Books by Christoph Baier
Forschungen in Ephesos 17/1, 2023
Available Open Access: https://doi.org/10.1553/978OEAW89992
Edited Volumes by Christoph Baier
Ein anderes Griechenland: 125 Jahre Forschungen des Österreichischen Archäologischen Instituts Athen, 2023
Dieses Werk einschließlich aller seiner Teile ist urheberrechtlich geschützt. Jede Verwertung auß... more Dieses Werk einschließlich aller seiner Teile ist urheberrechtlich geschützt. Jede Verwertung außerhalb der engen Grenzen des Urheberrechts ist ohne ausdrückliche Genehmigung unzulässig und strafbar. Das gilt insbesondere für Vervielfältigungen, Übersetzungen, Mikroverfilmungen und die Einspeicherung und Verarbeitung in elektronischen Systemen. Jegliche Form der Vervielfältigung eines literarischen oder künstlerischen Werks ist gemäß des griechischen Gesetzes 2121/1993 und des durch das Gesetz 100/1975 ratifizierten Abkommens von Bern verboten.
Articles in Journals by Christoph Baier
Jahreshefte des Österreichischen Archäologischen Instituts 91, 2022
The surprising discovery of two late Roman graves near the Hellenistic city centre of Lousoi prov... more The surprising discovery of two late Roman graves near the Hellenistic city centre of Lousoi provides insight into a period of revival of settlement activity in the vicinity of the ancient city area, which lasted over several generations until the later 6th century and had not been represented in the archaeological record until now. Of particular significance and art historical importance are the richly decorated components of a leather belt from the later 5th or early 6th century. The decorative fields of two fittings, made of a gilded copper alloy, are decorated in cloisonné technique. Among the early Christian tombs on the soil of the Eastern Roman Empire, which were often devoid of grave goods and followed the ideal of the simplest possible burial, the addition of rich jewellery is a rare exception and testifies to the presence of a population group of social rank and considerable prestige.
ÖJh 90, 2021
New research at ancient Lousoi in the highest of the karst plains in the mountainous northern Pel... more New research at ancient Lousoi in the highest of the karst plains in the mountainous northern Peloponnese offers the chance to address the question of what »urbanism« and »urbanity« actually meant from the perspective of one of the many small poleis in mainland Greece. We provide a synthesis of recent non-invasive investigations into the spatial organisation of the town, its embedment into the landscape and its road connections. The existence of coordinated spatial arrangements and a specific inventory of public facilities bears witness to the urban qualities of the Hellenistic polis. At the same time, the close interplay with distinctively local parameters such as environmental conditions and the unique biography of the site led to a highly localised form of Hellenistic urbanism. Finally, we present a system of land division in the chora and discuss metrological parallels to a system of terraces south of the lower town and to Hellenistic and Roman practices of land division elsewhere.
Jahreshefte des Österreichischen Archäologischen Institutes 87, 2018
Titelbild: Venus von Willendorf (Photo: A. Schumacher, © Naturhistorisches Museum Wien).
Papers in Edited Volumes by Christoph Baier
Ein anderes Griechenland / Μία άλλη Ελλάδα, 2023
The most prominent finds from ancient Lousoi have found their way into various famous collections... more The most prominent finds from ancient Lousoi have found their way into various famous collections and museums all over the world already in the late 19th century. It was above all a wide range of animal figurines of the Geometric period as well as Late Archaic and Early Classical bronze statuettes of deities or possibly also worshippers that brought the site to the attention of the scientific community and a wider public. Illustrating in particular the considerable radiance of the sanctuary of Artemis Hemera,
the finds eventually also led to the start of scientific excavations at this important sacred site.
Ein anderes Griechenland / Μία άλλη Ελλάδα, 2023
Ancient Lousoi offers the chance to address the question of what ‘urbanism’ and ‘urbanity’ actual... more Ancient Lousoi offers the chance to address the question of what ‘urbanism’ and ‘urbanity’ actually meant from the perspective of a small polis community in the mountainous northern Peloponnese. Two sacred gathering places played a crucial role in the consolidation of the early community and subsequently came to be at the core of the urban and institutional growth of the polis. The Hellenistic town structure is characterised by a highly localized form of Greek urbanism, showing a fascinating interplay of distinctively local peculiarities and the endeavours to keep pace with contemporary urbanism.
Ein anderes Griechenland / Μία άλλη Ελλάδα, 2023
The peculiar environmental conditions in the upland karst plain of Lousoi shaped the material and... more The peculiar environmental conditions in the upland karst plain of Lousoi shaped the material and immaterial culture of this community just as much as the wide significance of its sacred places of worship. Fascinating proof of how civic urban culture and an agropastoral reality of life were successfully fused is given by a cluster of two or three Hellenistic houses uncovered in the upper town of Lousoi. They offer a vivid glimpse into the daily life of landowning citizens and represent an important reference for the study of ancient domestic architecture and everyday culture in the Peloponnese.
Ein anderes Griechenland / Μία άλλη Ελλάδα, 2023
At the beginning of the 21st century, the Austrian Archeological Institute is one of nineteen for... more At the beginning of the 21st century, the Austrian Archeological Institute is one of nineteen foreign archaeological institutes at Athens working closely with Greek research institutions and the Service of Antiquities of the Greek Ministry of Culture. Athens is thus a globally important centre for research into the history of the Aegean, the Eastern Mediterranean and the southeastern Balkans.
‘Greek Archaeology’, like any other archaeological discipline today, is part of a world archaeology that reflects on the history of humanity. Here, the historical depth of the tradition and the density of archaeological and written information offers an inexhaustible reservoir for the discussion of overarching questions of general anthropological interest. This also results in the continuing importance of the cultural heritage of Greece and the Aegean in our multi-ethnic societies today.
