earthen tombs, which rise like small pyramfds from the flat steppes. Neither did these nomads produce any free-standing sculpture other than the massive, crudely carved effl- sies that crowned some of the burial mounds, Therefore, the wealth and quality of their metalwork is all the more arresting to the modern viewer. | Whether as artists or patrons, the Scythlans are Identified with their metalwork in gold, silver, and bronze, and lavish examples of each, of these are well represented in the ‘exhibition. Most of the works are of relatively small scale and are very Portable, as befits the requirements ‘of a nomadic people. In addition, & large number of objects are assoc ated with Scythlan passions, includ ing arms and armour, ‘vessels associated with wine drinking, and howse trappings, Decorative jewellery for personal presentation is also in abundance with large earrings, torques (neck rings), finger rings, and fibulae (brooches) each represented. Scythian Gold Pig 2. Gold and enamel sphinx earring from the Three Brothers “Kurgan group. Kurgamt 1 Eldest’, near Ohow’ky from the “th cent BC. HA? cm, Wee 9.27 MELT ‘he form of the phn is characteritcaly Near asters «a yb erature ath the heal ofa human, the boy of Ton, And the wings ofa bird. Greek craftsmanship ls suggested by he delicate execution ofthe dladem, caring, and necklace worn Dy the figure, an the lad tongue ormarment on the pedestal ‘he spins motif has Been found in other Seyi burials, ‘an I adoption may well elect the Sepa afialty Tor imaginative hybrid forms. A hybrid style 1s represented in these objects produced by and for the Scythians of this period, Some clements seem purely Greek, some purely Scythian In the so-called ‘ant- smal style’, and others Near Eastern, Suill other objects show a subtle fusion of two, or even all three, styles. Reflecting purely Greek style are items like the pendant head of & goddess (Fig 1), the massive sphinx earring (Fig 2), and the handsome silvee cup included in the exhibition (Fig 3), Scythian in appearance are the ffontlet with dismounting archer and wounded stag (Fig 4), the lively statuette of a boar (Fig 5), and a gold plaque with bird heads (big 6). Near Eastern artistic style is found in a bronze situla (bucket) with lion head @ecoration (Fig 7) and two bronze MINERVA 9 belt plagues of lion heads in- profile (Gig 8). Truly awe-inspiring are those works which combine these styles to form what might be termed a late Scythian aesthetic. These works Include the horse-head cup with its circle of raised horse heads that seem to revolve around a centeal semi-precious stone (Fig 9); the famous gorytos, of combination arrow quiver and bow case (2 Scythlan Invention) that may show & Scene from Scythian tradition using figures modelied in the Greek fash fon (Fg 10), and an enigmatic gole finlal with intertwining animal com bat scenes quite literally covering its surfaces (Fig 1). ‘A central focus of the exhibition fs the Greek connections obvious in much of the ommament, Also impor- tant was the Near Eastern influence. For example, the origin of the lion motif and the lion combat themes prevalent in Scythian art, a theme that was not often portrayed in the art of the Greeks, owes much to the art of the ancient Near East. The Scythians took this subject and assimilated it into theit own style Instead of lions attacking man, the usual prey in Near Eastern scenes, Seythian art depicts animals such as stags and horses as the victims of jon attack; an example Is the gold finial (Fig 1). Along the same line is he adoption of certain fantastic hybrid creatures, such as the sphinx and the griffin, by the Scythians, Such eveatuces ultimately originated in the Near East and are also found in ancient Greek art, Metalworking techniques such as granulation, fil gree, and inlay began in the Near East as well. In this light the decora- tion on a gold sword scabbard (Fig 12) is distinctly Near Fastecn in both form and technigue In addition, these interconnec: tions appear in some of the scenes portrayed on the objects in this exhibition, For example, cule scenes fae common in both Greek and Neat aster art, and are portrayed on the large gold diadem (Fig 13) and the plaque with a goddess and a man (Fig 14). Further, Greck and Near Eastern depictions of everyday life and activity are paralleled by images of Scythian dally life on the gold plaque with two men drinking (Fig 15), and the gold helmet with a bat tle scene (Fig 16), The objects in this, exhibition refleet the nomadic life of the people who procured and pro: duced them, seen in their portabil- ity, their diverse styles, thelr quality and cost. For a culture that left no written history, this exhibition is in fact a grang testimonial to the artis: fic taste, business acumen, and war rlor natue of a remarkable people,a et F 4 is MINERVA 10ig § (above) Gold an silver boar, from Khiomiyna Mogita (Kurgan 13), burial 1 ‘ts century BC. is Sem. Wr. 20.58 x. MHTU. “This golden boar served as the handle on a wooden cup. Plates soldered under the eet ‘wereattached tothe vessel so that the boar would appear tobe cimbing the side, The Bry is hollow, formed of tw halves lnc together he les an tall were made sop rately and the fags are sflver The boar ts common motiin the objects from Scythian hrs possbtybeeanve it played a primary role inthe lives of these nomads who ured or itz meat, bones, ad tusks ig 7 (below). Bronze sta, A chance find from near Pishchae from the Sth century BC sm Di 16 mW 4500. NMHU” This stata or wine Bucet Is part of a roup of Greek bronze vessel. The shape was widely used hvoughout the anclent Grek world, though If orkginated in anlent Egypt The Sythlans were and of Greek wine, and collected the seri ad detain vessels that were wsed by the Greeks. ig 6 (above). Gold plague with bind heads from the Sth century The the find spot i unknown. He 92 con WE 176 §. MITT, On this plague, posibly used t decorate a cup, three volutes have been tamed ino ntrlocking eagle heads. Oe head, facing ight ‘atthe fop, has a ound ee ad a beak that curs info volute The volutes centres also the ee of the second large egle head rotated ninety degree clocks; a palette emerges fram its cured beak, The tind smaller bins beak curves around the eye (Ofte frst ind. The central volutes, and the crete wh resus rom the transformation nto bid heads, create a revolving ‘dynamic that conveys the movement typical found Inthe Szyetan style i 8 (blow. Bronze plaqs wih or Nes prof Kur it 150g. NMI ‘These plagues were attached ta a leather bald a strap that was wort over the shouer to support a sword scabbard onthe Mp. The leather strap probably pased through the open ton routs ‘and was fastened infront The large ho head i profile ith, ‘open jan reflect Newt astern influence and also fina parallels ‘among the burials of he Scythian close cousin, the Sakas, MINERVA 11—— | Scythian Gold Fig 9 (lft). Gold, amber MINERVA 12Fg 1 (above). Gold nal from Bratoliubivs’kyi Kurgan, near Ove. Sth century BCH: 178m. Top ds em, ae 185 cr We 682.0 § AL This exquisite hammered gold fntal was possibly leualistic and ssoctated with special status athe lowe? registers, combut takes lace between reat enmals scl as ull ot ons In he upper esters, fantastical gifns fol with ons attacking horses san tas. The dsc on the tap of the ina fsa mastering. tn of Sethian, Near Easter and Greckantistc traditions 4 stage leopard, formerly ate he oldest Seti tral ‘dons, are here locke ia seme of combat that probably on ‘uated, tegethersnith the lopand’ frontal lead, tn the ancient Nea East Bp contrast, the sympathetic treatment ofthe valiant Stag which expresses reali safer y raises fot eg nd ‘losin seach, ry mach he Grek nn Fig 14 (above). Gold plaque with goddess and man, from Kus sun Nosaky (Kurgan 4), burial h new Bally 390 BC. Med Sem. Wt 3.9% ¢. MHTU, This motif of a seated Sythlan womats holding minor before a ‘male attendant repeats the central scene onthe lore gold dla ‘tem intuced in the exhibition (Pig 13). The compotion i gener ‘ly interpreted asa depletion ofa suprenieSythian goddess. Fig 12 (above). Gold and enamel sword seabard with or, from Kurgan 6, burial 1 ‘near Ordahonthidae. Late bth-oarly Sth century 12 of scabband 30-5 em L:of plaque 18 em, Total wt 130009 g. MTU The plague in the shape of boar avered the side lap ofthe scabbiard. Typically Scythian isthe crouch ‘abraptiy angled planes, In contrast to the roughest ofthe boar, the scabbard is delicate an fit ed postion ofthe animal, THe antma's form i rendered os Stylist feature that may ave vii ‘The tise gtd wire circing the top edge, the teardrop cltsons with bie enanuel Inlay, anc the groups of thee gold gramlés atthe base ofeach nay, ave elements ‘adopted fron Near Laster wietulworkers. Given the stinctive characte of each Fig 13 (below). Gold dladem frm Kurgan 2; place, iis lateresting that they were pt together Wee 38. MFITU. . 1 ohe centre of the scene, an entnroed woman holds up a mlron. Around her, male figures ke Soythia restrain MINERVA 13 ricance: Neary, wo men dink fron a singe hor, and we-chested captive Because the Image ofthe seated female with ‘lrror appears elsewhere in Scythia ar, she interpreted axa linportant goddess, perhaps Tabi, godless of home ad family, identified by the Greek writer Herodotus Whereas details inthe representations are clearly derived from Greek ural Newr Fast frm art the seene bs wlehout parallel and I kde interpreted as depletion of Scythian vllgous belle, eniphasising a supreme female detty.rewal drinking to eal {Bond betwen waretors ad the centrality of conquest,{Scythian Gold ig 17 ep) Sitver brie orna- ‘mets fom Kar ‘jon Oh (Plenicina Mogia), near Nystint Sroozy “fh century Be. MET. Horses were such Jan integra part of Stythian ie that ‘feed to company ici masters nto the afer. Kur ‘gon Ohuz com talned the skeletons of gonvhave vetted heremats ofa horses. These silver attached to 8 leather ride the rated the nose strap, while the Images of a winged ‘man fighting a sion were attached tothe check strap. These are common sis Thea fart-and reflect. Innience prom the ands west ofthe Fig. 15 (above). Gold plague with drinking scene ‘on Bendtanhyt Kagan, near Novooasivka ety 4h century BCH 28 cn, Wes 17, MIT vo mer drink from a single drinking horn, a Seta ital cme also seen onthe large go dade (Lig 13), The motif may reflect the rita of Mood brotherhood described by the Greek historian Hevodotes, which "iyo Sepa t some ofthc blood with vine «single cup or orn, ai ip ito the mixture a sword, rows, atte, and spear After saying some payers, bot me irik frm the seep, ‘ibe way of Seating a salem ath, ‘Fly 46, Gold helmet from Perederieva Mogita (Kurgan 2), nar Zeus AN century BEAL: 18.2 cm, Wes 60? 98, MATE. Fig 18.6 fe nie lide an, "Se naar na Pe : aria eo a ihe lena nls ap bt spate ith lay Cimmertan pi, fom Kurgan 1, burial 3, near Vitshany. BC. D of gl head: 3 crn Wt: 20g MEITU MINERVA 14trite ond beneath the eyes. Ie depicts Herah es larg om his chib,a composition Imantiauty ees oxen ha “ape eae on rf the es Greek coins trav led easily and fain res or attic ipiration The plague decorate the garments of Sythia oomnam id sass torque from Nohaichyns ky Kurgan (Kurgan S), ‘nowone. Late Sst-cuny dd century AD. Dericm we stsog MiTU ‘The tna of the Sarmatians inthe northern Black Sea ton sa the intructon of an stone tay. On Pig 21 (low), Sarrnatin gol ial 18, re {his superb example, ue gla eye Tend cal nt t gifs st placed thot indivi arg na woman's ural and ‘andthe ameter este smal es rn Tana al er Orci MINERVA 15ig 2S. Gold satyr en lager ing tom Vp yaniv yl Kur a near yank 390-200 BC De 17-8 om, We Tctd AL This rng was made bp attaching a band toa god coln minted in 300 BC. Om ane side s the head ofthe sod Pan (half man, half gout) with horns, pone ears, a at ny wreath around his Itead. On the reverse ea gif, a stalk of wheat its month, an the Greek letters TIAN, enti the maint cty and apa (rebus) on the name with the god represented. 25 (above). Sera gold vessel frm Soboleva Mogi, near Huniats ke te HT gel the tury cera vase ofthe early Sy Central Asian ura Ts compact functional shape allowed the ves to fit comfor ‘the pau ofthe hand and wa, consequent, ea for households perpetual on the mov. ‘Fig 26. Bronze belt buckle from Au! Tse, North Osea, ‘Caucasus, 7h Sth century HO 11:9.Scm, W:9.5 om. We 500g. NMHU. ‘This bettbucke, whic shows a doe sueklin her young, is roughly ‘contemporary withthe earlier phase of Scythion art. “oth rounded forms have mo paral i Soythian dt inet fom Sethian traditions are the stylised ante, Tong ears, ong curling tongue, ana he sprain tal of the ‘aller animal. On the reverse ae fragments Of to loops Gold headdress pendants from Kurgan 13, near nike 290-200 BC: Total wis 17g. Al From each hoop hang ste smaller pendants, each wha bead The form: ofa burn head. Tse pendants would have bee areache to a samanr's hendivess so that they dangled bon tes at each temple. When the hoops an small discs spared x ly Mustrated by thestae of the sung together with ther henddress the effect would have "74,24 (above Bronze cauldan from Melopo yt Rug Mel ‘tin century. He 36 em et 0004 NNT Theeommmanal nature ofthe Stan Ife sane this bronze caution, or cooking vse The oval shape mathe eusler tof pleased the Scythian taste for elaborate self presentation MINERVA 16ig 29 (below), Gol, silver and wood drinking hom, from Kurgan 13, near Velyka “nan lamke, Sth century HC. Le 44-8 cm. WH: 220.61, MHITU, This drinking horn was made of gold plagues on silver plated wood here reconstructed). The Scythia borrowed the drinking horn from ihetncent Near Last, t-chose ts ornament from thelr wn ardsti Inaditions. The plague beneath the rim depict a sag wil ates that extend into spliced bird heads. Around the centre ofthe vessel sa ‘Greck cable ull), ut tas ben eulapted so that each circular clement can. typical of Sethian ply on form, be read as a bird Ned MINERVA 17 — Scythian Gold Fi 28 et). Gold plague in the form ofa snake legged winged male fn spot unknown century BC. B1:3 ee W 3 em WE: 16g MITT: The hybed creature shown here has a female torso linings Instead of arms. stead of leg, the torso divides tnt 800 ‘pialsarking a pact The mage s Kw hn Greck at but nat realy identi To the Scythans the motif may have gested ‘self menttoned by the Greck writer Herodotus: Ap the snake ote goddess contiered te the mother of al the Setar INSTITUTIONAL ABBREVIATIONS: MATU— Museum ofthe Hlstorcal Treasures of the Uteaine, Key: NMAU~ Nattonal Historical Museum of Ukraine, Ky Vl ~Archaeoogieal Institute Kev eaey~State Historical and Art Preserve Pereyastay~ Kimelnytshiy. GOLD OF THE NOMADS: Scythian Treasures from Ancient Ukraine The exhibition opens at the San Antonio Museum of Art 7 November 1999 ~ 30 January 2000 and goes on to the following venues: The Waltets Art Gallery, Baltimoze 7 March -28 May 2000 Los Angeles County Museum of Art 2 July - 24 September 2000 Brooklyn Museum of Art 29 October 2000 21 January 2001 Venue to be announced 18 February ~ 29 April 2001 Nelson Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City 27 May ~ 11 August 2001 Grand Palais, Paris 2 September - 31 December 2001 A catalogue of the exhibition, edited by Dr Ellen Reeder, Curator of Anclent Art at The Walters Art Gallery in Ballimore, and Introduced by Dr Gerry Scot, Interim Direc tor and Curator of Ancient Art at San Antonio, and Gary Vikan, Director of The Walters, will be avalable at the venues. The catalogue featutes essays on Scythian art and culture by top scholars inthe fed of Scythian archaeology’ ‘Scythia and the Scythians’, by Lada Onyshkevych ‘Soythian Atv, by Ellen Reeder Eanly Nomadic Sources for Seythian At by Esther Jacobson; ‘The Workshop of Gory tos and Scabbard Overlays’, by Mikhall Trlster; ‘A Short Note on