Archaeology
New study changes assumptions of Roman backwater town
A new study by researchers from the University of Cambridge has revealed that Interamna Lirenas, traditionally written off as a failed backwater, continued to thrive during the Roman Crisis of the Third Century AD.
Interamna Lirenas was founded in 312 BC as a colonia of Latins in the present-day province of Frosinone, central Italy. The town was situated at the confluence of the Liri and Rio Spalla Bassa rivers, whence the name “Interamna” (meaning “between the rivers”).
Julius Caesar become patronus of Interamna Lirenas, using the strategic position of the town as he sought to consolidate support across Italy during the civil wars.
In AD 235 to 284, the Roman Empire came near to collapse in a period known as the Crisis of the Third Century, also known as the Military Anarchy or the Imperial Crisis.
Over the ensuing five decades, the empire grappled with a confluence of challenges, including barbarian invasions and migrations penetrating Roman lands, internal strife marked by civil wars, uprisings among peasants, and a tumultuous political landscape characterised by numerous usurpers competing for power.
These events culminated in the devaluation of the Empire’s currency, economic turmoil, and the exacerbation of disorder due in part to the Plague of Cyprian.
Despite these upheavals, a new study published in the edited volume Roman Urbanism in Italy has revealed that Interamna Lirenas continued to thrive during the 3rd century AD. The town’s abandonment only occurred around the 6th century AD, attributed to its location along a direct route frequently used by marauding armies.
A GPR survey carried out by the researchers has also revealed the presence of a large warehouse, a temple and a three bath complexes, which served a river port between the late 1st century BC and the 4th century AD.
Dr Alessandro Launaro, the study’s author and Interamna Lirenas Project lead at Cambridge’s Faculty of Classics, said: “This river port enabled Interamna Lirenas to profit from trade between Aquinum and Casinum, key centres to the north, and Minturnae and the Tyrrhenian coast to the southeast. It would have been crucial to the town’s success.”
Image Credit : University of Cambridge
On the town’s northwestern perimeter, archaeologists unearthed the remains of a roofed theatre measuring approximately 45 metres by 26 metres, that accommodated an audience of 1,500 individuals.
“The fact that this town went for a roofed theatre, such a refined building, does not fit with a backwater in decline. This theatre was a major status symbol. It displayed the town’s wealth, power and ambition,” said Dr Launaro.
The team also found nineteen substantial courtyard buildings, which they suggest functioned as indoor marketplaces (macella), guildhouses (scholae), residential complexes, and notably, public warehouses (horrea).
This impressive infrastructure indicates that the town served as a pivotal trading centre, connecting to larger hubs like Aquinum and Casinum. Historical records affirm that Interamna Lirenas hosted two distinct markets, further supporting its significance in trade networks.
In addition, archaeologists uncovered a sizable open area that operated as a livestock market for sheep and cattle, playing a crucial role in facilitating the prosperous wool trade within the region.
Header Image Credit : University of Cambridge
This content was originally published on www.heritagedaily.com – © 2023 – HeritageDaily
A recent study, published in the journal ResearchGate, proposes that the Pyramid of Djoser could have been constructed using hydraulic lift.
The Pyramid of Djoser, also known as the Step Pyramid, is a proto-pyramid built as the final resting place of Djoser, the first or second pharaoh of Egypt’s 3rd Dynasty (2670–2650 BC) during the Old Kingdom period.
The pyramid rises from the Saqqara plateau in six steps to a height of around 60 to 62 metres, serving as the centre of a vast mortuary complex.
Due to the absence of authentic sources from the pyramid architects’ working sphere, there is currently no confirmed comprehensive model for the method used in the pyramid construction.
The prevailing theory suggests that the heavy stone blocks were transported on apparatuses such as rollers, and raised to height using a series of ramps.
In the study, a survey of watersheds near to the pyramid indicate that the Gisr el-Mudir (enclosure) has features of a check dam for trapping sediment and water. Furthermore, the topography beyond the “dam” shows a possible ephemeral lake west of the Djoser complex, and water flow inside the moat surrounding it.
The study authors explain: “In the southern section of the moat, we show that the monumental linear rock-cut structure consisting of successive, deep compartments, combines the technical requirements of a water treatment facility: a settling basin, a retention basin, and a purification system.”
Based on this finding, the study proposes that the Gisr el-Mudir and moat’s inner south section worked as a unified hydraulic system for regulating flow and improving water quality. In addition, the pyramid’s internal architecture is consistent with a hydraulic elevation mechanism never reported before.
“The ancient architects likely raised the stones from the pyramid centre in a volcano fashion using the sediment-free water from the Dry Moat’s south section. Ancient Egyptians are famous for their pioneering and mastery of hydraulics through canals for irrigation purposes and barges to transport huge stones. This work opens a new line of research: the use of hydraulic force to erect the massive structures built by Pharaohs,” said the study authors.
Please note: This study was submitted to PLOS ONE on December 7, 2023. After two rounds of review by peers, the paper was formally accepted by PLOS ONE on June 27, 2024. Since July 23, 2024, it has been the subject of new consultations and review by the PLOS ONE Editorial Board.
Header Image Credit : Shutterstock
Sources : ResearchGate | Piton, Guillaume. (2024). On the possible use of hydraulic force to assist with building the Step Pyramid of Saqqara. PLOS ONE.
This content was originally published on www.heritagedaily.com – © 2023 – HeritageDaily
Constructed between 1630 and 1633 in a Renaissance-Baroque style, the Great Synagogue of Vilnius served as the religious centre of a complex of synagogues, mikvahs, and community institutions devoted to Torah study in Vilnius, Lithuania.
According to a press statement by the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA): “The Great Synagogue of Vilna was the beating heart of the Lithuanian Jewry, which included 12 synagogues and study houses, the community council building, the home of Rabbi Eliyahu – the Vilna Gaon, Kosher meat stalls, the famous ‘Strashun’ library, a bathhouse and more.”
During World War II, the synagogue was looted, burned, and partially destroyed by the Nazis in the holocaust. Soviet authorities completely demolished the remaining structure to build a school, intending to prevent any future restoration of Jewish worship.
Only three original pieces of the synagogue survived the destruction: a door of the Holy Ark, a reader’s desk, and a bas-relief with the Ten Commandments, which are now on display at the Vilna Gaon Jewish Museum.
Image Credit : Israel Antiquities Authority
In a recent study conducted by the IAA, the Association of Lithuanian Archaeology, the Good Will Foundation, and the Jewish Community of Lithuania, archaeologists have rediscovered traces of the synagogue’s decorated walls and remnants of flooring with red, black, and white floral patterns that paved the main hall.
Excavations also uncovered huge water reservoirs to feed halachically pure water to the mikva’ot, and one of the giant pillars that surrounded the Bimah (prayer platform).
Dr. Jon Seligman from the IAA and Justinas Rakas from the Lithuanian Archaeological Society, said: “The magnificent remains we are rediscovering bring back moments in the life of a lost vibrant community.”
Header Image Credit : Israel Antiquities Authority
Sources : IAA
This content was originally published on www.heritagedaily.com – © 2023 – HeritageDaily
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