Cultural Technology

"Subject of this paper is the publication of an East Greek fruitstand found at the settlement located on the low mound of Karabournaki, in the area of Thermaic gulf at Thessaloniki. The site is recognized as a part (kome) of the ancient Thermi, and in particular as its harbor. The latter, located by the settlement, was the only harbor at the center of the Thermaic gulf and it was related with the trading activities of the region.
The presented vessel is preserved in a fragmentary condition and it is recognized as product of the Milesian workshop. It belongs to the traditionally called «Middle Wild Goat II» category or according to the most recent system, to «MileA Id», and it is dated at the end of the 7th c. B.C. Although the profile of the vase does not differ from the well-known standard types of the stemmed dishes, the preserved part of the decoration holds some interesting combination of motifs. In particular, the volute pattern found at the center of the fruitstand to surround the tondo, is not common at this section of the vase. A 3D reconstruction of the vessel has been done, in order to make it widely accessible, and to facilitate its study.
The fragment was found within one of the semi-subterranean beehive shaped pits (yposkapton), a common attribute of the site at Karabournaki. East Greek and Corinthian pottery are the primary categories of imported ceramics found among the filling, along with the Attic SOS type and Chian trade amphorae. The local pottery was also distinctive with the so-called ‘egg-shelled’ (ookelyphi) and ‘silverish’ (asimizousa) to be characteristic. Most of the vessels found here appear to be related to symposion activities, and they belong to the Archaic period.
The studied stemmed dish is part of a number of vases made by the Milesian workshop that have been imported to Karabournaki. They can also be related to the Milesian trade amphorae found at the settlement. It seems that all the products of Miletus (fine pottery and trade amphorae) were imported at the site during the 7th c. B.C. and the first part of the 6th c. B.C. and they can be part of the trading routes followed at that time."

Sphinx, Siren, Gorgon, Minotaur, Acheloos, Triton, Typhon, Pan, Satyr and Centaur, are some of the most characteristic composite creatures represented broadly in ancient Greek art. Greeks familiarized themselves with fantasy elements that convey various aspects of their life and their mythology based on heroes who are monster fighters, envisaged the beasts of its interest in the form of hybrids. The idea of supernatural creatures incorporating features of diverse natural beings, human and animal, is found in many people. Half-human, half-animal they represent the world beyond fantasy combining understandable elements such as human intelligence, physical strength (lion), and power of flight (bird). They are supernatural without being in itself divine. The mixture of animal and human features in Greek fantasy appears to be similar for any kind of hybrids without, however, to share comparable qualities due to the common physical characteristics.

The development of content based retrieval mechanisms is a very active
research area. Present studies are mainly focused on automating the information
extraction and indexing processes. Usually for the development and evaluation of such
mechanisms there is always a need for a ground-truth database. In this paper we present a
software tool named qp that is able to semi-automatically produce a collection of random
3D vessels, with morphological characteristics similar to those found in ancient Greek
pottery, a ceramic group exhibited worldwide with great impact to scholars as well as
general public. A 3D vessel collection has been produced by qp and can be used as a test
bed dataset for the development of shape-based 3D descriptors applicable to pottery.
Additionally, qp can be considered as a 3D vessel modelling software tool which can be
used by people not related to computer graphics technology and particularly to 3D
modelling.

This paper presents a novel compact shape descriptor designed specifically for content-based retrieval
of complete or nearly complete 3D vessel replicas. The descriptor consists of two vectors that carry
morphological features of the vessel’s main body and appendages. The extraction of the descriptor is
based on a pose normalisation preprocessing phase which is designed for axially symmetric objects. In
order to evaluate the efficiency of the descriptor, we created a calibrated ground-truth database of 1012
3D digitised and manually modelled vessels and performed multiple query-by-example experiments.
We present the performance of our descriptor in relation to the performance of the MPEG-7 3D shape
spectrum descriptor. Additionally, a web-based 3D content-based retrieval prototype system has been
developed based on open source technologies.

Continuity and relation to the past are inherent in human nature. The remains of the past constitute culture
and cultural heritage. Preservation and dissemination of cultural heritage appear to be, nowadays, a
universal priority. Historic/architectural monuments are among the most significant categories of cultural
heritage and their 3D digitization appears to be a chief way towards that direction. 3D digitization of
architectural heritage is a very specific problem in the digitization domain. Since size, budget and
applicability are some of the most important factors in choosing an appropriate digitization method, and
since there is not an all-in-one solution in digitization, this problem cannot be always addressed by using one technique. In this paper we review methods that are available for 3D digitization of architectural
heritage and we present two case studies of real-world digitization projects involving monuments and urban
areas.

