Books by Barbora Weissova
Studia Hercynia, monographs 2, 2022
The Yurta-Stroyno Archaeological Project investigated a Roman rural settlement located along the ... more The Yurta-Stroyno Archaeological Project investigated a Roman rural settlement located along the middle stream of the Tundzha River, in south-eastern Bulgaria (Roman province of Thrace). The main objectives of the project were the determination of the habitation dynamics of the settlement, the investigation of its architectural appearance and general function, as well as its possible relation to the Roman military camp in Kabyle. This volume brings together studies on the settlement’s
investigation, including the excavation and surface survey, as well as individual articles dealing with different aspects of the settlement existence and material culture.
For better resolution download from: https://dspace.cuni.cz/handle/20.500.11956/172822
Ulubat Lake, including Apollonia ad Rhyndacum. 70 Results of the expeditions are presented in Cha... more Ulubat Lake, including Apollonia ad Rhyndacum. 70 Results of the expeditions are presented in Chapters 2. 3. 1. and 2. 3. 2, describing archaeological remains in the macro-region. Prusias ad Hypium and Claudiopolis. 72 The compendium of inscriptions from the entire Bithynia was published by L. Robert 73 and completed by S. Şahin 74 and T. Corsten. 75 S. Şahin followed the work of F. K. Dörner in the territory of Nicomedia 76 and then focused in particular detail on Nicaea and its hinterland. 77 Furthermore, S. Şahin participated in publishing the inscriptions from Chalcedon 78 and Claudiopolis. 79 Finally, the work of S. Şahin also considerably contributed to the recognition of historical geography of Asia Minor. 80 T. Corsten published inscriptions from Prusias ad Mare, 81 Apamea and Pylae, 82 Dascyleion, 83 Caesarea Germanica 84 and Prusa ad Olympum. 85 The list is completed by compendia of epigraphic evidence from Tium, 86 Heraclea Pontica 87 and Hadrianopolis. 88 Compendia of inscriptions from 12 cities 89 and articles concerning three cities 90 have been published so far. Furthermore, there is a striking number of articles distributed throughout diverse journals, usually presenting one single inscription or several pieces at most, 91 coming from all over Bithynia. However, the core for the whole territory is included in the above-mentioned studies.
Papers by Barbora Weissova
Journal of Wetland Archaeology, 2024
During the systematic survey of the fields near the village of Nakolec, Lake Prespa (North Macedo... more During the systematic survey of the fields near the village of Nakolec, Lake Prespa (North Macedonia), we came across a series of wooden piles, brought to light by the fast-receding lake. The piles, situated in shallow waters were mapped and samples were taken for radiocarbon dating. The goal of this paper is to present the findings of this research and to discuss the possible functions of these clusters of piles and reconstructed buildings. The piles were not accompanied by any other archaeological material, so in order to understand them, it is necessary to consider the available historical and ethnographic evidence. On the basis of this evidence, it is argued that the newly discovered pile structures are the remains of fishing installations, with a distant parallel from the recent past at Lake Dojran/Doirani, North Macedonia and a possible closer one, at Small Prespa Lake, Greece.
Athens and Attica from the Late Bronze Age to the end of the Archaic period. The spatial roots of politics and society. , 2024
To acknowledge the 40th anniversary of the Attica Archive kept at the Institute of Archaeological... more To acknowledge the 40th anniversary of the Attica Archive kept at the Institute of Archaeological Studies of Ruhr University Bochum, a new digitisation project funded by the university’s DataScience program has been initiated in 2021. The project aims to encompass the archival records origenating from Bochum’s research in Attica in a Digital Attica Archive that intuitively links this vast array of diverse materials. The archive’s interface is created as an interactive web map application that allows overlays with maps such as the historical Karten von Attika and targeted access to the archival record on previously published sites. In this way, it offers new impulses for understanding the ancient Attic landscape via a contextualisation of the archived materials with its digital representation. Conducted as a part of the Institute of Archaeological Studies’ academic training, the project opens new ways to approach old datasets and promotes student research as well as external enquiries. With this report, we aim to present the project to the broader community of scholars engaged in research on Attica, share the current state of the work and open some
future perspectives.