the Cimmerlans, Seythians, and the History of Ukraine, by V. 1. Murzin;“Seythian Culture of the Centrat Dnipro Area’, by Tetyana Hohush and Halyna Buzayn; ‘The Archaeological Investigation of Atistocratic Scythian Barrows In the Northern Black Sea Area’, by A. P.Tolochko ‘and SV. Polin; ‘The Collection of Scythian Gold from the ‘Museum of Historical Treasures of Ukraine’, by Oleana Pidvisoiska, and "The Iron Age Collection in the National History Maseum of Ukraine’, by Svitlana Koretska and Lyudmila Strokova, There are a total of 382 pages with 295 illustrations, 240 in colour. Scythian Gold: Treasures rom Ancient Ukraine's published by Hatry N. Abrams, Inc, and will be available atthe venues for $28.95 paperback, or ‘60 hardback ‘is article available a a separate repent for $5 atthe "atititin ot for £3. $5 pesto fom special quantity ats for dasstoam use or for resale may be obtained upon request For othe reprints publshed by Minova plese vee the advetisement on page 56London’s King Alfred - LONDON’S KING ALFRED John Clark explains the background to a new exhibition at the Museum of London. hhis autumn the audience at the last night of the Prom nade Coneerts in London's Royal Albert Hall ones more joined heartily in the chorus of ‘ule, Britannia. But what has that to do with a 9h-century Anglo- Saxon King, the only English ruler ever to have attracted the title ‘the Great”? There are in fact two links. Indeed, Promenaders should per- haps have sung even louder this year, for 26 October 1999 marked the Lith centenary of the death of King Alfred, hero of Thomas Arne's opera Alfied of 1740, of which "Rul Britannia!" was the climax. And the Royal Albert Hall itself is named after the ‘Saxon’ Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg, whose marriage to Queen Victoria encouraged a revival of popular interest in England's Anglo-Saxon past. Victoria's Imper fal Britain saw its origins in the Eng- land of King Alfred, and Victoria and Albert had their second son christened Alfred, The name remained among the top dozen or so most popular naimes for English boys for the next sixty years. At the unvelling of Hamo Thorn- eycroft’s majestic statue of King Alfred in Winchester In 1901 (Fig 1) Lord Rosebery described Alfred as ‘the ideal Englishman, the perfect sovereign, the pioneer of England's greatness,” Normally staid Victorian historlans were not averse to using similar terms, Such sentiments pet- King of the West Saxons, his king- dom war threatened by Danish Invaders who already controlled ast Anglia and most of the neigh- bouring kingdom of Mercia. By the time Alfred died in 899 he had defeated the Danes and made peace with those who settled in England. He was undisputed ruler of a unified kingdom of the Anglo-Saxons ‘Though part of Britain still lay, as the ‘Danelaw’, in Danish hands, Alfred had laid the foundations of modern England, He had overseen a revival of religion, learning, and art he had formulated English law; he had established new towns; he had recognised the importance of the “Englise’ language in uniting his people. But the claim that he founded the Royal Navy is open to question! This year’s centenary has not been received with the excitement ‘that accompanied the millennium of Alfred's death = which was com- ‘memorated, because of a misunder- standing of the dates that appear In the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, in 1901 Then there were massive celebra- tions (most of them held in Win- chester, which claimed to be Alfred's capital). A new warship HMS King Alfred was launched: there was an exhibition at the British Museum, and a commemorative plaque was unveiled in Brixton, South London, By contrast, most of faculty members of Alfred Univer- this year’s events have been lower ig 1. State of meated schootbooks and childen's —"9E-SaMPA ity New York, objected to plans to key. However, excavations at Hyde Books as wellln 1922 Arthur Mees "“Whehcter’ erecta statue of King Aled, on the Abbey, Winchester, were take! Up Chinn's Enoyopedia praised Aled "by Heme” grounds that he was Just another in tie media as the search for sevthe pron figure that stands at Toman —-Bwrenr (ead White Furopesnaifted’s Dones"~ and the MP fo the qe of the English dawn’; the UE. Male) alte no longer receives as Wantage, where Alred was Born in Lidybird book of 196 also treated join Clark much attention as he once did, and 848 of 849, put Ina bid for the him in rere ste Anglo-saxon history is being bones if found, to be repatriated Suck imperialist Anglo-Saxon Squeezed out of the English school there auitudes nave gone o8t of fashion Syllabus. Yel most recent historians" At the Museum of London, an in recent years. So has the ‘cult of seem to be united in their respect exhibition under the title ‘Alfred the the persoraty the bec chet for aed gemevements. when in| Great Londons forgotten hg: rs ‘great historical events are the work 871, at the age of 22, Alfred suc- until January 2000, It brings ‘of great men. In 1990 students and ceeded his older brother Athelred as together results of the Museum's MINERVA 18 a aarti‘own recent archaeological excava tions in central London with major loans from the British Museum, the British Library, the Ashmolean Museum, and elsewhere Tor If we in London should cele- brate one achievement of Alfred's, It is his establishment of a new town of London, the centre from which the modern City grew. According to the entry in the Anglo-Saxon Chroni- cle for 886, ‘gesette Alfred eyning Tunden burg’ ~ ‘King Alfied gesette London-burg’. The Old English word rgesette’ has been translated besieged’, ‘occupied’, ‘settled! and even founded’, Altted’s friend and blographer Bishop Asser added 10 the confusion by writing that ‘after the burning of cities and the mas- sacre of peoples’ Alfred ‘restored the city of London splendidly and made it habitable again’. And it was long ‘considered that it was to celebrate his London initiative of 886 that Alfred issued a special series of silver pennies and halfpennies, with rionogram made up of the letters of LVNDONIN’ (Fig 2) Pig 2. Silver penny of Alfred withthe nun Monogram on the reverse Yet what exactly Alfred did in ‘886 has remained unclear, The exhi- bition centres on this crucial event and highlights the recent evidence that Alfred planned a new town ‘within the Roman walls of London to teplace the abandoned earlier Saxon town of Lundenswic. For Lun- denwic had lain to the west outside the ruins of the old Roman city of Londiniunn ‘The discovery of early Saxon Lun- ddenwic Is one of the major archaeo- logical advances of recent years. Bede described London in the 8th century as a flourishing ‘emporium’, and contemporary documents ~ some of them included in the Museum of London exhibition confirm the importance of London as a tracing centre under the control fof Mercian kings. However, inten- sive archaeological work in the City ‘of London in the 1970s and early 1980s produced no evidence of an Sth-century town. Then in 1984, a turning point in the study of Saxon London, there appeared almost simultaneously papers by Alan Vince and Martin Biddle suggesting, - ——| — London’s King Alfred 1 Excavation site 1 Findspot of Saxon object, + Ghurch Fig 3, The evidence for Anglo-Saxon tandenvic. Excavation shes and single Saxon objects found tothe west ofthe Roman ety. aCe LL a Fig 4 if’ plan for London? The‘ of medeval streets the sour af the Cty of London, Inany of which survive in use today. They ay have onginated wth Alfred's planned town. hestrets on the were betwen the market of Cheapside and the river at elds Hite’: stim at east of these ere ll out in Aifed'sthne. The rid tothe east, centring on Baste, ‘mary ave develope ite later Sonne of the rectangular plots were tater subdivided By back tan. that earlier Saxon London had Iain the Royal Opera House has revealed to the west of the Roman city ailillustmtions a major north-south street, alleys (Fig 3). Excavations the following © The Museum and yards, and closely packed year at Jubilee Hall, Covent Garden, of London_——_~houses and workshops. began the process that has over the unless otherwise The realisation that earlier Saxon years since revealed Lundenvvic, the acknowledged. London lay beyond the Roman city trading town that grew up along the walls seemed to provide an obvious Steand in the 7th and 8th centuries. context for Alfred's actions in 886. Most recently, work to the south of It was assumed that following the MINERVA 19$$$ London’s King Alfred — Viking raids that had devastated London in 842 and 851 he was mov. Ing settlement back inside the Jefendable perimeter provided by the Roman walls (Fig 4). Documents fof 889 and 899 show him granting property near what was later Queen: hithe, and refer to trade taking place nearby on the ‘ripa emptoralls'~ the trading shore. Archaeology con firmed that a grid of streets in the southern part of the City of London hhad been lald out in oF soon after it began as a late Anglo-Saxon Hy became clear just how oversimpli fied such an assumption was. {he evidence from Lundenvic showed that it had indeed flourished in the Sth century coins found have been almost without exception ‘cet the small sitver coins that prece the induction of the broader si ver ‘penny’ at the end of the 8th entry. But Limdeivic was aleady in decline before the Viking attacks Or the mith century. Meanwhile the City it soon became clear that fot all the streets within the appar ent ‘planned gic’ were of the some date, and nota had roadside build gs from the beginning. Archaeol ogy suggested that not until the late 1th century, or even later, could London once more be called “our shing ‘Numismatists, meanwhile, were coming to the conelusion that Alfred's ‘London monogram’ coin must have been issued long befor 886, Perhaps ie appeared at the time about 880 wien Ceolwul, the ruler stalled by the Danes in Merci died or was deposed, and Altea may have heen able to claim sole control over the part of Mercia that included London The period between the apparent decline of Lundenwic In the ently th century and the plentiful archaeo logical evidence ftom the later 1th century found within the City remains one of the most pursing i london’s long history, Wet rece work may be closing the gap. The Royal Opera House excavation pre duced a stall hoard of Northum= brian coins, deposited at about the time of the second recorded Viking attack, A'defensive dite on the northern edge ofthe ste seemed to be of similar date. Concurrent work in the City on the site of Hull Whar now ‘Themes Gout) close to Queenhithe (Fig 5) revealed early buildings and foreshore seuctes and the first ‘London monogeant oins to be found in a City eacava tion (lg 6). These three corns ae ofthe tare issue of halfpennics {ie Fig 5 (above). Queenbithe, City of Landon The inlet now ealed Quecnhithv was oi ally Krown a ‘there's ithe and was ‘parently named after the Mercian soem, King Alfred's son-nstaw to whom he entrusted Lodo ti B86 Excavations have taken place recently on the ite of Thames Court, the new buling Photo: John Clark 1g 6 (lf). Four Alfed monogram half pennies. Top right from excavations in St Thomas’ Strect, Southwark = one of the few nds from te time of Alfed from Southovark. Other three = from excava Hons by Museu of London Areal Service at Thames Court (former Bull Wharf) near Gucenhithe, City of London, Fig 7 (eft). Pewter brooches. Circular Pevter brooches ware popular in Tale AgloSaxom England, bu parallels have azo been found tn Lund, Sweden, an Maina, Germany. Some designs vere aspired by coins Fig 8 bottom lf). “Caterpiar’ brooches, Sovalled because of the way the) Toop sapwands ke a crating caterpillar. They re probaby continental notin from ‘ype was also made in England first ever to be struck); these low value colns may reflect the need for small change in a busy trading envi ronment, Timbers from a Frisian trading vessel had been reused to build riverside revetments. Pottery fom northern France and the Rhineland, and metalwork from Germany and Scandinavia com- pleted the picture of foreign trade (Figs 7, 8). The site must be part of the ‘trading shore’ referred to in the documentary sources. From the later revetments, pre served in the waterlogged ground, ‘came reused tmbers from a massive building ~ the aisle-posts of a great hall, or even a church, which must MINERVA 20have stood not far away. Although Tater than Alfred's reign, the timbers are d unique surviving illustration of the scale of the buildings of late Saxon London and of the sorts of skills Alfred could call on as he febullt his kingdom {Anglo-Saxon skills are reflected elsewhere in the Museum of London exhibition, which places Alfred’s plans for London in the context of his overall achievements.. The world-famous Alfred Jewel (Fig 9) has made a rare excursion outside Oxford for the first month of the exhibition ~ thanks to the great gen erosity of the Visitors of the Ash- molean Museum, This extraordinary plece of gold and enamelwork is Inscribed ‘ABLERED MEG HEHT GEWYRCAN’ ~ ‘Alfred had me made’. It can stand as an icon for several other exhibits that reflect Alfred's initiatives but do not all carry such an explicit statement of responsibility ~ the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (a copy from the British Library, perhaps made in Worces ten) Alfsed’s Laws; one of the trans. lations into English from the works cof Pope Gregory that Alfred com missioned; and the Buyghal Hidage ‘with its description of the system of fortified urban centres apparently begun by Alfred, The exhibition also looks at the growth of Alfred’s reputation in Tater years ~ for itis only since the Toth century, and Tudor historians’ rediscovery’ of the Anglo-Saxons and their language, that he has reg, ‘larly been called ‘the Great’. The peak of Victorian and Edwardian adulation for Alfred is represented by the millennial celebrations held in Wantage and in Winchester. Hamo Thomeycroft’s plaster and plasticene maguette of his statue of Alfred, unveiled in Winchester in 1901, goes on public display for (probably) the first time. And a dis play of childgen’s books reminds us how Alfred has been depicted in the past - and how often he has been shown burning the cakes (Fig 10). In this 11th centennial year Alfred's achievements should be remembered, As Scotland and Wal celebrate their Independence and rediscovered nationhood, surely we can commemorate the role of Alfred in the creation of England as we know it without rellving. the excesses of Victorian imperialism London certainly would have been a very different place today if Alfred hhad riot ‘settled’ it in 886. The con: tinuous history of the nation’s caph tal elty dates from Alfred's reign And did he burn the cakes? Prob: ably not = the story was frst written down about 100 years after his death, But It Is @ good story 1g 10, King Alfred burns the cakes an episode fom Ardhur Moreland’ fumors of History, frst pulsed in 1905 ind st 100 deserves to be remembered. John Clark is Curator of the medieval collections in the Department Ca ‘of Early London History and ections at the Museu of Londo. MINERVA 21 ‘ALFRED THE GREAT 849-899: London's forgotten king’ ‘The Museum of London exhibition runs from 8 September 1999 to9 January 2000 For general information contact the Museum ‘on telephone 020 7600 0807; Web site: www.museumoflondon. org.uk.