The Roman fort of Apsaros in Gonio (Adjara, Georgia) still holds answers to many issues connected with the Roman military presence on the Chorokhi river in ancient Colchis. In 2014, a Polish team joined the Georgian expedition to carry out excavation in two sectors directly east of the centrally located principia. The sites were chosen based on a study of the results of geophysical prospection carried out in 2012. Two phases, dated to the early and late Roman periods respectively, were recorded. The early Roman architecture was interpreted as part of the installations and structures of a large bathhouse (
balneae
), including a mosaic floor in one of the rooms. The building was destroyed at least twice, most likely in a catastrophic fire. The article discusses the stratigraphy and the dating of the early Roman
balneae
based on glass artifacts and coins....
Social studies and anthropology, based on ethnographical research, take for granted the role of large populous groups in defining ethnicity. Self-definitions of the group, as well as definition by others, are interpreted as the central issues regarding large groups. The paper aims to argue for the key-role of elite groups in self-identification and ethnic creation. Small groups of elite, by defining their own “ethnicity” decided it for larger groups. This hypothesis will be tested and illustrated by test cases of ethnogenesis in Iron Age Palestine....
The biblical passage concerning the siege of Jerusalem by David (2 Sam. 5:6-10), has drawn scholarly attention numerous times over the years. The formula of exclusion of the blind and lame from the Hebrew cult, which became popular in biblical literature, made this story particularly attractive. Despite the volumes of commentaries devoted to this passage there still remain alternative explanations and interpretations of the phrase that have not been sufficiently explored. To whit, it is possible that the passage contains words the original meaning of which have been forgotten. This article aims to explore the possibility of re-interpreting the saying about blind and lame in Jerusalem and its role, anew....
This paper is the first attempt to summarize the state of research into the armament of the Bogaczewo and Sudovian cultures. Swords ended up with a higher than expected position. While shaft-hole axes and socketed axes played an important part, the military role of the so-called ‘fighting knives’ of the Roman period was rejected, with the exception of Dolchmesser, which were recognized as true weapons. Polearms and shields were used the most frequently. The latter, although fitting into the Central European pattern, had local traits. The bow was recognized as hunting equipment. And horses had a rather auxiliary character. Items with a Balt character that were discovered, for example, at Vimose Bog 1 and 2a and the sacrificial sites at Balsmyr, Sorte Muld, Kragehul, Skedemosse, and Uppåkra seem to prove that Balts participated in Scandinavian conflicts, which led to an exchange of ideas about such things as tactics and weapons....
Kontny, Bartosz(Instytut Archeologii Uniwersytet Warszawski, Zentrum für Baltische und Skandinavische Archäologie, Fundacja Monumenta Archaeologica Barbarica, 2017)
The author recalls the famous princely Sudovian culture grave at Szłvajcaria (today within the administrative limits of Suwałki). Apart from presenting the grave fumishings according to up-to-date typological standards, he tries to reinterpret particular finds' identifying the metal fittings of a saddle and the metal mountings of a possible leather bucket aimed at hiding a horse hamess. Additionally, an engraved omament spotted on the head of a shafted weapon type Vennolum/Ilkjaer 15 is presented....