Academic literature on the topic 'Numismatica cretese'

This article may seem to some to be unnecessarily precise in the dating of later Claudian and Neronian ceramic assemblages at Knossos. The aim is to address the fact that various scholars have dated their material to the reign of Claudius, when one can proffer a counterargument that we should place the assemblages in question in the time of Nero. In short, the period under discussion barely covers ad 50–60, and it may seem impossible to attempt a closer chronology without the aid of numismatic evidence. Nevertheless, if related material from south-central Crete is to be securely anchored, such a study must be undertaken.Five Knossian deposits and two from elsewhere in Crete, usually dated to about the middle of the first century ad, are treated here and are assigned to the reign of Nero. It is to be hoped that such a revision will bring the archaeological evidence from north and south-central Crete into better agreement, and it may even be of use to scholars working elsewhere in the Roman world.

This article present and contextualises five new inscriptions from central Crete: one from the hinterland of Gortyn, two from Knossos, and two more in all likelihood from Knossos. Internal geographical mobility from Gortyn to Knossos is illustrated by a Greek inscription from the hinterland of Gortyn. The Knossian inscriptions add new evidence for the local affairs of the Roman colony. A funerary or honorary inscription and two religious dedications – all three in Latin – give rise to new points concerning the well-attested link between Knossos and Campania. The colony's population included people, many of Campanian origin, who were already established in Crete, as well as families displaced from southern Italy in the great post-Actium settlement. The two religious dedications shed light on the city's religious practice, including a newly revealed cult of Castor, and further evidence for worship of the Egyptian gods. Oddest of all, a Greek inscription on a Doric epistyle names Trajan or Hadrian. These four inscriptions are then set into the context of linguistic choice at the colony. Epigraphic and numismatic evidence for the use of Latin and Greek in the life of the colony is analyzed on the basis of the available inscriptions, listed by category and date in an appendix.

Il tesoretto Αρκαλοχώρι–Αστρίτσι 1936 (IGCH 154). Il tesoretto IGCH 154, rinvenuto a Creta (località Astritsi), consta di emissioni argentee provenienti dalle città cretesi e da Cirene, Corinto e colonie, Argo, Tebe ed Egina. Sono state studiate solo le emissioni non–cretesi che ammontano a cinquantacinque monete d’argento a cui vanno aggiunti altri sei esemplari provenienti da Cirene. Questi ultimi ufficialmente appartengono ad un tesoretto rinvenuto nel 1935 a Hierapytna (IGCH 318), ma molto probabilmente fannoparte del nostro ripostiglio, e sono attualmente conservati insieme ad esso presso il Museo Numismatico di Atene. Unitamente al catalogo numismatico si è fornito un breve commento relativo alle singole emissioni monetali, nel tentativo di contestualizzare le serie e di chiarirne la cronologia assoluta e relativa. Particolare attenzione è stata riservata alla monetazionecirenea nel tentativo di motivarne la presenza nell’isola di Creta, alla luce dei rapporti economici e commerciali testimoniatici dalle scarse fonti storiche. Per tali serie si èsostenuta una cronologia «bassa» (300/290–280 a.C.) e si è proposto di identificarne lo standard ponderale con la fase intermedia del peso tolemaico adottato dal 310 a.C., probabilmente in concomitanza con un cambiamento della ratio tra oro e argento. I «pegasi» provengono sia da Corinto che dalle sue colonie (Anactorion, Amphilochian Argos, Thyrrheion) e presentano simboli e monogrammi differenti, ma cronologicamente appartengono tutti al V periodo Ravel (387–306 a.C.).Delle emissioni argive, scarsamente studiate, si è presentata la classificazione e si è proposta una cronologia molto ampia, dovendo necessariamente appartenere al periodo precedente l’ingresso della città nella Lega Achea.

2014 - 2015
The research focuses on the analysis of the coinage of the Cretan cities of Gortyna and Phaistos, with the aim of providing new information about uses, chronologies and productive aspects of the coins minted by both workshops. In order to analyze the context of these productions and to lead a parallel investigation on several levels, at beginning have been focused all the characteristics of the cities in historical age, summarizing the performance of archaeological research and analyzing the most significant data of the epigraphic and literary documentation. These sources form a wealth of information useful for the understanding of the economic dynamics that involved the poleis of Gortyna and Phaistos, providing information on the state of relations between these. This part is followed by an analysis of the framework of knowledge on the Cretan numismatics, deepening the context in which the cities have started minting coins and the characteristics of the first issues. There are also detailed the hitherto known of chronological elements and the reconstruction of the weight standards locally in use. Based on these data, and in comparison with the collected material, it is possible to perform the analysis of the production. So the coins are organized as groups, emissions and series: the material is divided according to the mints and placed in chronological order. The setting of chronological periods is linked to the recognition of the phenomena that are characteristic of the Cretan coinage: the overstrikes, the countermarking, the change of weight standards, the processing and the 3 numbering of dies. The information has been used for the definition of a relative dating, and to detect trends in production. Once defined the chronological contexts, has been highlighted the correspondence to different weight standards and their alteration in the Hellenistic period. For this phase were examined in detail even the bronze issues, allowing the identification of two different systems of use, comprised of more nominals. The specimens used in the analysis are gathered in the ‘Catalogue’. Depending on the issuing city, groups are organized in chronological periods identified on the basis of the relations from the overall analysis of the sample. It begins, therefore, by the first autonomous series reaching, in the case of Gortyna until the Roman occupation, and for Phaistos to the destruction of the city. In order to complete this analysis are also analyzed groups of coins once mistakenly attributed to Gortyna and modern counterfeiting. The Catalogue ends with an appendix to investigate a coin issue probably minted in Crete but with types usually used for Rhodian coins, but also the production of tetradrachms after the passage of the island under the direct control of Rome. The 2928 specimens examined are the basic tool used for the reconstruction of the production of coins and their analysis allows us to understand technical tricks used by mints. Particular attention was given to the description of the special features found in individual pieces, including overstriking, countermarks and features linked to working of dies and flans. In the conclusion of the research work, is proposed an overview of the described phenomena analyzing the details on coin production within a context of knowledge now more apparent. In this way some aspects hitherto regarded as dominant in the coin production can be calibrated better both in chronology and function. In addition, the recognition of the specificities of hoarding, allows to contextualize some groups of coins providing new information for a better interpretation. The simultaneous use of similar technical solutions allows us to reconstruct the synchronization stages of the two mints and to distinguish the moments of greater economic autonomy of the city of Phaistos, suggesting a reinterpretation of the political and administrative relations between the two centers. Thanks to the statistical data, it was finally proposed an interpretative model to better define the overstriking phenomenon. [edited by Author]
XIV n.s.