Karabournaki is located on the edge of a peninsula in the center of the Thermaic Gulf in the area of Thessaloniki. The site should be related to ancient Therma mentioned by the literary sources as the most important settlement before the establishment of Thessaloniki. The current excavations unearth the residential area providing important information for life in Macedonia especially during the late Geometric, Archaic and early Classical period.
Facing the problem of recording the past in the case of the pottery from Karabournaki, we decided to combine the information provided by different fields in order to achieve the best possible way for the study and publication of the site. Entering the 21st century has become clear that for accomplishing the best results, archaeological research should be supplemented with the achievements of science and technology. Recent advances in chemical and physical instrumental methods of analysis for example, permit the precise determination of a wide range of parameters and properties of ancient artifacts and in particular of ancient pottery.
Therefore, as for the Karabournaki material, all these data, archaeological, chemical and conservation related, are combined and stored in a suitable database. A query system, designed as a search engine, provides its results in a two-fold manner: a) through a results list, where the user chooses the appropriate object and proceeds to a more detailed page, or b) through a hierarchical index built of predefined categories. When the user reaches the identity card of an object, (s)he has also the option to jump to other list pages of objects with similar characteristics. The database next to 2D digitized images, has also (virtual / reconstructed) 3D representations of some objects, where only parts of these objects are actually available.

The ancient settlement placed next to the ancient harbor in the modern area of Karabournaki, preserves a great number of ceramics local and imported that indicate the importance of the site as a commercial and distribution point. Of special interest here are the Corinthian and the Corinthian type pottery unearthed in the site. Along to the imported Corinthian material, are found two groups of Corinthian imitations. Through the archaeological observation and the micro-XRF measurements that were performed directly on the clay of the profiles of the ceramics, a more clear categorization of the Corinthian and Corinthian type material is now possible.

The paper presents a representative sellection of the types of the East Greek pottery fragments found in the area of the settlement that is located in Karabournaki and it is identified with the harbor settlement of the ancient Therma in the are of Thermaic gulf (Thessaloniki).

"An exotic land, beyond the limits of any wild fantasy, Thrace offered always a series of tales that attracted the Greek mind. Beginning with Homer and continuing with the greatest poets and tragedians of the Classical era, Thracian myths and heroes became a source of inspiration reflecting respectively the Greek view and attitude towards to their north neighboring area.
Homer relates stories for a number of Thracian kings and heroes, providing an aspect of Thrace in his time. His account includes Thamyris, Akamas and Peiroos, Eufemos, Lykourgos, Boreas and Zephyros, Rhesos, Hippokoon, Iphidamas, Koon, Mentis and Rigmos. According to Homeric descriptions, Thrace is a land of wealth with gold and silver, and famous for its horses and warriors both incomparable in beauty and bravery. But how does that change or not, down to the Classical times? Focusing on that question, this paper traces though the written sources and the virtual art, the development of certain Thracian kings from Homer to Classical period.
Three Homeric Thracian kings (Rhesos, Lykourgos, Maron) are chosen to represent their homeland in this inquiry. Of interest is that as for Rhesos and Lykourgos, there is an enrichment and a gradual formation of their myths differentiated in many aspects from the Homeric account. Rhesos from son of Hioneus in the Homeric version, becomes the son of Strymon and king of Edonians, Bisaltians and Odomantians (all Thracian tribes located in the Strymon valley area) during the Classical times. Lykourgos respectively, is turned to a king of Edonians having as son Dryas, who used to be his father according to Homer. The 5th century B.C. literary sources and iconography indicate a special interest at least of the Athenians, to those two Thracian kings. On the contrary Maron does not get the same attention.
Rhesos, Lykourgos and Maron, according to the Greek written evidence, cover geographically that part of the Thracian region that extends from Strymon to Ismaros, leaving out only the area inhabited by the Thracian tribe of Bistonians (see map). This part is known as the kingdom of the Thracian king Diomedes, famous for his man-eating horses. Although Homer does not know of Diomedes, the Greek art and literature of 6th and 5th century B.C. is fond of him. The capture of his horses was the eighth labor of Herakles. Worth of note is that with the exception of the Amykles throne –known, however, only through the description of Pausanias-, the preserved depictions of the myth known to us come only from the Athenian art.
Tereus is the fifth Thracian king presented in the paper. Although he is not mentioned in Homer, he was chosen for being the king of all Thracians covering that way all the geographical area occupied by the previous four kings. His connections to Athens, as son-in-law of the Athenian king Pandion, and his relation to the existing Teres, father of the real Thracian king Sitalkes, as that was presented in the 5th century B.C., initiate suggestions for political interpretations regarding the presence of those five Thracians in the Greek and particularly the Athenian repertoire. Those interpretations are strengthened by the historical events taken place in the 5th century B.C. in combination to the benefits that would come out of the control of the Thracian natural resources in the Strymon area by the Athenians."