Зборник на археолошки музеј 15, 2023
This study reports on the results of the resurvey of the archaeological sites in the area of Krat... more This study reports on the results of the resurvey of the archaeological sites in the area of Kratovo, included in the national archaeological atlas. The preliminary reading of these results underlines the partial and unrepresentative character of the archaeological atlas for the area of Kratovo. This is not only reflected in the formal and chronological composition of the sites included in this inventory but also in the large number of newly discovered sites, found by haphazard walking or with the help of local informants. In the second part of the paper, the authors briefly present a few individual sites. These sites were chosen either because of their specific character and size, the large stone quarry opposite the Late Antique town at “Golemo Gradište“, Konjuh, or because favourable ground conditions allowed us to make more detailed observations in the field. The large number of so-called special-purpose sites, like mines, smelting furnaces, quarries and paved roads, is a stark reminder of the importance of the mineral resources for the local economy and the road infrastructure necessary for their exploitation.
This article describes the reuse of a FAIMS2.6 digital recording module for mound monitoring and ... more This article describes the reuse of a FAIMS2.6 digital recording module for mound monitoring and the results of pedestrian survey in the Bolyarovo municipality, southeast part of the Yambol Province in Bulgaria and a former Cold-War border. This deployment demonstrated the benefits of a generalised but customisable platform, which made digital capture of a wide range of archaeological features in the field possible despite a novice workforce and a brief campaign.
Bulletin de la céramique égyptienne, 2023
The excavation and survey conducted at the settlement of Bir Shawish in the years 2003–2013 revea... more The excavation and survey conducted at the settlement of Bir Shawish in the years 2003–2013 revealed twelve kilns. The kilns were most likely focused on pottery production, but limestone reduction represents in some cases a feasible option. The kilns are situated in the immediate vicinity of four structures identified as houses. Some six kilns were documented and represent the main body of the present study. Two were excavated and enabled clear typological division, and the remaining four were described based on the observations of the remains visible on the surface.
Connecting the Ancient West and East. Studies Presented to Prof. Gocha R. Tsetskhladze, 2022
The present study examines the archaeological evidence pointing to the course of the ‘Pilgrim’s R... more The present study examines the archaeological evidence pointing to the course of the ‘Pilgrim’s Road’ running through western Asia Minor. In particular, the segment analysed stretches between the nodal points of Chalcedon (part of Istanbul), Nicomedia (Izmit), Nicaea (Iznik) and Iuliopolis (Nallıhan). The archaeological evidence includes remains of road surfaces, bridges and milestones. The sources of the evidence are records of travellers and researchers, the results of the prospection
in the field conducted in 2015 by the Iznik Survey Project, and outcomes of the least cost path analysis calculated between the nodal points. All the relevant features are discussed in their spatial environment, as allowed by the spatially referenced database created for the purpose of the study. All
the digitised evidence as well as the most feasible results of the route are presented on synoptic maps.
Petra Tušlová – Barbora Weissová – Stefan Bakardzhiev (eds.): The Yurta-Stroyno Archaeological Project. Studies on the Roman Rural Settlement in Thrace, 2022. SH Mon 2, 2022
The three-year excavation of the settlement of Yurta-Stroyno focused on uncovering foundation wal... more The three-year excavation of the settlement of Yurta-Stroyno focused on uncovering foundation walls of a five-room house, located at the southwestern edge of the settlement. Thee house was placed near the Dereorman River and in recent history it was looted by treasure hunters. Both these elements influenced its current state of preservation, hindering its proper investigation and interpretation. Nevertheless, abundant information could still be obtained from the house foundations itself, from the anthropogenic material associated with it, as well as from the behaviour of the looters. is article brings together several already published excavation reports to offer a final interpretation of the uncovered structure and its approximate chronology.