—————[__ Mosaics in History} ANCIENT MOSAICS IN RIMINI D.L. Patané a Forma del Colore, mosaict all'antichita al XX secolo,’ cure rently on view at the Palazzo del Podesta in Rimini, charts the his- tory of the technique of mosaic rom antiquity to modern times, More than 100 mosaic panels make up the exhibition, They range from large poly- chrome Roman masterpieces to recently dis covered fragments and to illustrate the continnty of a refined art and’ its survival in modern times, superb mosaics by 16th and 17th century painters and contempo- rary masters such as the Italian futurist Gino Severini. In addition to mosaics which have, until recently, lain unseen and forgot ten in the storage rooms of various Italian ‘museums, there are many examples from the private collection of the great Italian art historian Federica Zeti who died recently (see Minerva, January/February 1999, p, 8). ‘Among the earlest mosales are sections from a Nilotie scene, made in opus vermicr latum in the 2nd century BC which were found in Rome at Monte Testaccio, together with a Ist century BC emblema represent ing cupids and a lion from the hatbour of Antium which Is now on display in the ‘Antiquarium Comunale in Rome (Figs , 2), Fig 1 (above) ‘Fragments fromt a polychrome masa with & ‘seen. End of the 2nd century HC. From Monte Testaccio, Santa Mari Liratrc in Rooms Museo Nazionale Romano, Rome Fe 2 ran Heracles and the et othe bor Anti: Sh amphi ee Amiquartn Conte aes MINERVA 22——+| Other early mosaics, such as the Ast or 2nd century AD Vietories from the excavations at the Domus at Palazzo Gioia in Rimini have been restored and are, for the first time, ‘on public display (ig 3. Among the later mosalcs are frag: ments found during excavations at the so-called Theodoric’s palace and at the Byzantine palace in Via dazeglio in Ravenna, and an almost complete semi-cireular mosaic which framed the pavement of a Byzantine villa at Meldola near Forli. All of these date back to the 6th century AD and are good illustrations of the ‘meshing of late antique and Christ- Jan iconography (Fig 4). ‘Also Included in the exhibition are some Renaissance mosaic panels ff high quality proving that the craft fof mosaic making never really died fut ata time when wall painting was all the rage. During Renaissance times collectors of antiquities vied with each other to acquire recently uncovered mosaic floors from ancient monuments and incorpo: rated them in the furnishings of their palaces, Masterpleces like the end of the 2nd century BC Nilotic scene from Palestrina became a source of Inspiration for Renaissance painters such a Pinturicchio, This Is @ rev sal of the common practice in antiq- tity of copying famous paintings by great masters into mosaics. ‘An interesting evolution of the craft saw a revival in Rome of the exacting technique of assembling, minute tesserae into miniature com- position due to the founding, in 1727, of the Opificio Vaticano, These small mosales were often inspired by late antique originals oF represented rains of ancient monuments and ‘were used to decorate small abjects, mostly brooches and earrings much admired by visitors making the ‘Grand Tout’ in Italy. Tn the section devoted to archae- ology at the 9th Intemational Con- ference on Oriental Carpets in Milan last September one of the lectures was appropriately entitled ‘Mosaics: The missing link?’ underlining the close relationship between mosaics land carpets. Pliny in his Naturalis Historia talks of pavements rendered. beautiful and long-lasting by the tansformation in stone, through a costly and laborious technique, to precious carpets, The weavers of Stone carpets applied thelr act, ist to the floors of palaces and private houses, and then eventually to mosaics which covered walls and vaults when Rome, Venice, and Ravenna were the centres of mosalc production between the Sth and the 12th centuries AD. Mosaics in History Pig 3 ce, “victories holding ‘ashlee from the Doms at Palazzo Gita Ts to 2nd centures AD. "Museo della ita, Rimi. Fig 4 below. ‘Drnce of te seasons found at the archaeological complex af Via a hzegio in ‘Ravenna 60h entry AD. Tomporanty atthe ‘Museo Nazionale, Ravenna, ‘La Forma del Colore, mosaici dall’antichita al XX secolo’ Palazzo del Podesta, Rimini 6 January 2000. Catalogue Electa. MINERVA 23The Amarna Pharaohs 7 b —— PHARAOHS OF THE SUN: AKHENATEN, NEFERTITI, TUTANKHAMEN A major international exhibition on the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, examines the extraordinary seventeen-year reign of the heretic Pharaoh Akhenaten, beginning with innovations undertaken by his father, Amenhotep III, and ending with the era’s lasting legacy. gypt’s Amarna Period (1353-1336 BC), organised by Yvonne J. Markowitz presents an overall view of the period in relation to the exhibition. arly 19th century visitors to the ruins at Tell el-Amaraa, a site on the east bank of the Nile midway between taken place at the remote site.” aa ig 1. Map of “amar (axnetaten = The orion ofthe Aten’ in mile gypt. Drawing by ‘eter Der Manuela, Yoonne J Markowitz isa Research Fellow, Art ofthe Ancient Worl, it the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston By 1851 Leasius had sorted out tan= talising bits of the puzale. In addition to drawing a plan of the ruins, he iden tifled Akhenaten as Amentotep IV, the successor of Neb-maat-ra (‘Lord of Truth Is Ra’), Amenhotep Il, the Dazzling Sun’ king who ruled Egypt during the fist half of the Lath cen tury BC. He also described the king's ‘opposition to the old cults, the move from Thebes to a viggin site ia Middle Egypt, and the instalation of the Aten asthe sole god abstractly rendered as & sun disk with radiating arms terminal: ing in human rand Akhenaten began his tumultuous fear rule (1383-1336 BC) in Thebes, possibly as coregent with his ageing father, Amenhotep Ill, From all accounts, the reign of the elder king was a tine of unsugpassed prosperity ig 2. Granodiorite head of Amenhotep IL ‘wearing the White Crown of Upper ESP. eat cm EMC. MINERVA 24 mes and peace (Fig 2, cat. 11), The coun- tty’s borders were not only secured but extended southivard Into Nubia and castward into western Asia, Among het neighbours, Egypt assumed an envi able position of control and influence ‘At home, there was a spit of interna tionalism, the result of several diplo- ‘matic marriages, extensive trade, and a Judicious foreign poliey. Given the freedom and resources, Amenhotep It Inaugurated an extensive building pro- ‘gramme that included an immense temple gateway at Karnak and a vast ‘mortuary temple with two monume tal sculptuzes of himself (the so-called Colossi of Memnon) on the west bank of the Nile at Thebes (Luxor). Ata nearby site, he built a luxurious 8o.acre palace-city with an artificial Jake which he named after the sun-god Aten. This dedication may have aroused the suspicions of the powerful ptiesthood of Amen, the Theban god ‘who attained pre-eminence during the 18th Dynasty. In any case, it was cer tainly a harbinger of future hostilities and political realignments. During his long and productive rejgn, Amenhotep IM fathered several children with his Chief Royal Wife, Queen ‘lye, a powerful woman in her own right (Fig 3, cat. 39), Destined for kingship was their elder son, Prince Thutmose, a High Priest of Ptah in Memphis who also held military titles (ig 4, cat. 15), With his premature death, the second son stood to inherit the throne. Although litte Is known of the piince’s early fe, some have «pee ulated that the future king was strongly influenced by the sun cult of Heliopolis and that he may have ruled briefly with his father duzing the lat ter’ waning years. We do know that at the beginning of his relgn, the young king had himself depicted in a manner consistent with long-standing tradi tions (Fig 5, cat. 20) Before long, hows ever, Amenhotep IV reinvented himself as Akhenaten (One Who is Effective for Aten’), expunging from his name any reference to the state godEEE EEE Fig 4 Yew and acacta wood of Queen Tye, ‘wth sive aul go nfays, weaving plained Hathior head dees Amen. With his young wife Nefertiti, he initiated an intense building, pro- gramme at Karnak, erecting at least ‘our temples dedicated to his god. These structures, built in an open-air style conducive to sun worship, were decorated with sunk relief in a style hat Is often referred to as “extreme, ot | ‘expressionistic.’ Most peculiar were representations of the royal family who were portrayed with elongated faces (Fig 6, cat. 27), spindly extrem ties, truncated upper torsos, narrow walsts, exaggerated hips, and swollen bellies. Also startling was a series of colossal sculptures of the king set at regular intervals outside the colon: }naded court of the Gempaaten, the largest of the Karnak temples Pig 7), These surreal Imayes, ambiguous in gender and haunting in counten fre dramatic examples ofthe extent of Akhenaten’s break with the past (Fig 8, cat fg. 5). Innovations dusing Akhei reign were not restricted t0 1 tious and artistic realms, Kingship, the cornerstone of governance and state craft, was redefined when the name of _ The Amarna Pharaohs Fig 4 Schistfumevary statuette of Prince Thutmase ona ber ba (sou) Bird enflding Is ces Its wits 4.9 ca AN Aten was placed within royal car touches as ifthe got ruled Egypt. The Aten was also depicted wearing the uraeus (cobra), an emblem of Kingship. Atte same time, Akhenaten had bin self designate as Aten’ sole epresen tative and intermediary on earth. The king also envisioned himself as Sh, the firstborn son of the Heliopolitan, MINERVA 25 tie of Qucen afer tn the "extreme syle frown Kerk, E20 cn. ck A Josephson collec creator god Atum, who symbolised air fant ight. In fact, several ofthe caloss from Karnak feature AKhenaten in the guise of Shw (Fig 9, cat, 22) while oth rs may represent Nefertiti as Tetnut, Snu's tin sister and wie (Hg 8 the pesition of Akhensten’s princ pal wife Nefertiti also evolved under the new regime, as demonstrateden temple outside th her increaseel prominence als and state affairs, At Ka aten iful are the Beauties Aer’ ~ which was also enclosed by a cartouche, Within the p A the Hurbenben, a t orate calif S(otere, adoption of the new theology, there sively with Imag Nefertiti and he fate was | blurring or shifting 0 cure of Athen i Glaughters, it was the queen, rather ate ol meh s Some ne king, who was shown offi ats a sted that as high palest. Another curlous fuled a8 pharaoh for a bref period of arture from traditional iconogra le Karak I! sine, It also appeats that tIhe queer phy can be seen om a stela which was probably installed in a private shrine at ‘marna. ‘This small but masterfully composed 1 royal couple play and ve f was not th corded spe cial attention and status. For example Tiy, wife of the Overseer of Chatiotry Ay, was awarded the prestigious Gole of Honour ne ved £0 Thonouting the couple uaghters ig 10, display of intimacy ninong royal family members, the stela shows the queen sea ar dec rated with the standatd syrabols of kingship while Akhenaten’s scat ts left unily, the move from a was accomplishee khenaten’s fifth Thebes #9 Am sometimes bet ind sit regnal year. The atmosphere snadorned, 1 the new capital dosing these forma. Another kingly gesture later ed by Nefertiti was the “siting posture, an established propagandist vice intended as a display of roy power (Fig 11, cat, 110), These, and ts that with the MINERVA 26 amc aa een emcees— = |The Amarna Pharaohs |}—_____— Amarna undoubtedly offered an excit ing opportunity to apply one’s skill and imagination. Of he 20%0 50 thou sand people estimated to have lived at the site, several thousand are believed to have been involved in creating Akhienaten’s dream city The layout of Akhetaten called for ‘central core of bulldings that served fs the religious and administrative hhub, Known as the Central City, it inchided a complex of highly insova tive temples, a series of palaces, and an administrative area for affairs of state, The Great Aten Temple, a half rile long stone enclosure fronted by two brick pylons, consisted of a series of open-air courts with hundreds of offering tables, These light-filled spaces tepresented a departure from the progressively dark rooms foxtnd in faditional Egyptian temples. The structure also included a colonnade or portico with statues of Akhenaten and Netertits, each inscribed with the ‘names of Aten (Fig 13, cat. 86). To the south of the Great 7 Small Aten Te ‘wary that prot for the royal t The larg ‘ngs at Amar vvast complex 10 ‘of the cetemonial build- asthe Great Palace, & fed in the western quarter of the Central City. Covering an atea greater than 160,000 square feet, it boasted columned halls with brightly painted pavements, spacious open courts bordered by statues of the king and queen, fagrant gardens, an pools stocked with fish, Hints of the ‘magnificent interior decoration of this i edifice can be gleaned from the ‘many painted floor fragments, carved inlays, and bits of polychrome tiles Nefertiti, and Princess Meretaten offer: ing to Aen who, In turn, extends lie- royal family (Fig hitectural rendered in t style associated with the ealy years of the reign 2g 10 (tp). Limestone stele ofthe roya ‘nil, Adticnaten, Neer and thee Pong aghters He33 can AMB. 1411 (mda). Limestone relief of a royal Doge with Nefertit epresented i cab Inthe classe posture of 1» pharaoh siting ‘am enemy. 2.9 cm. MEAD, ig 12 (ight Limestone rei from the tonmb of Ay at Amara. Wt Ds tife Ty who also recves the shebyu (Gold of Honour collar reserved for hh ranking contr. MINERVA 27— — The Amarna Pharaohs Fig 13 ndurated limestone torso of Abenaten with cartouces, The Great Palace also ing quarters forthe ro ‘multitude of storerooms. Ie was een: nected, by means of a bridge, to the smaller King’s House. Here was located the Window of Appearances balcony where the royal fam addressed Amatna's residents, cows ing the favoured with prized g 16, cat 66), Amarna’s Central Clty was also In 1887 a cache of nearly 400 clay ablets, written In cuneiform script discover by a local woman in Fie 15 (op igh. area later identified as the ‘House of ‘Crstaline ine Correspondence of Pharaoh.” These stone balustrade documents, drafted in the diplomaie frame wih rove v~_Fiy 14. Fence tite Ih women (the fragment with Imandrakes oficial, and a a ‘of the day, offer contempo- “Wunaten, Ne ary Insights into international ten- Princess Meetaten sions and int letter written worshipping the ‘tem at whose ‘nal beneficial hands 102m EMC by King Tush anni (north appropriate respect 3 The king rmuchyrnuch ~ son. You are the on ‘your husband, usband for 8 of wood. 1 im pour son’s fome?..Js this Tove? transl William 1, Moran) Tusheatta’s letter typical in that it draws attention to a growing dissats MINERVA 28 faction among Egypt's vassal states and the contentious kingdoms to the east, Some scholars have cited the docu iments a2 proof that Amenhotep IVs attentiveness and diplomatic skills nelped maintain a balance of power in the region while Akhenaten, whose enengibs were spent elsewhere, all but lost Faypt'sAsiatc empire. The tuth probably somewhere in the middle ~ new forces were stiring up hostilities in Western Asia while Akhenaten was busy orchestrating his religious reforms and erecting a new capital. That he was not totally oblivious to outside fais is evidenced by at least one carn paign into Nubia where the king estab lished a temple to Aten at Kavsa, a site south of the Thled Cataract or his principal residence, Akhen- aten chose an atea far north of theCentral City, a site dose to the Nile Fig 16. Limestone and the clifs" edge. There he built an Hef showing the elaborate complex that included a y_ltidew of Targe vila with pllared hall sleeping “PRemraecs te allesative t0 the public festivals Hon- Meet reyorked for nitualised display of himself and his H: 240m NEG, family, was caried out with the pomp ofa grand parade In the southern sector Akhenaten built the M: gious complex that inchuded housing for officials, a palace, a central [ak formal gardens, a Sunshade temple dally worshlp of the Aten), Sidclock of youth. HeiSa.om MLD. and painted scenes while the pav ment in the pool area was