Several Byzantine findings of three excavations in Thessaloniki are studied by archaeological and archaeometric means. The first group of findings excavated in Acheiropiitos Church (Thessaloniki) includes one piece of glass, adapted on a glass fuming metal tube (Gb), a piece of stone which was a part of glass heating oven (K1), a melting pot (Mp) and the base of a glass vase (Gv). The second group, excavated in Ancient Forum (Thessaloniki), includes also a piece of stone which was a part of glass heating oven and a droplet of glass. The third group excavated in Diikitiriou Square (Thessaloniki) includes just a black-red glassy waste. Finally, the elemental concentration of two tessera pieces from Agia Sophia tessera laboratory is determined.
In order to supplement and confirm the assumptions coming out the archaeological research, all findings are analyzed by m-XRF Spectroscopy, revealing the elemental composition of the studied material. Based on the X-ray spectra, preliminary comparisons and characterization of the groups are possible. The interpretation of the archaeological hypotheses in combination with the archaeometric results, reveal useful provenance and manufacturing procedures data.

The volume contains 32 papers on ancient Greek ceramics, offered by the students to the teacher. The papers regard a) Attic black- and red-figure pottery and iconography of the Archaic and Classical era, b) Ionian, Corinthian, Boiotian and South Italian pottery dated from the Archaic and Classical times, c) local pottery from excavations held in ancient Macedonia, dated from the Geometric until the late Classical period, and d) trade amphorae from the early Archaic until the Helleistic times. Topics such as vase-painting, ritual, daily life, theatre, and trade in antiquity are also explored within the papers along with the presentation of some recently known to the scholarly research, local pottery categories from the region of ancient Macedonia. The papers are written in Greek language and there is an English summary for each of them.

Contents
Stamatis A. Fritzilas, Homeric Paralipomena: The Departure of Hippodamas and Eurylochos;
Victoria Sabetai, Fishermen: The Ephebes and the Sea;
Eleni Manakidou, Variations on a Theme: Herakles and Nereus on an Attic Black-figured Amphora from Oisymi; 
Aggeliki Kokkinou, Herakles and Chthonic Poseidon: Two Alabastra of the Diosphos Painter;
Georgia Pliakou, Attic Black-figured Lekythoi from the Cemetery of Ancient Lefkas;
Panagiota Bantinou, Perfume Vases in Representations of Worship of the 5th c. BC;
Eirene Tsakni,  Visiting a Brothel in a Cup by the Euaion Painter;
George G. Kavvadias,  From Phlya? Some Thoughts on an Attic Redfigured Hydria from Ancient Phlya;
Christina Avronidaki , Eukleia and Eunomia on a Fragment of a Squat Lekythos from the Circle of the Meidias Painter;
Athena Chatzidimitriou , Red-figured Chous with a Dionysian Scene from Argyroupoli, Athens;
Kleopatra Kathariou, Thoughts and Remarks on the Organization of the Jena Painter’s Workshop;
Amalia Avramidou , Iconographic Observations on a Red-figured Krater from Olynthos: Theatrical Influences;
Nikolaos Akamatis,  Red-figured Pelike with a Battle Scene from Pella; 
Despoina Tsiafaki , An East Greek Fruitstand at Karabournaki;
Natalia Vogeikoff-Brogan,  A Corinthian Oinochoe of the Transitional Period from Mochlos in Eastern Crete;
Anna Arvanitaki , Zeus Against a Dragon. A Different Representation of Zeus Fighting Typhon at Corinth?;
Eurydice Kefalidou,  A Boeotian Komast Cup from Thermi near Thessaloniki;
Victoria Tsoukala , Image and Word on Feminine Virtue: A Fresh Look at a Boeotian Skyphos in the Canellopoulos Museum;
Georgios K. Mallios,  The Paeonian Warlords Pyraichmes and Asteropaios in the Literary Sources and the Pottery of the Archaic Era;
Maria-Christina Tzannes,  An Eros Pursuing a Maiden on an Early Lucanian Hydria in the Benaki Museum;
Zapheiria Partheni,  The Representations of Chrysippos in Apulian Vase-painting: Remarks on their Iconography;
Stefanos Gimatzidis , Protogeometrische und geometrische Keramik Nordgriechenlands: Die Forschungsgeschichte;
Nikos Chatzis , The Presence of Protogeometric and Geometric Atticising Pottery in the Northern Aegean. Two Interesting Examples from Karabournaki;
Konstantoula Havela,  Local Pottery Workshops of the 8th c. BC around the Thermaic Gulf;
Anna Panti , New Evidence for the ‘Egg-shelled’ Pottery; 
Dimitris Patis , Indications for an Earlier Chronology of the Sanctuary of Dionysos in Kallithea, Chalcidice. Two Older Finds Set New Issues;
Fotis Georgiadis , Bird kotylai: A Pottery Group from Central Macedonian Sites;
Vivi Saripanidi , The Exaleiptron in the Funerary Customs of Central Macedonia;
Nikolaos A. Skiadas , Inscribed Vases from Ancient Stageira;  Alexandra Kasseri,  Phoenician Trade amphorae from Methoni, Pieria;
Kostas Filis,  Trade Amphorae from Karabournaki;
Fani K. Seroglou, Stamped Rhodian Amphorae from a Depositat the Sanctuary of Isis in Rhodes. A Preliminary Presentation