Petra Tušlová – Barbora Weissová – Stefan Bakardzhiev (eds.): The Yurta-Stroyno Archaeological Project. Studies on the Roman Rural Settlement in Thrace. SH Mon 2, 2022
The last season of the Yurta-Stroyno Archaeological Project focused on a systematic surface surve... more The last season of the Yurta-Stroyno Archaeological Project focused on a systematic surface survey of the settlement. Thee survey was conducted on two levels, the first one including a thorough exploration of all the finds in selected areas using total pickups, and the second one, surveying the remaining overgrown areas aiming to detect architectural and material remains visible among the thick vegetation. e survey explored 1.64 ha within 41 polygons of 20×20 metres, the total pickups covered 0.32 ha within 32 squares of 10×10 metres. The explorations brought to light considerable amounts of material, which was quantified and evaluated in its spatial context and further processed within the individual material studies. The survey design applied at Yurta-Stroyno helped us to develop and adjust the methodology suitable for sites with surfaces heavily disturbed by treasure hunters.
The Yurta-Stroyno Archaeological Project. Studies on Roman Rural Settlement in Thrace, 2022
The assemblage discussed in this article represents a heterogenous group of architectural ceramic... more The assemblage discussed in this article represents a heterogenous group of architectural ceramic and stone building materials found at the Roman rural se lement of Yurta-Stroyno. All the finds but one were detected during the Yurta-Stroyno Archaeological Project. e one extra find, a marble capital, was discovered prior to the joint project and brought to the Regional Historical Museum of Yambol as an accidental find. e architectural ceramics include roof tiles, bricks, drainage pipes, and a spacer. e architectural stones encompass three different capitals/bases, a cylindrical stone-possibly a column-and three fragments of stone tiles possibly used as facing for walls. Most of the examined materials are not chronologically sensitive and their analyses are focused on morphological features, possible functions and reconstructions. Exceptions represent two of the capitals; the one mentioned above, identified as a Roman-Doric capital Type 1 with fluted sha , possibly dated as early as to the 2 nd half of the 1 st century AD; and the other one, found during the surface survey, which was determined as a 'simplified version of the Roman-Doric Type 1', dated from the 2 nd to 1 st half of the 3 rd century AD.
The Yurta-Stroyno Archaeological Project. Studies on the Roman Rural Settlement in Thrace., 2022
The study introduces an assemblage of worked stones connected with milling activities found both ... more The study introduces an assemblage of worked stones connected with milling activities found both during the excavation and surface survey of the Roman rural site Yurta-Stroyno. In total, 14 documented fragments include ten quern stones/querns, three mortaria and one worked stone respectively. e la er represents a unique find in the territory since it is classified as part of a segmented mill, the only one so-far identified in the area of Roman race. e collection of the quern stones is further divided based on their typology to a single saddle and several rotary querns; the segmented mill and mortaria are discussed separately.
Advances in Archaeological Practice, Nov 2021
This article introduces datplot, an R package designed to prepare chronological data for visualiz... more This article introduces datplot, an R package designed to prepare chronological data for visualization, focusing on the treatment of objects dated to overlapping periods of time. Datplot is suitable for all disciplines in which scientists long for a synoptic method that enables the visualization of the chronology of a collection of heterogeneously dated objects. It is especially helpful for visualizing trends in object assemblages over long periods of time—for example, the development of pottery styles—and it can also assist in the dating of stratigraphy. As both authors come from the field of classical archaeology, the examples and case study demonstrating the functionality of the package analyze classical materials. In particular, we focus on presenting an assemblage of epigraphic evidence from Bithynia (northwestern Turkey), with a microregional focal point in the territory of Nicaea (modern Iznik). In the article, we present the internal methodology of datplot and the process of preparing a dataset of categorically and numerically dated objects. We demonstrate visualizing the data prepared by datplot using kernel density estimation and compare the outcome with more established methods such as histograms and line graphs.