painte with flying waterfowl and plants ren ered in a naturalistic fashion, Insezip. tions suggest the complex was associated with the royal women, notably a secondary wife, Kiya (Hig 17, cat, 87) and later Meretaten, the first of Akhenaten and Nefertii’s six daughters (Figs 18,19, cats. 46, 54). ‘Many of Amarma's residents iv two densely settled housing a north and south of the Central City Within these zones were distine neighbourhoods featuring large mud brick houses interspersed with sm homes. All shared a common plan: a reception hall, a sguare, central living: room with a dais for entertaining ‘guests, and smaller coms grouped around the central core for sleeping, Washing, storage, and cooking. Villas for the wealthy wote situated Jn the South Suburb, These spacious dwellings included granaries, a wel, ‘gardens, a private shrine, outbuildings, and servants’ quarters. Some estates, such asthe workshop of Chief Sculptor Thutmose, wete specialised residences where skilled artisans lived and ‘worked. In fact, it was in this particular atelier that German excavators, work ing in the early decades of this cen- tury, discovered the famous bust of Nefertiti An icon of feminine elegance and beauty, the sculpture is thought 10 have served as 2 model for atists-in training. Another Nefertiti head, pete haps the work of Thutmose himself, MINERVA 29was carved from quartzite and Intended to serve as patt of a comps ite statue (Pig 20, eat. 42). Less known, ‘but equally compelling, are the plaster heads found in a storage area of the same studio, These true-to-life por- laaits, some depicting their owners at an advanced age (Fg 21, cat, 139), exemplify ‘ realism, ‘A good deal of our understanding of life at Amarna comes from tom! ‘cut into the bay of cliffs along the feastern edge of the city. In addition to the burial chambers prepared for the royal family, several dozen tombs bear the names of Amarna’s leading cit zens, including the High Priest Meryra, the Police Chief Mahu, the Chariotry Overseer Ay, and the Chief Physician Pentu, Although most of the tombs were never finished, the existing structures with their decors tions provide insights Into funerary practices under Atenism, Most notice 19 (up Line Tw pou rinceses ech sh sack of youth 1:23.23 0m. MMA ig 20 (at. Unfinished gran catorte hea of @ Serlous oder Nefertt from composite tatue ‘witha fonan Intended to take sro of ive 28cm AMB, ig 21 (bottom). Paster hend ofan of a series from the workshop of the secular thutmose, 1s 26.7 em. AME. The Amarna Pharaohs able in the Amarna tombs is the absence of traditional funerary iconography, particularly scenes fea- turing Osiris, god of the underworld Also missing are the banquet and lily life vignettes which focused on the life of the deceased, In their place are large-scale images of the Aten and the royal family, with the tomb ‘owner occasionally’ shown in his offi. Gial capacity. Those particularly favoured, such as Meryra, Overseer of the Royal Quarters, are ceremoniously regaled by the royal couple with lav: ish gifts as he stands beneath the Window of Appearances. What is Implied in such scenes is that access to all that is good in this lif, as well as the next, relies on the largesse of Akhenaten, the beloved and only son of Aten. This position is made clear in the Great Hymn to Aten, the fullest version af whose poetic verses are carved on the walls of the tomb of the God's Father’, Ay: ‘There is no other sto truly knows you but for your son, ANSenaten pe make hie ise with pour counsels, wise with your power. The hymn, ‘spoken’ by Akhenaten, is considered one of the world’s out- MINERVA 30 Kk standing examples of religious ltera- ture and contains, in its most complete version, the basic tenets of the new religion. 4 recusring motif in the hymn is the majesty and joy of exe- ation by Aten, the sole god zesponsible {or all that exists How various is the world you have create, each thing mystevieus, sacred to sight, O sole Go, Deside wham is no other! You fashioned earth to your heat’ desie, while you were sil alone, Filled it with man and the family ofoeanwes each kina on the ground, those wi g0 ‘upon fet, he on high soaring on wings, The fr lands of Khor and Kush, ‘and the rch Black Land of Egypt (hymn translations by John L. Foster) Yet, in spite of Aten’s exclusivity and the orchestrated campaign waged by Akhenaten against Amen through out Egypt, ordinary household deities the gods and goddesses who presided over birth, childhood, and ‘common ailments ~ continued #6 play an important role at Amara Whether this reflects an understand:FE L The Amarna Pharaohs |— —_— unwilling to jeopardise his place in the afterlife ‘Akhenaten was preceded in death | by the princess Meketaten, the second of his and Nefertiti’s daughters (Fig 24, cat. 101). The princess was Interred in one of the Royal Tomb's suites and a mourning scene, decorat ing the wall of her burial chamber, shows a griefstricken family ~ a.com pelling example of the ability of ‘Amarna artists to express tender emo- tion and a scene unparalleled in Egyptian royal art. By this time, the exaggerated style had become less extzeme, a quality apparent in statue any a8 wel as relies (Fig 25, cat, 85). Meketaten’s death is believed to hhave occurced sometime after year 12, following the arrival of a large contin gent of foreigners from the Acgean, Western Asia, and Nubla, This event, depicted in two private tombs, was marked by great fanfare with gitegv. ing and elaborate entertainments ~ celebration, perhaps, in honour of the king’s jubilee. Unfortunately, dark days lay ahead for the inhabitants of Amarna as the princess's death was soon followed by the disappearance of Queen Tiye, Nefertiti, Kiya, and Mere- taten from oficial records. Could It be that the royal ladies fell viet to dis- ease oF pestilence brought into the country by the delegations from abroad? Events surrounding the final days at Amarna remain unclear. Akhen- faten’s successor was a boy named Tutankhaten, possibly his brother or a son by a secondary wife (Fig 26, cat 240), It was not long before the young king publicly rejected Atenism, changing his name to Tutankhamen land abandoning the elty of his birth, ‘The king and his court returned to Memphis and Thebes, Egypt's poll cal and religious capitals. In an attempt to restore public confidence, Tutankhamen issued a proclamation, known as the ‘Restoration Decree, which addressed pressing conditions at home and abroad, Most impor. tantly, the edict re-established the supremacy of Amen and returned power to Is priesthood. Tutankamen, whose queen was Ankhesenpaamen (formerly the Princess Ankhesenpaaten), died after ten years on the throne, leaving no immediate heirs, He was succeeded by Ay (Pig 12), an ageing official who had served him as well as Akhenaten, Ay was soon followed by Horemheb Ing of maglc's powerful draw or toler 722 (abve ition "on Akenatens pares as agai | now In any ease, the linge num- om AkRente's berof amulets, cle tems; and te Seep tt ines of rlnor gods recovered from cites Ny domestic contexts supports the | myst e notion of widespread popular rion "more usa our ier ens ME NBO8 pattie Tr isnot suprising tat for his own “ase burial, Akhonsten fashioned a tomb Nehes astm that was innovative and reflective of AN his personal eed, To begin with, the Royal Tomb was located inthe East erm rather than western cliff the fed traditionally assoclated with thei 23 at Setting sun and the boil place of his rh tl pat Immediate predecessor. Akhenaten "shai feof also cut his tomb along a suaignt—_Mhelen we (rather than bent) axis with two suites "* egal ueat Of rooms for farly members opening camila cts cir he ental pusige Atte end of "a man this corridor was-a pillored burial sls Chamber. Here, carved into the plas #727 "MA, fered limestone walls, were inseip tions and images of the royal family worshipping Aten ‘Auichaten died sometime during 24 gh. his 17th regnal yee, A strcophagus _Miniaw fate fragment recovered om the Royal Mesrase formate Tomb bears the head of Nefertiti Moan) with an otto ma Instead of the usual funerary goo. UREOf ami desses, suggesting that the King dausmerahs (Fig 27, cat, 251), general under Temsnd tue ois tothe end “The ve nay Tutankhamen and the first post (Pig 22, eat. 218). Fragments of | {2me from the Amara king free of any associations humerous mummiform snap figures NCH equl withthe hated heresy, The new ruler of Akhenaten, lacking the invocation princes Mee {Was quick to eradiate all vestiges of fo Osis, are clever modifeations of ten who ed ‘Atenism, including names, images, standard funerary beliefs (ig 23, cat. Young. H: 10.8, and temples. What he missed of 221). Apparently, Aten's only Son was au passed over was later destroyed by MINERVA 31Rameses the Great of the next dynasty. As for the eity of Amarna it Was soon forgotten, its remains bured for centuries under the shifting sand. Although vigorous attempts we made to eradicate the Amara here ftom Pgyptian history, vestiges of the revolution continued well beyond Akhenaten’s death. In art, Amama ‘peculiarities such as full, sensual lips, a distended abdomen, and relaxed posture can be found in statuary Cig 28, cat. 256) and relief. In religion, The Amarna Pharaohs Fig25 (ep) Yow ste ssn of ear itor item Mr Pin hes Con F425 abo) Sanstone he of wearing the ath snemes Redes. 12.60 MEAN, ig 27, Granite statue ofthe General Horemheb seated as a sre monotheistic themes continued explored and developed during the Ramesside period, Some scholars, Including Sigraund Freud, have even suggested that its influence can bi seen In the monotheism of Moses, From this viewpoint, Akhenaten is really the ‘grandfather’ of the Jude Chistian belief system. Architecture also profited from the Amarna inter ude, with new forms such as the Window of Appearances and compos: ite floral columns continuing long after the abandonment of the cty The drama that unfolded at Amarna continues to fascinate schol: ars, musicians, artists, and the general public who sce Akhenaten a 8 plo heering, romantic figure. As for Nef. titi, she has become an icon of elegance and beauty while Tutu ankhamen will forever be associated with the marvellous tieasures found in his tomb in 1922, Scientific exploration of Amarna began with the work of British archae- ologist Sie William Flinders Pe who excavated the site in 1891. Using the Lepsius plan, he focused hls atten jon on the Central City where he located several private residences, the Great and Small Aten temples, and the Great Palace. From 1907 to 1914, the Deutsche Orient-Gesellschatt, under the direction of Ludwig or. MINERVA 32 rat, excavated the North and South suburbs which yielded the fab uous treasures from the Thutmose workshop. The British resumed exca vating during the early 1920s and continued through the mid-30s under the auspices of the Egypt Exploration Society (EES). Their team, which Included J. D. S, Pendlebury, exea vated royal and religious structures as rll as private residences. Among thels finds were objects of everyday life left behind during the exodus 3s well as luxury items hidden with the intention of retrieval at a future date 1g 29, cat. 212), More recent work at Amarna was ducted by the Egyptian Antiqui les Organisation (19606) and the FES, under the leadership of Barry Kemp, nas been excavating at the site since 1977. Their discoveries are reflected in a large-scale model of the city built specifically for the exhibition, The current generation of archaeologists, who have been applying the tools and methods of modern science in both the field and laboratory, have greatly added to our understanding of life in an ancient city stations are taken from te catalage tha accompanies the exhibition, all except Fg 2s.lg 28, Limestone dyad statue ofthe Overseer of the Treasury Maya (under Tutankhamen) aa Ms wife Mery 188 om. ROL Venues for the exhibition: Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 14 November-6 February 2000 Los Angeles County Mugeum of At '9 March-6 June 2000 Art Institute of Chicago, 17 July-24 September Rijksmuseum van Oudheden, Leiden, 23 November 2000-18 February 2001 AA vaziety of special events, including on 4 December 1999 a symposium entitled ‘Amarna: A Thirty-four Century Legacy,’ will accompany the exhibition. For {information on the symposium, please call (617) 369- 3326 or visit the website at www.mfa.org/ calender. Museum abbreviations: ‘AM Agyptisches Museum, Bertin {UM Bris Museum, London EMC — Egyptian Museum, Cairo MEA Museu of Fine Arts, Baston ‘MEP = Musée du Louvre, Pars, [MMA - Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York INCG — Ny Carlsberg Glyptote, Copenhagen ROL ~ Rijksmuseuon van Oude, Leden VAG — Verein zur Férderung des Agyptsches Museum, Berth {The Amarna Pharaohs }—— ig 29, Glas fis vessel. Formed of polychrome sass on a sand core, it probably held precious ols or nguents L145 cm BM ‘Pharaohs of the Sun: Akhenaten, Nefertiti, Tutankhamen’ was organised by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, with major support from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Rita B Freed, organiser of the exhibition, is the Norma-fean Calderwood ‘Curator of Ancient Egyptian, Nubian, and Near Faster Art, Art of the “Ancient World. She was assisted in the exhibition by Research Fellows Yvonne J. Markowltz and Sue H. D'Auria ‘The book and catalogue of the exhibition, Pharaohs of the Sun: Akhenaten, [Nefetit, Tutankhamen, is published by Thames and Hudson, with 366 pages land 452 illustrations, 431 of them in colour. $30 paperback, $60 hardback (636). Edited by Rita E, Freed, Yvonne J, Markowitz, and Sue H. D’Aurla, there are introductory essays on the many aspects of this most controversial period by 13 internationally known Egyptologists. The specialist catalogue tntries on the 265 objects in the exhibition ate written by 26 contlbutors. The range of objects gathered together here is unprecedented and major ‘museums from all over the world, as well as private collectors, have been ‘most generous in allowing some of theie major exhibits to travel, In fact, for the next 18 months, in some of the world’s major museums, there are {going to be ‘on loan’ labels in many places in the display cases. This will ‘obviously lead to disappointment for some visitors, but the overall splen- dour of the compilation of the exhibition, and the splendid publication nies I, will toa great extent compensate for this. ¢ interested In this most enigmatic petiod of Egypt's long his- tory, the exhibition catalogue is a must ~ is far more than a catalogue of Objects, it isa bold and useful statement on the Amana petiod overall, and will obviously find a place on the shelves of all ‘Amarnaphiles’ as well as, those who can appreciate the glorious art of the period that was to have lasting effets on later dynasties Peter A. Clayton This article Is available as a sepatate reprint for $5 at the exhibition ot for £3 or 5 postpald from Minerva. Special quantity rates for classtoom use or for resale may be obtained upon request For other reprints published by Minera please see the advertisement on page 56. MINERVA 33CULTURA THE WORLD ART & ANTIQUES FAIR se 1 og 9 SERPs Noni Rend EouUS Nera atc Le) Ceres Re TRL I TS PERS MS eanur , eee mare Rr) Racers) Ce Goran erry cnetantiquarium, Itd. 