Cnossos est principalement connue pour ses vestiges minoens et peu de travaux ont été menés sur les périodes postérieures malgré la multiplication des études sur la Crète historique depuis une vingtaine d’années. La période antique est pourtant fondamentale dans son histoire. En effet, entre le Ve siècle av. J.-C. et le milieu du Ier siècle ap. J.-C., c’est l’histoire d’une cité puissante politiquement en Crète puis d’une colonie romaine prospère qui se dessine grâce aux sources archéologiques et textuelles publiées, ainsi qu’à un corpus monétaire inédit. La première partie de la thèse est une étude des monnaies produites à Cnossos pendant toute l’histoire de l’atelier ; elle présente d’abord un catalogue de 2970 monnaies cnossiennes, les contextes de découverte des monnaies cnossiennes dans le monde grec et les monnaies de fouilles de Cnossos, puis une étude de chaque série (typologie, étude de coins, métrologie et datation). La seconde partie est une étude de l’histoire de Cnossos divisée en trois sections correspondant aux périodes classique, hellénistique et impériale. Pour chacune, sont examinés les frontières, l’aménagement du territoire et les événements historiques en prenant en compte la totalité des sources disponibles, numismatiques bien sûr mais aussi les autres vestiges archéologiques et les textes épigraphiques et littéraires. Ces deux parties sont accompagnées d’un volume d’annexes et de planches (volume 2) qui comprend notamment une liste des vestiges mis au jour sur le site entre les premières fouilles de la fin du XIXe siècle à aujourd’hui, le détail des tombes fouillées et les textes épigraphiques découverts à Cnossos et/ou relatifs à la cité
Knossos is mainly known for its Minoans remains and little work has been undertaken on the later periods in spite of the many studies on historic Crete published in the last twenty years. Antiquity is nevertheless fundamental in its history. Indeed, between the 5th century BC and the middle of the 1st century AD, it is the story of a city politically powerful in Crete and then a prosperous Roman colony which can be seen because of the published archaeological and textual sources, and an unpublished coin corpus. The first part of the thesis is a study of the coins struck at Knossos during the entire operational period of the mint; it shows first a catalogue of 2970 Knossian coins, the archaeological contexts of the Knossian coins in the Greek world and the coins found during excavations of the site. Then, each series is studied (typology, die study, metrology and dating). The second part is a study of Knossos divided into three sections corresponding to the Classical, Hellenistic and Roman periods. For each, the borders, the spatial organisation and historical events are studied with all available sources: numismatics, archaeological remains and epigraphic and literary texts. These two parts work with an annexe and illustrations volume (volume 2) which is composed mainly of a remains list dug between the end of the 19th century and today, the tombs and the epigraphic texts discovered at/or about the city

Research into the depiction of cattle in Minoan Art ha'i concentrated on representations of interaction between men and cattle, in particular, the images of bull sports. This emphasis has detracted from other types of cattle imagery. In this thesis the representation of the cow and calf in Minoan glyptic is assessed. Discussion of representation and meaning are of equal value, as a full understanding of the potential meaning of an image is dependent upon a detailed knowledge of what is represented. Specific anatomical and behavioural details described in the images are therefore compared with known physiological and behavioural characteristics. The Bronze Age representations are found to be very accurate and detailed in their description of the relationship between the cow and calf. Both the aesthetic and social contexts of the image are discussed in detail. The majority of representations of cows and calves are found on seals and sealings. The size, shape and restrictions of the medium as well as the range of potential uses of the stones (administrative, amuletic, jewellery) are considered. Fauna! evidence from Bronze Age Crete and accounts of cattle in Linear B texts confirm the importance of bovines as an integral part of the agricultural system as well as providing evidence of the range of cattle exploited. In discussing the potential meaning of the image, the survey draws on Bronze Age Aegean, Near Eastern and Egyptian evidence and later Greek (in particular Cretan) examples. Evidence from unrelated societies in which the cow is prominent is used as evidence of the diversity of possible meaning. The thesis concludes that it is not possible to categorise the image as specifically religious or secular; the range of potential meanings reflect the importance of the animal in all aspects of Minoan society.