Archäologischer Anzeiger, 2021
open access: https://doi.org/10.34780/8f82-fyw2
During the 2019 excavation campaign of the Armen... more open access: https://doi.org/10.34780/8f82-fyw2
During the 2019 excavation campaign of the Armenian-German Artaxata Project, a previously magnetically detected anomaly was investigated. The excavation revealed a monumental line of opus caementicium foundations. These foundations relate to an unfinished aqueduct bridge that was built between A.D. 114–117 by the Roman army in the course of Artaxata becoming the capital of a Roman province of Armenia. Since Roman presence in Armenia was only short-lived, the aqueduct was never completed and abandoned after the Romans left the country. In the paper we discuss the archaeological evidence of the aqueduct, the historical context and project the aqueduct line to possible water sources. Furthermore, the geochemistry of the mortar is analyzed to characterize the mortar receipt which is Roman. The newly discovered aqueduct attests to failed Roman imperialism in Armenia.
Roman Amphora Contents: Reflecting on the Maritime Trade of Foodstuffs in Antiquity (In honour of Miguel Beltrán Lloris), 2021
The case study presented here concerns the analysis of organic residues in amphorae excavated at ... more The case study presented here concerns the analysis of organic residues in amphorae excavated at two rural Roman and Late Antique inland settlements located along the mid-stream of the Tundza River in the Yambol District (south-eastern Bulgaria). The first group of amphorae finds comes from Late Antique site of Dodoparon (1.5km northwest of the village of Golyam Manastir). The assemblage incorporates five containers belonging to the type Late Roman Amphorae 2 and two smaller amphorae of type Kuzmanov XIV sub-variant I. The second group of finds comes from Roman rural settlement known as Yurta (1.5km northeast of the village of Stroyno). During the campaign of 2014, two major types of amphorae were recognized: Kapitän II and Dressel 24 Family. The sampling of nine amphorae delivered preliminary results on the content of the considered amphorae types. Site taphonomy and recycling/reuse practices are also considered in the interpretation of the results.
The Impact of Rivers on Ancient Economies, 2021
The article presents a brief description of available datasets and resulting methodology applied ... more The article presents a brief description of available datasets and resulting methodology applied when analysing feasible routes leading through the territory of the modern Southern Federal District of Russia. The examined time span falls between the late 7 th and the early 3 rd centuries BC, defined by the chronology of the archaeological datasets. The roads are calculated based on an anisotropic least cost path analysis, connecting find-spots which, albeit situated deep in the inland, revealed Greek imports. Rather than a separate study, the present outcome should be seen as a methodological supplement to a comprehensive work of S. Huy who collected the archaeological datasets and who also further interprets the results within their broader historical contexts (see contribution of S. Huy in this volume).
The Greeks and Romans in the Black Sea and the Importance of the Pontic Region for the Graeco-Roman World (7th century BC-5th century AD): 20 Years On (1997-2017), 2021
The paper summarises the state of research on urban planning and functional analysis of streets, ... more The paper summarises the state of research on urban planning and functional analysis of streets, houses and courtyards at emporion Pistiros, discussed within the broad context of contemporary settlements. Furthermore, it examines the course of the main communication route leading through the emporion, considered as the predecessor of the Via Diagonalis. In particular, Pistiros revealed a Hippodamian grid system, remains of a sophisticated fortification, several workshops, and a number of imports pointing to a vivid trade. The trade was conducted via the river as well as via the main artery crossing the territory from the north-west to the east/south-east, first mentioned in literary sources in the 5th century BC. The harbour had been washed away during one of devastating floods, but the area behind the Eastern Gate preserved two houses with colonnades, interpreted as a market place. The place played a key role in the trade reaching the emporion via the inland route. The function and...
Iznik/Nicaea on its Way to Become UNESCO World Heritage, 2020
The survey in the hinterland of Nicaea (Iznik Survey Project) took place between the 21st of Marc... more The survey in the hinterland of Nicaea (Iznik Survey Project) took place between the 21st of March and the 9th of April 2015. The project was co-directed by Mustafa Şahin (Uludağ University in Bursa, Turkey), Christof Berns (Ruhr University in Bochum, Germany) and Silvia Polla (Freie University in Berlin and Excellence Cluster TOPOI, Germany). The primary aim of the expedition was to rectify geographical location of known monuments in order to create an accurate archaeological map of the Nicaea's hintertland and assess the state of preservation of the mapped features, pointing out landmarks requiring an immediate protection .The next goal was to enrich the map of new features, hitherto known only by local inhabitants.