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SPEEDPHONE ORDERING SERVICE Aswes/Viso/ BONHA "= 0121~681 8003 Mon-Fri Sam-5.30pm Montpelier Street, London SW? 1H. mal subscialonsoaniavesbuein.com Erie ore aeerenaraad {ied Set Pinna ontauesbutticom eer oer Joanna van der Lande or Chantelle ian pale green ra See emi oem ace) eee PeeSutton Hoo Ship Burial SIXTY YEARS OF SUTTON HOO SUTTON HO BURIAL GROUND OF his intelligent and readable ‘book Suton Hoo: Burial Ground of Kings? heralds the lst stage In the history of Sutton Hoo during the 20th century. Sixty years after the discovery of the ship burial below Mound 1 on a blu ovetlooking ‘the river Deben in south Saffolk, Mar- tin Cazver, the director of the 1983.98 research project, takes a wide-angled view not only of his own discoveries, but also of the better known remains found by Basil Brown and others in the hhotsuenmer of 1939, when the excavar toss raced to complete their investiga tions before the beginning of the Second World War. wver's book opens with a long Iyrieal section devoted to the discovery Of the ship-busil at Sutton Hoo in the summers of 1938 and 1939. Drawing upon Rupert Bruce-Mitford’s 2,441-page (volume) report on these discoveries, Carver leads the reader Into the extraordinary word of south Suffolk life on the eve of World War I We begin with the lonely widow, KING Sutton Hoo: Burial Ground ‘of Kings? Martin Carver. Brltish Museum Press, London, 1998, 224pp, 12 colour, 104 bav ‘iMustrations. Hardback, £16.99, Ali photos: Peter Clayton rig. Reconstructed pursed and got Merovingian coins ‘aed aks found ‘at Sutton Hoo in 1939, Richard Hodges dith Pretty, who sought consolation Jn the counsel of a spiritualist in Lon- don, From the south-facing bay-win- dow of her house at Sutton Hoo she Tooked out upon the grassy mounds, and perhaps recalling her father’s unearthing of a monastery in their rounds in Cheshire, she decided to launch an archaeological investigation. Contacting Ipswich Museum, she was put in touch with Basil Brown, a self-taught archacologist and astzonomer who was familiar with ‘monuments all over East Angila. One contemporary recalled that he had the ‘appearance of a ferret ..with a remark able flair for smelling out antiquities. His method was to locate a feature and then pursue wherever it led, in doing so becoming just like a terrier after @ fat. He would trowel furiously, sap. Ing the spoil between his legs, and at fntervals he would stand back to view progress and tread In what he had just Toosened...The sad thing is that with training he might have been a bailiant archaeologist.” Mes Pretty lodged him in an upper room of the chauffeur's cottage, paid him 30 shillings a week, and secured him the services of two Iabourers. On 20 June 1938 Edith Pretty furnished Brown with a probing lon which he drove into Mound 1 until it hit something solid. Over the following six weeks Brown and his helpers trenched three mounds, find: lng boat rivets In Mound 2. With her appetite whetted, Mrs Pretty charged Brown to begin again in 1939. On 8 MINERVA 36 May she encouraged him to begin at ‘Mound 1. Three days later the team of servants had uncovered the prow of a Doat. Using the position of the iron boat rivets to guide him, Brown began to uncover the imprint Of the ship. Ia all 3,000 rivets or clench nails were to be found of the 27- metre long clinker built boat, canted at a slight angle in its final resting place, On 30 May the great trench collapsed, but Brown struggled Fee after a few minutes. On 6 June, Charles Phillips, a Fellow of Sel: wyn College, Cambridge visited the site: was not prepared for the aston Ishing sight which met me when I came round to the actual work Brown's trench had cut down to reveal the gunwele outline of a large boat. Phillips reported his visit to the Gov- lemment authorities as well as the Biltsh Museum, While Brown dug oa, the Government awarded £250 to Philips to pursue the excavations on more scientific bass, ‘The pecfessional arrived on 8 July, and on I1 July, in a heated discussion, he informed Ipswich Museum that he was nov in control. Brown seems not to have minded, Calling on an experi- fenced team of young scholar, Phillips began to -emove the centre of the ship, discevering on 21 July the first plece of jewellery. The following day Drought to light ‘a veritable feast of golden objects’, as Carver puts It, Including gold plaques, a handful of gold (Merovingian) coins (ig 1), and a reat gold buckle decorated with the faked forms of interlaced animals, In the following days Byzantine silver dishes, tke Coptic bowl, and’the lamp-staxd” (the standard) were found. Cave captures the romance af the time, ro doubt reflecting not only ton the young excavators’ subsequent accounts, but on Angus Wilson’s novel, AngfosSaxon Attitudes, in which the discovery is alluded to. In an exhil: arating 17 days Phillips’ team had emptied 2 burial chamber of 263 objects of gold, garnet, sllves, bronze, enamel, iron, wood, bone, textiles, feathers, and fur. The chamber even contained the crushed remains of a Fowering plant and a ladybied. Ariv. ing on the scene on 18 August, Hector Munzo Chadwick, Cambridge's great Anglo-Saxon scholar, identified theship-burial as that of Raedald, kin East Anglia between AD 599-. 625, a pagan who fliced briefly with Chris: tianity. The identification has stood the test of time. Within three weeks, though, on 3 September, Britain declared war on Germany, and Mrs Prelty’s staff covered the excavation with bracken, Carver describes how the mounds were soon used as a military training ground early in the war, while the objects, given by Mrs Pretty to the nation, were despatched in boxes to a disused arm of the London under ground railway system. Only in 1945 were they retieved, leading to the long process of conservation and publica tion which ended with Bruce Mitford's lavish volumes over 30 years later, Sadly, Edith Pretty dled, aged $9, in 1942 and witnessed neither Bruce Mit. ford’ re-exeavation of Mound 1 in the 19608 (Fig 2), nor the extraordinary analysis of the finds from the buried ship, The almost careless speed of the first discovery, notwithstanding these fulsome reports, Intrigued archacolo- gists in the 1970s, and induced the British Museum and the Society of Antiquaries to launch the campaign that Carver himself has directed from 1983. The new project was very cle: ent from the first. Starting with a research design that was rigorously tested, its alm was to understand the context of the burial mounds. Meticu: Tous excavations revealed the long pre- historic use of the bluff of land ‘overlooking the river Deben and the features of an exhausted landscape ‘which drew the Anglo-Saxons to use this spot as a burial ground. Careful ‘excavation of other mounds, which thad largely been robbed, helped Carver to reinterpret the burial chamber in Mound 1 excavated so hastily in July 1939, While around the mounds the silhouetted remains of individuals cra: elly executed by a gallows were found gs 3, 4) The new interpretation of the burial chamber is remarkably ingenious. On the basis of the spt sides of the coffin found in Mound 17 excavated by Carver's team, a special analysis was ‘made of the Mound 1 stratigraphy in ‘which the objects in the chamber were telated to each other. Developing this dea, Carver suggests that the Durlal chamber was probably built in the patched, working ship once it was placed in its trench, Analogy with the MINERVA 37 Fig Theboat impression Mound 7 reencmvated sat Sutton Hoo ‘the 19605, Fig. One of the ‘many headless founding the Ireencavation of the Sutton Too ‘cemetery under Propesor Martin Carver Probably ‘one of those ‘nected In the area Fig 4. Double inhaation fou ‘a Sutton Hoo shurng the 1983-98 ‘excavations ———— Sutton Hoo Ship Burial }=}—— later, Sth-century Viking Oseberg ship. burial from Norway indicates how it might have been made, ‘A seres of Joists was lad across the rial of the boat on which a floor of planks was Tald, The roofed chamber ‘was then built on the floor and filled through an open side. Fine objects wore hung from the walls ofthe cham. ber before the open coffin was eased into the chamber. The dead man, probably wrapped in a shroud, was laid tits west end, His head was placed on 8 goose covn pillow in which a lady- bird had found its way, On either side ‘of the pillow were two pairs of size 7 indoor shoes suggesting that the dead man was short. Around him were heaped hhis many possessions and gitts to the gods. Next the lid was nailed tight and on it were placed food offer ings and regal gear Including 2 great silver dish made in Constantinople at the end of the Sth century, and aset of weapons decorated with gold and gar- nets, On the coffin Ii, too, was a hel- met wrapped! in cloth (Fig 8). Carver allows ts a last peep Into the chamber ‘with a mostly unburnt cake of beeswax fuel, before the roof was sealed and the mound was made over it ‘Many decades would have passed before the chamber collapsed and was ‘compressed into the thin veneer of woodstain and metal found by Basil Brown, This was a king, a marines, a warrior, and in the tradition of the Anglo-Saxon poem, Beowulf, a hero — the cemetery, now we have Carver's new reading of this great grave, con- tains ‘an anthology of statements, con nected by certain themes, some of ‘which ..can be read clearly enough to allow vs to make history from them.” Garver believes that mounds §, 6, and 7, all containing cremations, may have been planned together, perhaps the fist burials at Sutton Hoo. Mound 18, with another cremation, the horse bur- fal in Mound 17, a rich female in Mound 14, and a number of inhuma: tions Including those of children were buried around the early cemetery. "Next came the ship-burial and a ‘number of smallee mounds. In all, the cemetery was barely in use for SO years with a custom displaying the strong Influence of contemporary Scandina- van sites for Kings With its extraordinary range of rave goods, from Byzantium, Frankia, Scandinavia, and different parts of Britain, the ship-busial waymarks a special moment when, with the intro duction of Christianity, the family of « dead king were signalling his North Sea and English connections. The con- spicuows consumption was an instru ment of power designed to impressed the chiefs of the 30 or more other Eng lish and British tribes over whom Raedwald held sway. Above all, thewas a response to the ctl: is being faced by an enbroyonic English royal encountered the Id ental monks, with their new stone churches and literary culture, and had, at the same time, (0 fstablish thelr origins 2s kings in the face of fierce competition from ‘their peers. From this moment the English, and almost certinly, Eng: Tish asa language ‘grotesque Feat din the new campaigns, ides @ powerful ilistration of ‘onspizuous con: Around Mound 5 an ted circle of burials was discovered, Cateful excavation of bodies showed that many were buried face dow with thei wrists or ankles lid ove each other as though tied. One Individual had a broken neck; nother had been decapitat Jere these buried when the roy metery was In use, or after i shandonment? The excavated data do not help us; thi ann ated, Nevertheless, this a public execution site nova int later Saxon times a5 a stow, of killing place. Carver ecilates that the ritual xilings ~ human sacefices, the public liquidation of people who did not agree with the new Ki ‘outlook. Whatever, they represent a fascinating, if brutal, counter point to the extraordinary finesse ff the Anglo-Saxo ery found {in the buril-chamber, Carver's book ends with a spt: ed account of the recent efforts to safeguard the mounds and to Gevelop a small exhibition centre in the house that once belonged to Mrs Pretty, Hs efforts to make this 2 place for the public, ke Mrs retty’s generosity in giving the treasure to the nation, marks a Final, uplifting episode in a remark able story. Carver is modest when he deseribes himself es standing on the shoulders of the giants who found and brought this great archaeological site to lif. His book ‘with is popular appeal, and acces sible analysis, shows beyond doubt that he belongs to the pantheon of reative and, dave one say, roman: {sts who, by their bur, have made th remains of this unlikely place oné fof the enduring keystones in the arly history ofthe English, Richard Hodges is Proesso f Weld art Studles as Anglia in Norwich the Sutton too heme, which [sop ditincty Swesh type Pe act ar a ANTIQUITIES 11 DECEMBER 1999 Boh s33 6 Reinhard Dollinger, Tel. (+43 1) 515 60-533 rote DETER ra E-MAIL Cr are ana Ee INTERNET ne eee Nn TOON a ne ci ear cecal DOROTHEUMAntiquities and Islamic Works of Art Prenat Pose eed PMN eat Bete) ere ene ees " ene ns erecta rete aa) Ee Porc ears Cope zi Coes 800.444.3709 Bees eee 203.847.0465 fax 203.849.0223, Perera teas rosin aad eS Rc SOTHEBYS Founded 1744Hieroglyphs Deciphered _ |— CRACKING CODES Peter Clayton looks at the new exhibition in the British Museum and the background to the decipherment of Egyptian hieroglyphs. ‘cam rightly be said that in that great building in Blooms- bury known the world over as ‘The British Museum, there are two major Icons = the Elgin Marbles and the Rosetta Stone, Everyone, liter: ally, knows that they are there, and on thelist visit invariably heads straight for one or the other, depending on your penchant for Ancient Egypt or Ancient Greece. ‘The new exhibition at the Museum, ‘Cracking Codes: The Rosetta Stone and Decipherment’, celebrates the bi: ‘centenary ofthe discovery of the Stone by a French officer of engineers, Petre Frangois Xavier Bouchard, in 1799 at Fort St fullen at the Rosetta mouth of the Nile to the east of Alexandria. He was intelligent enough to consider that the inscriptions he noted on it might be of historical importance and reported i to his superior officer, Gen eral Jacques-Abdallah Menou (a con- vert to Islam). He, as invariably happened amongst the conquering French, appropriated it to himself “After the defeat ofthe French at the Battle of Alexandria on 23 March 1801 (hele fleet having been annihilated at the Battle ofthe Nile on 1 August 1798 by Nelson}, Article 16 of the Treaty of Alexandria, 2 September 1801, stipu- lated that all antiquities held by the French should be handed aver to the British as spolls of war. These ‘spoils {included the so-called ‘sarcophagus of Alexander the Great’ (actually the never used inscribed sarcophagus of Nectanebo Il, the last native pharaoh of Egypt, died 343 BO), and the Rosetta Stone. General (as he styled himself, although he was only Colonel) TTomkyns Turner was sent to collect the Stone from Menou, and Turner, being fan ariley man, comments how most appropriately it was collected in a ‘devil car”, Menow, apparently in a ft of rage at having to hand over the Stone, had broken the wooden frame in which it had been set. The story goes that, upon Turner presenting him Self with his detachment to collect the Stone, Menou disdainfully looked him up and down, noting that hath of them were big ine, and remarked that since Turner was taking the Stone he might also take Menou's shirts, recently returned from the laundry, Wwhich should Gt Turner, as well. His tory does not record ifthe latter offer was taken up by the British officer What is recorded, however, in an indelibly painted text on the deep thicknesses on either side of the Stone, are the painted inscriptions: ‘CAP- TURED IN EGYPT BY THE BRITISH ARMY 1801', and on the other ed, "PRESENTED ‘BY KING GEORGE Ill It ‘was presented to The British Museum by the King and entered the Museum in June, 1802. “The Stone, with its imegular shape, 112.3cm high, 75.7em wide, and 28.4em thick, 1s readily recognisable (Fig 1). eis estimated to weigh 762kg and is inserlbed in three scripts and tbvo languages (not in three languages, as so many books still Incorrectly state). The upper 14 lines are in the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic writing, ‘the middle 32 lines are in demotic (a ‘popular’ form of writing Egyptian), and the bottom $3 lines are in Greek Copies were made of the inscriptions by Nicola-Jacques Conté by inking the block of stone and taking off an Impression, almost like a lithographic plate but, Of course, it was in