Ein anderes Griechenland / Μία άλλη Ελλάδα, 2023
The surprising discovery of two late Roman graves near the Hellenistic town centre of Lousoi prov... more The surprising discovery of two late Roman graves near the Hellenistic town centre of Lousoi provides insight into a period of fundamental transformations that had not been represented in the archaeological record of the site before. Of particular significance are the gilded parts of a leather belt from the later 5th or early 6th century, richly decorated in the cloisonné technique. Running counter to the general trend of the period towards the disappearance of grave goods, the deposition of the belt was probably intended to show the rank and high social status of the deceased.
Ein anderes Griechenland / Μία άλλη Ελλάδα, 2023
In Classical and Hellenistic times, Elis was certainly politically and economically the most impo... more In Classical and Hellenistic times, Elis was certainly politically and economically the most important settlement in the Western Peloponnese. The beginnings of the community date back to the 11th century, and Archaic finds suggest that the settlement of Elis exercised a central administrative function in the Eleian community as early as the early 6th century BC. The agora is the best researched part of this city: it retained its particular, probably historically grown structure into Late Antiquity. To the west and south, the agora was bordered by two large porticoes. Structurally, the theatre in the north-east was connected to the agora. It fulfilled important political functions as a meeting place for assemblies and possibly also the city council. The urban development and urban structure of Elis undoubtedly still continue to offer great potential for future research.
Roman Provincial Capitals Under Transition, 2021
A palatial residence on the western slope of Mount Panayır in Ephesos and its embedding into the ... more A palatial residence on the western slope of Mount Panayır in Ephesos and its embedding into the surrounding
urban environment shed new light on the monumentalization of the cityscape in the pre-Augustan periods. The
available evidence gives reason to assume that particular political strategies were employed during the period of
Attalid reign to design a new image of the city. Later, during the Roman Imperial period, the domus spread over
an area of more than 10,000 m² and is closely comparable to confirmed Roman governors’ palaces elsewhere. The
residence might not only be a key monument to understand the rise of Ephesos as a centre of administration and
political power from an urbanistic point of view, but also seems to represent one of the exceptional possibilities to
study the transition of an administrative residence from the Hellenistic era to the Roman Imperial period from an
archaeological perspective.
A. Ribera i Lacomba (Hrsg.), Investigaciones pluridisciplinares en la Casa de Ariadna de Pompeya. Restauración e investigación arqueológica (Valencia 2020) 21-28, 2020
Con la finalidad de realizar un nuevo proyecto interdisciplinar centrado en el análisis arquitect... more Con la finalidad de realizar un nuevo proyecto interdisciplinar centrado en el análisis arquitectónico y urbanístico de la ínsula VII, 4 de Pompeya,
Investigaciones pluridisciplinares en la Casa de Ariadna de Pompeya. Restauración e investigación arqueológica, 2020
Con la finalidad de realizar un nuevo proyecto interdisciplinar centrado en el análisis arquitect... more Con la finalidad de realizar un nuevo proyecto interdisciplinar centrado en el análisis arquitectónico y urbanístico de la ínsula VII, 4 de Pompeya,
Das Carnuntiner Erdbeben im Kontext, 2019
Cityscapes and Monuments of Western Asia Minor. Memories and Identities, 2017
Hardback Edition: ISBN 978-1-78570-836-7 Digital Edition:
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Books by Christoph Baier
Edited Volumes by Christoph Baier
Articles in Journals by Christoph Baier
Papers in Edited Volumes by Christoph Baier
the finds eventually also led to the start of scientific excavations at this important sacred site.
‘Greek Archaeology’, like any other archaeological discipline today, is part of a world archaeology that reflects on the history of humanity. Here, the historical depth of the tradition and the density of archaeological and written information offers an inexhaustible reservoir for the discussion of overarching questions of general anthropological interest. This also results in the continuing importance of the cultural heritage of Greece and the Aegean in our multi-ethnic societies today.
urban environment shed new light on the monumentalization of the cityscape in the pre-Augustan periods. The
available evidence gives reason to assume that particular political strategies were employed during the period of
Attalid reign to design a new image of the city. Later, during the Roman Imperial period, the domus spread over
an area of more than 10,000 m² and is closely comparable to confirmed Roman governors’ palaces elsewhere. The
residence might not only be a key monument to understand the rise of Ephesos as a centre of administration and
political power from an urbanistic point of view, but also seems to represent one of the exceptional possibilities to
study the transition of an administrative residence from the Hellenistic era to the Roman Imperial period from an
archaeological perspective.
the finds eventually also led to the start of scientific excavations at this important sacred site.
‘Greek Archaeology’, like any other archaeological discipline today, is part of a world archaeology that reflects on the history of humanity. Here, the historical depth of the tradition and the density of archaeological and written information offers an inexhaustible reservoir for the discussion of overarching questions of general anthropological interest. This also results in the continuing importance of the cultural heritage of Greece and the Aegean in our multi-ethnic societies today.
urban environment shed new light on the monumentalization of the cityscape in the pre-Augustan periods. The
available evidence gives reason to assume that particular political strategies were employed during the period of
Attalid reign to design a new image of the city. Later, during the Roman Imperial period, the domus spread over
an area of more than 10,000 m² and is closely comparable to confirmed Roman governors’ palaces elsewhere. The
residence might not only be a key monument to understand the rise of Ephesos as a centre of administration and
political power from an urbanistic point of view, but also seems to represent one of the exceptional possibilities to
study the transition of an administrative residence from the Hellenistic era to the Roman Imperial period from an
archaeological perspective.