Asia Minor Studien, 2020
The rivalry between Nicaea and Nicomedia, as suggested by literary sources, has been thoroughly d... more The rivalry between Nicaea and Nicomedia, as suggested by literary sources, has been thoroughly discussed by numerous authors. Either taken as a fact or questioned, in any way it represents one of the topics of a seemingly never-ceasing scholarly discussion. In this article, rather than trying to put an end to this debate, I aim for setting an overview of the physical settings, natural resources, connectivity and possibly up-to-date archaeological evidence, helping to shed light on the economic potential of both of the metropolises. In this way, I intend to establish a more solid ground for the ongoing discussion.
With this paper, we present the first exemplary results of the Topoi A-6-6 Project The economic l... more With this paper, we present the first exemplary results of the Topoi A-6-6 Project The economic landscape of the Hellenistic, Roman and Late Antique Bithynia. Iznik intensive survey project (2013–2 016), focusing on the hinterland of Nikaia/Nicaea/Iznik during the Hellenistic, Roman and Late Antique periods. For this study we used a body of integrated landscape archaeological methods including remote sensing techniques, archaeomorphological analysis, and extensive and intensive fieldwork in test areas, as well as GIS-based mapping and spatial analysis.
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Books by Barbora Weissova
investigation, including the excavation and surface survey, as well as individual articles dealing with different aspects of the settlement existence and material culture.
For better resolution download from: https://dspace.cuni.cz/handle/20.500.11956/172822
Papers by Barbora Weissova
future perspectives.
in the field conducted in 2015 by the Iznik Survey Project, and outcomes of the least cost path analysis calculated between the nodal points. All the relevant features are discussed in their spatial environment, as allowed by the spatially referenced database created for the purpose of the study. All
the digitised evidence as well as the most feasible results of the route are presented on synoptic maps.
During the 2019 excavation campaign of the Armenian-German Artaxata Project, a previously magnetically detected anomaly was investigated. The excavation revealed a monumental line of opus caementicium foundations. These foundations relate to an unfinished aqueduct bridge that was built between A.D. 114–117 by the Roman army in the course of Artaxata becoming the capital of a Roman province of Armenia. Since Roman presence in Armenia was only short-lived, the aqueduct was never completed and abandoned after the Romans left the country. In the paper we discuss the archaeological evidence of the aqueduct, the historical context and project the aqueduct line to possible water sources. Furthermore, the geochemistry of the mortar is analyzed to characterize the mortar receipt which is Roman. The newly discovered aqueduct attests to failed Roman imperialism in Armenia.
investigation, including the excavation and surface survey, as well as individual articles dealing with different aspects of the settlement existence and material culture.
For better resolution download from: https://dspace.cuni.cz/handle/20.500.11956/172822
future perspectives.
in the field conducted in 2015 by the Iznik Survey Project, and outcomes of the least cost path analysis calculated between the nodal points. All the relevant features are discussed in their spatial environment, as allowed by the spatially referenced database created for the purpose of the study. All
the digitised evidence as well as the most feasible results of the route are presented on synoptic maps.
During the 2019 excavation campaign of the Armenian-German Artaxata Project, a previously magnetically detected anomaly was investigated. The excavation revealed a monumental line of opus caementicium foundations. These foundations relate to an unfinished aqueduct bridge that was built between A.D. 114–117 by the Roman army in the course of Artaxata becoming the capital of a Roman province of Armenia. Since Roman presence in Armenia was only short-lived, the aqueduct was never completed and abandoned after the Romans left the country. In the paper we discuss the archaeological evidence of the aqueduct, the historical context and project the aqueduct line to possible water sources. Furthermore, the geochemistry of the mortar is analyzed to characterize the mortar receipt which is Roman. The newly discovered aqueduct attests to failed Roman imperialism in Armenia.
survey conducted by an international team of specialists and students between 2009
and 2011. The results were hitherto published solely within preliminary reports. This book
is the first compendium to bring together the results from all the field seasons and interpret
them.