reverse, And copies went to scholars in Pais The Greek text was Immediately recognisable and swiflly published by MINERVA 40 Fig 1. The Rosetta Stone fragment ‘roma trge stele "see lg 8), was four tn 1799 at Fort St ulin. ts text tsa priestly “decree” the Memphis Decree - of 198 BC concern Ing the cl of rotemy V (20s O). The area atthe bottom left ‘comer has been leftunconserved to show the previous white lk fl. opens plik quartzbearing Tock that was vented daring ig 2. Baron silvestre de Sacy (a7seass), the iat person to actually read any ‘ancient Egypt words, Medallion by Depaul struck de Sacys death on 21 February 1838. De om the Swedish scholar Johan David Akerblad (who died in Rome in 1819, Just three years before Champoltion’s epoch-making publication). He was also able to work out, by comparing the Greek and the demotic texts, He proper names in the demotie as they ‘occurred in the Greek. These, and his recognition of the words for ‘temples, ‘Greeks, and the suffix ‘him’ were of great use later to Baron Antoine Isaac Silvestre de Sacy in working on the translation ofthe demotic. De Sacy (Fig 2) was the first person to read any ancient Fgyptian words, recognising three names in the demotie version in 1802. Long before, in 1761, the Abbe Jean Jacques Barthélemy (1716-98) had suggested (accurately) that the ‘ovals’ {now called cartouches) seen in inscrp. tons might hold royal names. Te foundations were therefore laid for the brilliant young scholar Jean Francois Champollion (1790-1832). He studied under Silvestre de Sacy; as 2 boy and later he had learnt Hebrew, Arabic, Syriac, Chaldean, and even Chinese, then he added Coptic to be of inestimable walue), Ethiopic, San shit, Zend, Pablevi, Parsee, and Per. san. Initially Champollion made many mistakes In his attempts at ‘cracking the code’, but, making use of ‘Thomas Young's unpublished work (rhere Young (Fig 3) had detected the relationship of demotic with Coptic), hhe forged ahead. In 1815 Silvestre de Sacy had warned Thomas Young in a letter: ‘I think, Monsieur, that you are further forward today, and you read a great part atleast of the Egyptian text. IFT had one word of advice to give you, 4 would bee to not communicate Your discoveries too much to M. Champol- Hon. Tt could happen that he might then claim to have been firs’, A aterHig 3. Thomas Young (1778-1829). Commemorative medallion by Frank Aovacs, frst struck i 1954 asc aard Of Cionibridge University endowed by the will ofthe archacolgistPredetck Willan ‘Green (1869-1949). Ds Slr letter says of Champollion that ‘He 1s prone to playing the role of a jacklaw In borrowed peacock’s plumes’ Young, however, was generous in exchanging information. Making comparisons with the names in the eartouches (‘oval’) fon the Rosetta Stone and on the Bankes obelisk at Kingston Lacy (ought back from Philae by Giovanni Belzoni), Champollion was able to publish his Lette @ M. Dacier., In 1822, ‘which demonstrated that he had made the break through in reading Fgyptian hieroglyphs (ig 4), "Naturally, the Rosetta Stone itself Js the focal point of the exhibition atthe British Museum, bat there are changes to be noted on it, Fest, ie has been carefully cleaned by Erie'Miller of the ‘Museum's Conservation Department. Many thought that the inscription would ‘cisappear’. When the infill of white chalk had been removed, how ever, It was still a clear as ever. In fat, with the removal of the traces of the original French inking, a layer of car- nauba wax (earlier put on it to help preservation), the chalk infil, the Lon don polluted atmosphere, and the arease of the hands of the countless ‘thousands over the years who have felt - Hieroglyphs Deciphered Figs. ‘of th orignal Stele based on ‘other copes of the Deve of Memphis and the Canopus Deere, Incorporating a ‘aut ofthe Rosetta Stone i: 143m, eal na that they must just touch this hal: lowed relic, the Stone has been revealed as @ dark grey colour that actually sparkles and there is a pink vein running through the top let hand comer. Always identified as being basalt rock, recent petrographical analysis, a the suggestion of Professor Dietrich Klemm of Munieh, in which 2 small sample was en rom ig 4, Jean-Francois Champollon (1790-1832) Medallion by Corbin struck in Parisi 1972 to commemorate the 130th anniversary of Champollion's decipherment of Egyptian herogiyphs. Note his name on he ezough obverse writen i hierghphs in a tartouches Tie reverse refers to hs publication, Lettre @ M, Dacie (1822) ‘andthe statue Is the superb sold ina statue of Queen Karomama, one ofthe treasures ofthe Lowe, ‘thai Champolion ought in Luxor 1829. De 8Sram. MINERVA 41 underside and thin sliced for analysis, has revealed that the Stone fs aetually & fine- to mediuen-graln quartz-bearing rock containing feldspas, mica, and amphibole. For many years the Stone has been displayed at an angle of about 45 degrees, and from 1847 unl the 1980s was covered at this angle by a sheet of las, making photography of it virtu: ally impossible. (The author recalls dus ing bis time at the British Museum catching two male tourlsts trying to photograph the Stone in an even plane ‘with one sitting on the other’ shout ers! Needless to say warding staff were immediately summoned.) Now the Stone is displayed upright in a vertical position as it would have been origi nally, and nearby there isa reconstruc: tion of how the fragment of the Stone ‘Would have looked as part ofits orig nal stele (Fig 5) Although the Stone is known from its eponymous find spot (a habit amongst archacologis gener. ally), I almost certainly did not orig nate from Rosetta but had probably. Jyeen brought there in antiquity from a site further inland, the Late Period cap- ital ety of Sals having been suggested. Added to which, since no other frag. ments have been found In the viclalty of its discovery, the Stone probably came to Rosetta nits present broken form to be reaused in some building project. Essentially the exhibition ‘does not provide a narrowly focused description Of the Stone's contents, context, or ecipherment’ since many accounts are available, ‘instead it presents an accessible account of the Various ques. tions aroused by the Stone’ ~ Preface The exhibition has over 200 objects isplayed, mainly from the British ‘Museum collections but with a few yet significant items from other UK sources and abroad. Overwhelming amongst the UK loans isthe immense blue glazed composition was sceptze bearing the cartouche of Amenhotep I (1427-1401 BC) from the temple of Seth at Tuk At 26cm (7A ins) high it is the largest piece Known of this, material. The objects have been carefully cho: sen to reflect the uniquely beautiful mixture of pictures and sound signs that make up Fgyptian hieroglyphs, therefore many of the items ate (extue ally oriented (Fig 6) and there has been fan effort to include hitherto unpub- lished pleces with, in many instances, translations provided to presenta sam: ple of the texts and styles available. The exhibition examines the role and the effect of the relationship between hieroglyphs and Fgyptian art over four millennia ieroglyphs are not the only script examined in this exhibition. Objects from other cultures illustrate suchFig etal of the standing ofthe concepts involved in {somone the writing andthe obs in elation Pug 13808. soSehem, Above all, in the ancient mies tram tee Feypa’s mind, was the ongnator of Avtarbedaas the sacred writings the god Toth, god for is wing. of wisdom, learaing and wilting, Is taberead three Shown variously with an ibis head oF wap teks het bodied in th anil considered 40 Bets eis personal familar, the sacted steric sy baboon (ig 0) Seas ae often repre head The sented seated industrously waiting inscription is Set _yeneath a baboon seated on a pedestal a uty etal, they could have no better supervisor. titiitend 60) The catalogue ofthe exhibition 2 step tke maces. splendid protion fll of informa- Mie Thestele was ‘on and supe lstations which vl ent tidtegtat de of use to scholars and interested lay- Kamern Toi, tan alike, Al one can say isto echo Whoeensdeed the quotation at the lead of Dt snatie would bof — chard Patkinon's Preface: ‘Read on, Lainey 4 | Reader, read on, and work it out for Devoe [3 Prom tres) ourecit (Novel on Yellow Paper ofthe discovery af 8. Sait, 1936) hie Fapptlans? The” peter Clayton, an internationally know, comptes ofthe Clayton re tne ee tga lc te aloof itsas vot fully” The Redscovey of Anclent Egypt pssied ft (1982, reprint 1990 as well os 1221, Overall being Consulting Eto and = Book Reviews Editor of Minerva, Fig7 le) tea saonstone spins rom the Midate lngtom temple of “athor at Serubie Radin Sia, ‘vith Inscriptions tn Ezyptian hero ‘quphs an Pratosinaitie serpt 1800 BC. ig 8 cre. Steatite statuette oy the baboon oF igh pedestal ith adonble ight of Steps. Ramessie perl, 1th century BC igs 1, 5-8, by gourtety of The Srustees of The igs 24 photos Peter Clayton curlostes asthe ProtoSiniatic script The fascinating Chapter Rou in the tig 7, and other scripts that stil defy exhibition catalogue “The Fre Fur y decipherment such a Mevoitic Grom — ther Codes to Crock, adresses these “Cracking Codes’ the kingdom of Meroe in the Sudan) problems ane from such esoteric places aster "The thls ofthe Mist three chapters | >The Belish Mseum exfbton ‘Craig Coder Is ‘sland. For example, ts only in recent of the exhibition catalogue give the ‘until 16 January 2000. ee Yeats that the enigmatic Mayan script flavour of the whole Delphesng the Of Cental America was decphered in Rosetta Stone’, Wading «Texts The Admbslon £4, concessions £2; underage 16, or Belts 1952 by the Russian scholar Yori Igyptin Scripts of the Roselts Stone Museum Society member, re norosby. Other septs such as Ca and "Towards Reading a Cultural Code fan Guten on stele in Egypt by The Uses of Writing m Ancient Egype The atalogue, Cracking Coes: The Roseta Stone and mercenaries employed these) Indus The exhibition obits are integrated, Deiat is by De Richard Parkinson, with 208pp, Valley sept ofthe Hertapan cvlisa- with full escptions, into the anni 32 colour ps, 200 ils, Paperback, £1639. tion, and several Aegean serps other Text s0 that each complements the than Linear B) stil hold their Secrets. other and leads to a clearer under MINERVA 42 erly‘SIR, THEY ARE SCRUBBING THE ELGIN MARBLES!’ Some controversial cleanings of the Parthenon sculptures On 30 November and 1 December this year the British Museum will host an international colloquium to re-examine the controversial cleaning of the Parthenon sculptures in the 1930s. Tan Jenkins has been researching in the museum's archives to show how the controversy has a long history. any of the arguments that are heard today for or against the conservation, of ancient artworks were rehearsed in the 19th century around the case of the Elgin Marbles. ‘A recent revival of interest in th notorious cleaning of the Parthenon sculptures in the 1930s has obscured. the fact that this was not the first time that attempts to Improve the condition of the sculpture had pro. vvoked controversy. Even before they came to the Museum, Lord Elgin aroused dissent with his proposals for having his Marbles restored in the Italian manner. He did not in the end execute them, but in 1811 the sculptor John Henning inter- vened when Joseph Nollekens’ men were about to start scouring the sculptures with dilute sulphuric acid and water. The practice had been of the present state with that in which they were brought to Eng Jand, of that of late importations from Athens are quite sufficient to reveal the danger: and from the fre- quent ablutions which are necessary to clear them of the dirt, but which materially affect the surface of the marble its to be appreciated that at the end ofa century or less they may be ireparably injured! These warnings were given by W. A. Hamilton, Lord Elgin’s former agent and afterwards an Influential Trustee of the Museums. They formed part of an ongoing discussion about whether the Museum collections as they were then constituted were rationally composed and whether they should be separated out. One possibility was to detach the Elgin Marbles and send them out of Lon ddon into the clean air of the country. advised by Nollekens himself, who Such was the concern aver the threat had learned his trade from Bar to London’s artworks that in 1887 tolomeo Cavacepp! and other testor the Site Commission for the pro ers of ancient sculpture in Rome, some sculptures that were perceived _ Fi. 1. The gin posed new building to house the where preserving original surface tobe suffering fiom ‘exposure to Une Rm 1879. The National Gallery requested permis mattered Tess than achieving a com- air’. Then, in 1845, the Museum —f2"PeIR hfe sion for Michael Faraday to examine plete object forthe Grand Tour mar. became especially sensitive to the MAMESEUCALM che surface of sculptures in the Ee tienning was prompted to recall surface condition of fs sculptures, "asinssunel British Museum to ascertain the Die ncdnt wees, ne had The votes atention hae heen engamd eco smoke ane ds. The ne Seen the Lyclan sutptare, newly drawn tothe fact that te manner of desemng ie, tion was to detesmine where, oF Svein the ah Mtscum, being eating the galleries Dy coultved Meas Hout ey noe. o found Ute ew epost washed with ac and water and'had stoves was responsible for a great ""EAESMCGI™ES ory of the ation’ collection of ple Tneflly expresed his Usapproval. quantity of dust (ig 1). There as, alt PhrktRger tures, The Museum was also tach ‘The sculptor were presumably besides, another atse nn perhaps) Fem Nir” Intrsted in aradays response and washed by some means while they far greater menace, namely the dete. %# Archive its Trustees discussed the text of a eve in figin’s possession. They lotion of the London ai by the Teter addressed by him to Dr Nil must have been washed again in increase of smoke emissions from man, Dean of St Paul's Cathedsal TSI? when costs were fist made of con fives serving the city’s ever: to vas one of the National Caley them by the sculptor Richard West-_ growing population. The antiquives, Commissioners It was considered macott and agai around 1836-7, twas obyerved fe 1851, Including important enough toe printed up then they were moulded forthe see” the Higin Marbles, are dally become asa Memorandum, Faraday exant tnd and fst time, Already in 1830, Ing more deteriorated by exposure to ined especially the Brechtheum Cot Mehael Faraday snd Richord West. the Londos atmosphere. He smoke mn and. Caryatid. and. some macott had been consulted about and ditt and the alterations of mmetopes, but his comments seem to the appleation ofa wash to prevent heated and damp ait. A single be applied to the ynerl body ofthe ‘decomposition’ of the surface of Inspection of them ané comparison Elgin Marbles MINERVA 43—____ — Cleaning the Elgin Marbles he abs general were ery ys of hem psig sity fom eps oso soot lomed upan the ase ction, sane eng, non, Te Sie of he as eer ough, erode tnivaveyew spcimens pnt te plano ss mae many have de roe re Hono a fine deg more oe have ier bole sr clus 0 had st aehancal Tisund ebay of ema secant aac ie. oe vy fy placer he dao seed 0 te pane by steam penculng he ety fe uncnged unbroken marble Almont cer appeared toe eo dt aang cso we) Rl meee, y te rogh and sued sae of he stone. Th aplication of wat, ape by ponge ooo ct eed the oa dt, Pol nt an engten tne guna ah tn Tea wang, eer by he ge, Ors cn, rt rey mproved the cla, Dt $s tft to othe es ate ese of ne typo, i te ater and ating tough oe ‘ul eon the per i et ach bee ne eli sae oF te Tier ape ss, bas edo ar cus hese chen the ong of he fc eta change the tint of te brown ses te ot ey ea sor of extng te arb nt to ks propre sa sae ‘eins 1 iy wed te ces ce eve his ld fo, tong Tove ono nt Thad ed Seu te upper ie andi apace bn even these users apctons ad fe, ih ay, ae tie procs ents ee shaman erect a en se ding enough male oneal te {pled we, weno stn each the Bt ofthe call sess vc a en Sepa 0 8 te heme of ta ons ace. Tie exvinton has ae me despa of he oslo rect hems he ih Masur in hat ily at he pred, Te multe peopl wth req th gal, the amt wi ey aie, ec ee tet of se oes mers af wring, wh by poduing oetsin the cathe and it paces oe ame, the succes the ne sd th Landon stompin wih it sok, ores, ae ys pet Scesng reso nyt he stead appa of se Beat esi, Sl, ik tht much Ingromeen oul ent anne ut a ery cl wang an nk ht the epleon ofa ae ste al {cos} withthe note, now be bee ha tap inn a the lst orton fre tte ely moe frees mich cn wing fo see ti es ut wt Sonp oc sos be epee shld be owed Yo Dry bingo wcing 8 proeby employed in some casi 5 should be led wth ie, and ver whi sn ajc adn, of the onions the wee il tobe nea se tee the ppesanc a Sic ces ead easg tn odhson of eer cot oi tht odie btn rode ion Sony on, wndrig porns gues ase st han back pt of he sun gure, though he ater sec mote avout spo Richard Westmacott Jnr had taken permission to go ahead by the Trustees. Text of Faraday's over from hs more famous father The decsion didnot met with every. Memorandum (@.1856) as principal estore of the body's approval. On 18 June 1888 there 857 onthe Museum's sculpture. He was invited to appeared a eter in The Times newspa- gy ff attend the meeting at which Faraday’s pet signed anonymously by one Mat- Tetier was read and concluded that tot, who appears to have opposed all cleaning the sculpture was a nevesary restoration as a tater of pinelpe. eis operation as long 38 was done under the first of three such letters that the superintendance of & competent remarkably foreshadow the scandal sut= and responsible peson in accordance rounding the 1930s cleaning of the wth the condltton of the sculptures Marbles. nd the quality ofthe marble Sit — hve seen with amazement snd To the next meeting of Trustees, indignation the Colosseum ~ thet Fatward Haviking, Keeper of Antiquities mighty ev of pel Rome og Since 1826 and now neatly eighty years _ilicence~ estoved in pat by te Ol, presented his views on how the descendants of Gotha in aly, ts Sculptures should be dean and how Ses plstred up andthe He, var the work was to be supervised. 4, olden ue, the reso of nety Favekiny’ use of ‘lay water’ Tor wast ontonous coating oF fit colour, | ing marble statues about to be pho. anemons covdng of Hy cole tographed was approved, but IU was gnacterpicers in the National Gallery fecommended that Westmacott be Seroyed in onder to give wretched Consuted once more, There was nvary ‘restorer’ job, and on walking batween Hawkins and Westmacot The through the gn soom atthe Rats Keeper of Antiquities had long battled Museum ty Twinesed proceedings, to develop a more independent le for whichnabsurdly and arty may himself and his Department, The SH tose have named Trustees tended fo regard the Keepers Si they are scrubbing the Bn as servants and to disregard opinion (he amas and have them neal from these, thelr empoyees,prefering Ua : that of outside constants such 35 the See ap a architects Robert and his brother S¥d- gn, but | do say tha the ene gen byl 2 “hye hey Smitke and the sculptors Richard fime'to!anakque sculpture, Roman male ‘Westmacot, elder and younger. Absolutely esential to the harmony of aoe Westmacott and Hawkins agreed effect” ee hat the sculptres needed cleaning but eae not over the method. Westipacott The walter characteristically offers oh Seaipre favoured Faller’ earth and was given view of what this tone’ might be, other 1a MINERVA 44 or theeceprion of ling than the patina of age but, as Baaday’s ‘Memoraridum shows, the surfaces were already in an altered state, Neverthe Tess, this letter prompted an airing of the grievance of another, who signed himsel W.D.B5; ‘the vandalism complained of by jour cowtespondent ’Marmor' as been of ome durtion and fist attracted ny steension on the opening ofthe ne Graeco-Roman Saloons, Last Cantmas vile compound, The elerated bust of “Cayie’ hg 2}, one ofthe most eat fal aniques existing, fas bad is ‘mauled inthis maner, nd am pos five that anything beyond te simplest pplication of water, and that by pee fons acquainted with the exquisite finese of sculptured flesh, must prove prejudicial to such a work ar told {hi bse was cleaned about ten years go, and ithe serbhing proces i 0 be renewed every now and then We these marble. Blurred edges and m0 be the inevitable vest with the loss of Iie and incviduaty, and over which the sculptor lingered lovingly at the ‘completion of his Work. Te needs 20 Thumm asian to destroy The original-cortespondent walted for an offical reply from the Museum and, vehen none came, attempted to keep the issue alive by offering a second let- terto The Times To all national establishments con ncted with ait certain officials are sached wise diy its to watch over the works commited to thelr charg, who receive fixed salary and who 1 ‘Marmor’ had Hawkins in mind, the charge oF somnolence was certainly tunust, a8 a glance at documents detall ing the professional life ofthis tireless individual would shovs Dipping his pen into the vitriol, the‘E { Cleaning the Elgin Marbles | BEING SPOILT BY CLEANING 22572 e Lor ¥n that Mister Epstein is might. musta’ cleaned this lake wif a pick - “Under these ar, 1 believe, others who =the say varying ith the mount of work they ert — 3 Aways keenly on the lookout fora fob. Good ot bad, iis 2 matter of inference to ther, provide they se pal, Dey ae eqaly re) and fsqally competent ta scrub the pan off 0 many square Feet of Ti fan orto deprive of tone, $0 many squae yard of Phidas” ‘Mariar’ goes on to speculate that one of the reasons for this action is to pro- duce a colous in the sculptures that ‘would harmonise more readily with the colour of the walls of the galley, that had for some years been a vibrant re The walls had previously been a pur plish grey which had been very mich ‘more to his taste. The walls ofthe Elgin Room had been painted red in 1839 in response to a rising fashion for strong coloue in interior design that had much to do with the revival of ancient archi- tectural polychromy. Once established, ‘the colour was to be Increasingly used In the nineteenth-century Museum as 2 means of striking @ contrast between the gallery walls and the sculptures, which were perceived to be ditty and ‘ingy in appearance. Had the sculprure been cleaner, then lighter colours might have prevailed. tn fact, therefore, ‘the opposite of ‘Marmor’s, supposition was the ease. It was the walls that were matched to the sculpture, rather than the other way round. These letters are Interesting from 2 aumber of viewpoints. Whether or not they express legitimate concerns is diff calt to say. Negative factors include their authors’ apparent hostility to the Museum itself, their anonymity and their flare to address their objections sm writing fist t0 the Museum. (By con- trast John Henning appears a far more ‘reali character) There Is @ blank! ‘opposition to all restoration on princi- ple: Interfering with ancient sculpture must of necessity be bad and a viola- tion ofits original finish, The Trustees met on 26 June 1858 MINERVA 45 Fig3. A British rewspaper cartoonist stew of ‘an earir cleaning ‘othe Flt ‘Marbles Fig. 4. The Fin Room 1875. The frieze is protect by lass, group ofthe East Pediment,atmost tout op the kor the picture. Photo. EVork BM Greek ‘ant Roman Dep Dr tan Jenkins fs curaion with special responsi- bilities forthe Elgin Marbles in the Department of Greek and Roman Antigutes, The British Museu, bout the forthcoming conference on the leaning ofthe gin Marbles “The Keeper, Creek Roman, ith Museum, Great Rsell tee, web 306 and considered the first two letters, together with a counter testimonial by Charles Cockerel, the architect and archacologs. “Asone of the Royal Commission for the site of the National Galery last year [had occasion to hear the most mort fying evidence to prove the degradation to which these noble works were sub- jected in these hyperborean climates ~ tout by Mr Westmacott’s operations, 1 now rejoice with you at their future ‘exemption from further dishonour, and their perfect preservation in our muscu to future times. I heatily con sgratulate you... Mr Westmacott assures ine that his preparation contains no chemical mischief whatever “The Trustees went into the galleries and satisfied themselves that Westma- Cots methods were to be approved. At the beginning of 1859, Hawkins reported that the greater part of the Graeco-Roman sculptures had been cleaned under the continuing supervi- sion of Westmacott. This, however, was far from the end of the roatter. Within ten years, the seuptures were so soiled that Hawkins’ successor, Charles Neve fon, bad to have them washed again in 1867-68 and to begin the process of protecting the frieze behind glass (Fig '), Newton’s intervention undoubtedly ddid much to shut out dist from the frieze, but it was never practical to enclose all of the pedimental sculptures fr the metopes. These continued, thero- fore, 0 accumulate their coat of Dlack ‘grease, This was partially removed by periodic washing until Lord Duveen’s Intervention in the 1980s resorted to a ‘more drastic action, which involved the Scraping ofthe surface itself of some of the sculptures That incident has always been regretted but, llke others before it, rep resents a part of the history of the sculpture. Vike the Aegina Mares in ‘Munich, the Parthenon sculptures were never restored, t would, however, be Incorrect to think of them as unchang: ing. Objects in museums, especially ld tones like the British Museum, are not statie but have, ay It were, a museum Life. They change just as monuments like the Parthenon itself, that remain standing in the open air continue to change with the accidents of human Intervention, weather and atmospheric pollution. If the London air nas not been Kind to the Elgin Marbles, then hhow much less kind has been the air of Athens to those sculptures Elgin left behind? The British Museum was once a polluted environment. Since the “Jean Air Act of 1956 and subsequent ‘Acts iis much les $0, Mechanical alr- filtering has improved the situation in the gallery in which the Parthenon sculptures are exhibited, and they are Cleaner as a result. They remain, how. ‘ever, the product oftheir own history.can be bought at The British Museum, The Louvre, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Thoth Amulet & Pronze Hathor Aegis -26th Dyn. eypt ‘The Sackler Gallery EGYPTIAN & CLASSICAL ANTIQUITIES (Smithsonian), We offer she collector a varied selection and many other fine af fine quality Ancient World Art! museum shops . and bookstores. GLASS BRONZE - SCULPTURE » JEWELLRY “ " SCARABS - AMULETS - WEAPONS - POTTERY FREE ILLUSTRATED ANTIQUITY CATALOG - M99 -FULL YEAR SUBSCRIPTION $5. OVERSEAS S10 Ifyour local shop or newsagent ANCIENT WORLD ARTS, LTD. does not stock MINERVA please ask them to order it. PO Box 698, Litchfield, CT 06739 Phone: (860) 567.2288 « Fax: (860) 9673785 (Diamond magazine distribution: 1 appointment ‘Tel: 01797 225 229) E-mail address: ancientitd@aolcom INSOILUCY eas r eer oe parece The International Magazine of th reas The July 1999 issue of aroLto was devoted to Antiquities, and Peete Can ee eee ee eon a eres ee Coen y Enea the other life of the Fayum portraits, the new Greek galleries in the Metropolitan Museum and more. Copies are available from our London office @ £10 ine. p&p. Save 25% off the cover price with an annual subscription to Apollo (12 issues): UK £70.00; Overseas £75.00; USA (air speeded)f— New Museum ‘ILIOU MELATHRON’: THE NUMISMATIC MUSEUM OF ATHENS Theo G. Antikas and Laura Wynn-Antikas he inauguration of the new Numismatic Museum of Athens, at the end of last year at the illustrious ‘iiow Melathron’, known as ‘the Trojan Mansion’, Helntich Schliemann’s splendid house (Fig 1), heralds the housing of 6,000 colns and artefacts, Kept by successive curators since 1829 in several locations, under one roof, The numismatic museum is, tunigue in Greece and the Balkans, And is one of only afew museums of its kind world-wide. In 1869 the Neubukow-born Schliemann (1822-90) married Sophia Kasteiati, daughter of an ‘Athenian draper, and settied peema- ently in Athens. A year later, h commissioned his Dresden compa- twlot Ernst Zller (1837-93) to design and build the two-storey ‘iow Molathron’ in the style of the Teallan Renaissance, adapted to the Neo-las sleal spirit of the times. By 30 Janu: ary I8BI at the cost of almost half a inillion gold drachmas, Schliemann’s Trojan Mansion was inaugurated in a brilliant reception held in its ‘grounds. It was there, amidst the Ital lan-made tessellated floors and the wall paintings of the Slovenian artist Yuri Subic, that the avocational archaeologist and philhellene Hein- ich Schliemann housed his own coin collections and Trojan finds. The new, permanent exhibition of the Museum contains coins and fther artefacts from the ancient Hel Jenic, Roman, and Byzantine worlds, the medieval European West, and the modern world, as well as a great ‘number of hoards, archacological Finds, lead seals, medals, and gems acquiced by purchase, donation, or Confiscation. At present the exhibi- tion is housed on the first floor, and Its careful layout has been designed in harmony with the mansion, and with respect to Its unique inner decor for maximum aesthetic effect. In addition to the diaphanous show: cases with their explanatory texts, there are touch screens with digital presentations of the exhibits and a ‘multimedia room (Hall V) which ig 1. Te facade ‘option Melativon, the stow Nurlematic ‘user of| ‘athens Photos Fig 1,3, 4, ‘eit by entkakts Fs 2, 5.12, 13 by Me. Shiadaret ig 2, Hoard from ‘Myrina/Kardtsa oii 1970. Bla date e440 BCMA, BE 287, inventory mar MB277/1971. combine for a better conception of coinage by laymen or connoisseurs alike, In addition there is also a 12,000 volume library with classie works on the history of numismatics and sigillography, coupled with very efficient metal conservation lab- oratory and several research projects. Exhibition Hall 1 (Sehliemann’s Hall) past the Museumn’s shop, high lights Schliemann’s private collec tion and pays homage to his person, his architect, and his residence. Hall Tis dedicated to the development or use of currency from pre-colnage eras to modern-age money. Topics such MINERVA 47 ‘coinages as historic sources’, -chniques in cain production’, and he beauty and strength of ancient Greek coins’, ace presented together ‘with displays of remarkable samples of hoards. Among these one from ancient Corinth stands out, as it is made up of S1 staters and a gold necklace, In 1930 under the floor of, the north stoa at the temple of Apollo, these gold coins of Philip Il land Alexander Ill were found in a rock cleft burial post 330 BC, covered by a simple black-glaze plate. Philip H's gold coins had been struck at Pella and Amphipolis, and Alexan-New Museum Tig 4. Siver decadrachm of Syracuse, c. 400 BG.D: 25mm, Wes 48d. (2) [NMA Inventory no: 128/1986, Obverie: Nike driving a quadiigns in the erg, panoply of prize arnt; (AOAA = contests, pres). Revers: the head of Arethusa, Insel dom of the engravers rae, EYAINSTOS dder's from the mints of Amphipols, Miletus, Tarsus, Salamis, and Sidon The discovery of Macedonian coins as far south as Corinth may be linked to the presence of their armies in Peloponese, and the contiol of the Corinthian Isthmus by a Macedonian garrison stationed there after 338 BC. This theory is based on the fact that during the period the hoard was con. cealed in Corinth, Alexander and his cavalry were actualy in Asia, advanc- ing further and further eastwards, An