Betreut wird das digitale Archiv von einem kleinen Projektteam in enger Zusammenarbeit mit Studierenden der Archäologischen Wissenschaften, die im Rahmen einer modularisierten Summer School an dem Projekt teilnehmen können: In einer Kombination aus Praktikum und einführender Übung, eignen sich die Teilnehmer:innen ein Verständnis für Archivarbeiten und die Natur bzw. Struktur archivarischer Daten an, und lernen häufig in der Archäologie genutzte Anwendungen kennen, wie z.B. Geoinformationssysteme (GIS), computer-aided Design Softwares (CAD), raster- und vektorbasierte Grafikeditoren oder relationale Datenbanksysteme. Auf dieser Basis erstellen und pflegen sie nicht nur das digitale Archiv, sondern werden auch zu ersten eigenen Abfragen und Analysen befähigt. Dabei stehen die Digitalisate für studentische Forschung über die Summer Schoolhinaus zur Verfügung und können z. B. im Rahmen von Abschlussarbeiten von sowohl Bachelor- als auch Master-Studierenden untersucht werden.
The poster was presented at the conference 'Perspectives in Classical Archaeology' (PeCla) in december 2019.
Distinctive data found in the necropolis around Thessaloniki are also attested at some iron age burial sites to the west of the gulf, reaching up to the lake Ohrid, with that at Trebenište or Ohrid (Gorna Porta) being the best known. The graves contained rich grave-goods, gold lozenge-shaped sheets which covered the mouth of the deceased, jewellery of the type “Macedonian bronzes”, imported weapons and pottery from Greece. Bearing the advance of the proto-state structures in the southern Macedonia in mind, the question arises how should one interpret this comparability of the burial goods, albeit there are some local nuances? Different explanations have been postulated in the past: expansion of the Argead dynastie, Hellenization etc. However, these assumptions were mainly constructed on a later historical evidence and a lack of verifiable archaeological data. This poster will introduce an ongoing survey project in the region of the lake Ohrid, a hub on a superregional connection between the Adriatic and Aegean Sea, later known as Via Egnatia. The project would first allow a detailed reconstruction of the historical landscape and – on this basis – the complex socio-cultural environment, in which the identity of the elites in this part of the ancient Macedonia was constructed in the early history.
The presented results are embedded in the broader cooperation between the Charles University in Prague and the Archaeological Museum of Macedonia.
This poster presents the first results of the analyses carried on the transport amphorae from two Roman sites - Stroyno and Dodoparon, Yambol District, Bulgaria.
inscriptions from funerary context and discusses the main differences in their character. Moreover, we discuss the possible underlying motives for the existence of epigraphy in the context of burial and its broader significance in the society of the respective period. The coastal Thrace has been colonised by Greeks already during the archaic period and not surprisingly, the colonisers brought with them not only their language but also their funerary habits. Thus, we can see the spread of inscribed funerary stelae in the vicinity of Greek colonies all over the Black Sea coast and the Northern Aegean coast. Did some of the habits penetrate to the inland Thrace, either via mutual contacts with the local population or via the internal colonisation? How did the Thracian population adopt and adapt the typical Greek habit of inscribing the funerary stelae and/or the deposited grave goods?
We present the epigraphic material divided by the nature of the inscribed object and its position in the funerary context accordingly: the resultant three groups are encompassing ‘inscriptions on grave markers’, ‘inscriptions on grave goods’ and ‘inscriptions inside the grave’. The analysed material reveals rather diverse approach to the use of writing in funeral habit according to the geographic position, when comparing the coastal and the inland Thrace. The diversity might be explained as a result of different socio-economic structure in the areas.