equally Important hoard is tom a butial at Myrina in Thessallan Karditsa dating to c. 440 BC, and found in 1970. Comprising 149 sliver staters from Aegina in a biack-glazed olpe (jug), this hoard consists of serles bearing the sea turtle (Caretta stetta) and another series depicting the terrestrial tortoise (Testudo graeca), a later type of Aeginetan Weight Standard t00, adopted by the Island after the loss of its indepen dence in 487 BC, The hoare’s interest lies in its “saving” nature, indicating the (Thessallan?) owner's preference for the ‘international coinage of dis- tant Aegina over the local coinage in 4 period when Thessaly’s first Issues ‘were already in clrculation (Fig 2). Hall 111 (Fig 3) follows the theme, ‘Currency: Invention, Evolu- tion and Use’ and focuses on the Athenian coinage, Macedonian Coinages at the times of Alexander the Great, and coins of the Greek colonies in Asia Minor and Magna Graecia. Among the latter Is the si ver decadvachm from Syracuse made by the élite engraver Fuainetos (Fg 4). The panoply of arms, comprising greaves, a shield (let) and a helmet (ight) symbolise the accoutrements of battle, and have been linked to the reason for issuing the ecadrachm; namely, the Syracusian vietory over the Athenians in 413 Another view considers that the decadrachms attributed to kimon Should be dated 405 BC, when the Carthaginlans failed to capture Syra cuse. In this case, the armour may represent prizes awarded in the Tebirippon races, which were popular in Syracuse, and to which the chariot alludes. In the same Hall, coin cect MINERVA 48 lation in the ‘Gorycian Cave’, an arcient Greek sanctuary on Mt Par rnessus not far from Delphi, is pre sented, along with coinages issued by several ancient Hellenic leagues and alliances and by the Delphic amphic. ‘pony The Delphic League, dedicated to the worship of Apolio, was the most renowned in ancient Greece. A coinage of excellent quality but briet duration was issued by the League 336-334 BC, after the death of Philip fof Macedon (Fig 5). The silver stater with the corn-wreathed head of Demeter on the obverse, and Apollo seated on the omphaias or navel of the world leaning on his lyre on the reverse, reflects the griet of the twelve Greek cities of the alliance at the death of Philip If, now joined by the two Olympian gods. In Hall IV the art of cola tconog- raphy is highlighted by means of presenting portraits, sculptures, mythological themes, architectural stuctures, and fauna and flora ig .siver stater “pte Delphic ‘emphiictony, thet ta BC D:2¢ mm weraa7 Ni, 1898/99, 21 Obverte: the head of goddess Deme fer, cormwreathed. Tieverse Apolo ‘eared on the sacred omphatos. lg 6. Sivertetradracho of the Persian King Artavernes 1 early “be century BC. D:27 mim. We 16.89 5. NMA. mentor no: 2083/1998. (Ober: hel of Artaserses I Reverse the raler tang front of anata Fig 7 Gold stater of Pontian king Mithidates VI of Pontus, €.120- (63.00. 121 mm. Wesketd NMA, “Inventory no: 20171998, ‘obverse: head of Mohridates UL Rupator: Reverse: gracing Stag enctrted by ty-reathig 8 Gold eureus of the Sept Severus, hd 198-202. 'D.20 mm. W: 7.00. NAIA. fnventory no: 2028/1998. ‘obverse: heal of Sept Severus. Reverse the busts of the emperor's wite,Juta Doma, and thelr sons, Caracalla and Geta, Fig 9, Gold solidus of the Byzantine emperor Justinian I, 6. AD 698.695, D: 19 ma, Wt 449, NMA, Inventory mo: 1907/8 [KB 228 Obverse: froma bust of Christ. Reverse: the emperor ‘taning, oldng a cross pent on fv steps Fig 10, Gold cheysobul of Byzantine emperor Nikephoros H Tore 1081 AD. b: 2hmm. We: 480 NMA. Inventory no: 2027/1998. Overs: frontal bust of Chait Revers: the emperor standing, ting labora and globe cracigee. —_____— ~ New Museum depicted on Greek coinage. One of the many achievements of the ancient artists was the portrayal of uman figures, an accomplishment fon a par with the naturalistic render. ing of objects. The fist real portraits began to be engraved on coinage issued by some of the sattaps in the Fast (Pig 6), and are considered th precursors of Hellenistic numismatic portraits The inexhaustible imagination of the Greeks is well represented by the wealth of iconographic types con- rected with flora arid fauna species Often, an animal aceurring on a coin a diet reference to the patron god lr goddess of the issuing city-state For instance, horses raised in the plains of Thessaly are connected with Poseidon, whose cult was particularly popular there. Majestic eagles por- frayed on the coins of Elis, Lyttos (Crete) oF Abydos, refer to the wor ship of Zeus, while the wolf on Argive coinage 1s linked to Apollo Lycelus, and deer or bees on the coins of Ephesus are connected with Artemis, its patron goddess. Homer’s ‘ich in grapes Histiaca’, together with many Aegean " islands, ‘Maroneia, Corcyra, and other places took pride in recording their produc tion of grapes and wine on their coins, Other cities indulged in puns (@ rebus) on their names, having the thodon (rose, Rhodes), the selinon (Gelery, Selines) oF the melon (apple Melos) as thelr types. Hall VI contains private collec- tions and donations to the Museum from its foundation soon after the Liberation of Greece until the pre sent. Eminent members of the Greek diaspora in Constantinople or Smytna, princes of Russia, Moldavia and Wallachia, affluent Greek bankers, and merchants in Alexan- dria oF Matsellles, offered their coins, medallions, gems, and lead seals in response to the appeal of the new state to preserve its ancestral her- inage. Several of the Museum's best _}— earlier and later acquisitions are of ‘coins which have been wor shipped, are worshipped, as gods’ Gn the wards of the Museuzn’s Directoz, Dr loannis Touratsoglou). Together they cover 21 centuries of coin mintage in Europe and Asta. Finally, Hall VIL is dedicated to the history fof the Numismatic Museum per se, and the visitor Is shown documents and objects associated with It, from its institution on 21 October 1829, by decree of loannis Kapodistrias, Governor of the newly created Greek sfate, to recent times Tt is expected that the exhibition will expand, in the near future, 10 the second floor where it is sched tiled to focus on presenting Roman, Byzantine (or Medieval) and modem. coinages. As Dr Ioannis Tourat- Soglou, Director of the Museum, claims, ‘at the dawn of the third millennium, the Maseurn is called to play a multifarious role both in the frea of research and in the area of information technology. ‘A publication, Coins and Numis: ‘matics (1996, 216 pp), co-authored by five renowned Greek archacolo- gists and edited by the Numismatic ‘Museum, is of great use to the visitor and contributes to an easier under. Standing of numismatics, which is defined by the American Webster's Dictionary as ‘the study of coins, tokens, medals, paper-money, and ‘objects closely resembling them in form or purpose, including standard media of exchange and decorations’ NB. Te Tines of 9 September 1999 riported thatthe Nomismatie Museute Mis tet close indefinitely due to recent eure in Greece) THE NUMISMATIC MUSEUM OF ATHENS Adds 10-12, ftheriou Venizetou ‘Steet, Athens 10671, Hels Tel +30 (0)1 3943774 Ctces: 1, Tsts Street. Athens 10682 Tats 30 (L821 7769, 23 708 Fax 8210926 Ema: protocolfnm culture ge Ip culture fom presets! llustrations: Figs 13 4, 611 by K ‘ena, ge 2,8, 12, 13 by ig 12, iver medallion of the Swedish king Gustay Adolf of Swe- he 1621. 34 nn Wt $1.2. NMA Inventory no: 259 (ex Z© Ady 10,8) ectasigmal. Cbverse: te king om horseback; the background, the cy of Riga. Inthe exergue, SD. de name of the engraver, "Sebastian Dadlter of Dan Tig 13 (et. Gold, 8 escudos coin of Philip Voy Spain, 1736. Ds 31 mm. We 2693 ¢, NMA. Imbentory na: 1895/6, KB ‘Obese eros potent to towers aid ‘nro Hans cross MINERVA 49_ ~ “Greek Coins _ L SS EARLY COINS IN THE AEGEAN Theo Antikas and Laura Wynn-Antikas report on a touring exhibition from the Numismatic Museum of Athens. Islands (Fig 1). As early as the [Neolithic period, Greeks sated to the Cyclades (Islands) and the Aegean Sea from end to end with valuable car goes. The quest for metals to make tools and weapons led the Minoans and, later, the Mycenaeans into great maritime adventures which brought them power and prosperity. The vast expansion of seafaring trade caused major changes in commercial and maritime transactions, and, most Importantly, the invention and issu- Fl 2. Aegin, silver stater (obverse), ing of coins as money whose stable © S80 BC. Inventory no: 3233. (12). value facilitated every form of trade The first coins appeared in the Bast Aegean territories of lonia and Lydia in the late 71h century BC (as Herodotus tells us) reaching the Greek islands and mainland via the sea routes, The island of Aegina in the Saronic Gulf, a great naval and ‘mercantile power atthe time, was the first to strike coins in Europe after 570 BC, Not surprisingly, one of the earliest coins minted, a sliver stater (Fig 2) depicts the sea turtle discussed na flight of poetic fancy in Fig1. The Greek at length in Aristotle's Economics Il the Introduction to the acs- mainland and the grt ig still occasionally to be seen in thetically pleasing calendar Am islands. he Aegean today. Moreover, It was y The map i taken published by the Numis- qgeimahisioken i ehicved that ‘the turtles vanquish matic Museum in Athens which illus "999% Natlonal” bravery and wisdom’ (Polyolus trates some Aegean coins from this Numismatic’ 1X.74). The staters of Aegina, lg 3 Lesbos, bitlom stater (obverse), exhibition, Dr foannls Touratsoglow Maren, didrachms of Corinth depicting @ 1. $50.840 BC. Wi 1092 Director of both the Archacological winged Pegasus, and Athenian coins Inventory no: $237. (32) and the Numismatic Museum in with the city goddess and her owl Athens, writes: "In the grap of the travolled to the ends of the Hellenic world’s oldest sea, before the Epic world of the Aegean, the Mediter and after Time, tireless Icaros of ranean, and the Fuxine Pontus, and Myth, the Aeons, gave birth to the the Athenian ‘owls’ were widely Aegean with Talos as nurse and Eros copied, A mint on the Island of Les as helpmate, Glaucous and foamy, bos renowned for its poctess Sappho, they laid it in the cradle of simplicity issued a billon stater In the mid-6th and beauty. Eternal and inscutable century BC with two calves’ heads In its wisdom... It was then that the face to face with an olive tree World beheld itself for the fist ttn, between them (Fig 3}. without being afeai’ The Cycladic island of Delos, The key geographical and political where the first Greek amphictyony position of the Aegean, Eetween (league) was established in honour of Europe and the East, coupled with its the yod Apollo, minted a sliver temperate climate, were crucial fac sideachm (Fig 4) which depicts a six tots In. the development of ancient steing lyre, the god's musical symbol, civilisation on many of its scattered around the end of the sth century MINERVA 50.——__ BC, At aout hese tine, the Tha, Alig cian island of Thasos in the north lestratd from, ‘Aegean started minting coins related Mecano of to the orglastic worship of Dionysus Mantamatie wenich was preponderant in Thrace. Museum, hens ‘The stater (ig 5) deplets an thyphal- ic satyr carrying off a protesting nymph who raises her right arm to Stoke him. The satye is seen running to the right, his legs bent in the cone Ventional manner of the azchalc Syl On the island of Kos, birthplace of Hippocrates, another coin. was minted to honour Apollo in whose Fig $ (below) amie the five Dore sity-tates of Kos, Tass se, Koos fyss, Lindos and Kamins ug (are dedicated agones (athletic contests) in © fag} hhonour of Apollo Trioplos, Victorious garentoy fa athletes were rewarded with a bronze '1187a. (3) tripod, and this is represented on the Kos trdrachm triple-siglos (Fig 6), behind the lelt of the discobolus (disc thrower) who Is seen at the etltical moment of releasing the discus. Fig 6(botom) Late in. the ath century BC, the "kos, silver teu (eit Cretan city-state of Phalstos, (noted ‘bach Gi for its famous Minoan palace and *?esobese strangely inscribed ‘Phaistos Disk), “Wir 1635 honoured the leendary hero-athlete samen no Herakles by stikang a silver didrachin 1908/4. 2) Greek Coins Fig 7, Phaistos, silver didvachm, c. 400-360 BC. Obverse: young Hevakles; ‘ever: bul surrounded by laurel wreath D: 28 mm, Inventory ao: 1186. isoutens Collection) 13) ig 8 Rhodes, iver tetnadractam, after 350 BC: Obyers: the head of Helis; ever: the nse oynbal of Rhos ventory no: 1901/2. (32), (Fig 7). On the obverse, the young Herakles is seen standing eight, hold ing a club which rests on the ground, and a strang bow in his left hand: 10 the left, a lion's skin hangs from a tree and on the right is-a laurel branch under a serpent. On the reverse isa walking bull, lett, the epit fome of Minoan culture, surrounded boy a laure] wreath, In the same century, Syracusan ar begins to influence the Greek mints, fand this Is seen on the tetradrachms of Rhodes (Fig 8) whose obverse depicts an interesting image of Helios (the Sun god), reminiscent of the head of Arethusa on the Syracusan coinage. On the reverse, the flower: symbol of the city is seen with the inscription POAION, The coin Is an ‘example ofa rebus type (a pun on the hame) and the mint of Rhodes J evolved as a very important mint of the eastern Mediterranean from the time of the revolt of its principal cities against Athens in 411 BC down, to the Roman occupation of 43 B |The touring exhibition ‘Coins in the | Aegean’ Is currently on show in the | Zappeion Megaron in Athens and {goes on to tour the Agean islands from 2000 onwards, The exhibition is organised by the Numismatic MINERVA 51 Museum in collaboration with the Archaeological Receipt Fund of the Greek Ministry of Culture The exhibition ‘Coins in the Aegean’ is on show at the Zappeion Megaron in Athens (tel: (30) 1.322 4206) from 3-12 November and then goes ‘on to "The Archaeologist’s House’, Piraios St, Athens from mid-November fo the end of December. The exhibition then tours the Aegean, but no details have yet been confirmed, A catalogue accompanies, the exhibition and illustrates selected coins with captions to explain their historical background ‘The catalogue is published by the Archaeological Receipt Fund ‘and is available from: S7E Benizelou St Athens 105 64 Fax: +30 1 324 2254. Email: protocol@tapa.culture.grP egas 1 MINERVA Reprints NUMISMATICS wows 1s Ann Aber, Ml Holicong, PA et tee THE THRACIANS, va ais rm the Jovome seers sof Sohn ete am 1S OF THE NILE: ANCIENT EGYPTIAN FAIENCE Complimentary Catalog on Request “ "Quality Coins for Discriminating Collectors" PO Box 131040 AKHENATEN, NEEERIITL, TUTANKHAMEN Ann Arbor, MI 48113, USA TH ANCIENT NEAR EAST Phone: (734) 995-5743 _Fax: (734) 995-3410 Leading The World In Classical, Medieval & British Numismatics, Since 1975 Order MINERVA reprints at £3.00 or $5.00, eee eT aren cee aan or 3 for £8:00 or $1280, inching postage, from: MINERVA 14 Old Bond Street, London, WIX 3DB els (Ad) 171 498 2590 Fax: (44) 171491 1595 eee cca eet oF Sulte 28, 153 Hast $7th Street, New York, NY 10022 cee try Tel: (1) 212-355-2084 Fax: (1) 212.688.0812 ae ‘Quantity discounts available for academic use or resale. Classical Numismatic Group, 60 years experience of serving the collector! Ancient, Medieval and Modern Coins up to AD 1850 Medals — Numismatic Literature Buying/Selling ~ Appraisals — Auction Sales in Basel, New York and Stuttgart Three locations to serve you better: MUNZEN UND MEDAILLEN AG M&M NUMISMATICS. Lid MONZEN UND MEDAILLEN PO Box 3647 1100 17th Street NW/Suite 900 DEUTSCHLAND GmbH CH-4002 Base! PO BOX 1934, D-79509, Switzerland Lorraeh, Germany Tel. +441/01 272 7844 Tel. ++1/ 202 833 21 485 60 514 Fax 202.429 Fax: 7261 48529 Fax 61272 lye