The appendix regards the presentation of a project  aimed at the quantitative elemental analysis of 92 ceramic sherds unearthed in Achaea. It concerned their comparison within groups in order to contribute with remarks and conclusions to the archaeological questions addressed to the certain archaeological material. All the samples came from vase fragments belonging to four pottery groups by archaeological standards: Thapsos class, Achaean fine painted pottery, Achaean impressed ware, and Corinthian vases. The major goal was the comparison of the samples within each pottery group and the comparison of the different groups aiming at the knowledge of their association. Fundamental criterion for the archaeometrical examination was the non-destruction of the samples. Therefore, the Micro-X-Ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy was chosen that is applied for the non destructive multi-elemental analysis. Suitable Certified Reference Materials (CRM’s) were used for the quantization of the results. For the comparison of the samples, advanced statistical protocols were used, such as multivariate exploratory techniques and specifically the Principal Components Analysis (PCA).

Domestic architecture is of great importance and interest for the reconstruction of the past and life of a culture. Aim of this paper is to present the domestic features of an ancient settlement located in North Aegean in order to contribute to the knowledge of the domestic architecture of the area.
The case study regards Karabournaki, an ancient settlement located on the top of a mound above the Thermaic Gulf, with extensive trading activities. The ancient site includes a settlement, a harbor and cemeteries. Based upon its location and literary and archaeological evidence, the site should be identified with a part of ancient Therma.
The settlement, according to the archaeological data, was not fortified and it was founded and organised much earlier than the Archaic period, maybe even during the Late Bronze Age (findings scattered in the area indicate that the site might have existed until the Roman times, and certainly after the foundation of Thessaloniki in the 4th c. B.C.). Geometric and particularly Archaic times, appear to be the flourishing periods of Karabournaki, which should had gotten an “international” character due to its commercial activities throughout Aegean and even further, as it is stated from the quality and the quantity of the pottery imports.
The number and the shape of the preserved structures point rather to a permanent occupation with stone built Greek in type, Archaic in date, houses. The great majorities of the Karabournaki buildings had foundations of stone, on top of which were walls of sun-dried mud brick. The roofs were topped by clay tiles, with the most common type the Laconian. The stone pavements, occasionally in circular shape, found in the site should be used for various domestic needs and activities, whereas others should belong to streets. Occasionally in various spots of the excavated area, is revealed a type of flooring made by seashells and pebbles.
Specific architectural storage features such as “cellars” is a common find in Karabournaki. Hearths or parts of them have been uncovered so far in few spaces of the settlement.
The chief attribute of Karabournaki, however, is the beehive-shaped semi-subterranean constructions, spread out on the mound. They were built in earlier phases of the settlement, perhaps in the late 8th or early 7th century B.C. They were apparently in existence along to the later Archaic constructions of the site.
Except for the purely domestic activities, the findings indicate that there were active workshops for metallworking and ceramics on the site.
The number of the population in the settlement cannot be calculated so far. There is certainly Greek population during the Archaic period, but the possibility to have a mixed population with also Thracian inhabitants cannot be rejected, based on the information coming from the literary sources.

After the victorious results of the Persian wars in the beginning of the 5th century B.C., there followed in Athens a period of wealth, power and expeditions overseas. That had as a result significant changes in Athenian life and society and of course in art. In the case of Athenian iconography which is the main interest here, new subjects appeared, some of the old ones were abandoned, while others began being represented in a new way.
The book focus on the appearance of the Thracian cycle in Attic vase-painting during the 5th century B.C., and especially on the Thracian Orpheus. It is of great importance that, although Athenians had already become familiar with Thrace since the 6th century B.C., Thracian myths and heroes appear on Attic vases during or just after the Persian wars. Among them is Orpheus, the famous Thracian bard and lyre-player, who could charm and move the whole of nature with his music.
Other famous Thracians are also presented such as Thamyris, Mousaios, Eumolpos as well as Boereas, Phineus, Tereus, Bendis, Rhesus et al. Their presence in the drama is also explored along with the political events of the time.

Archaeology, and in particular Classical Archaeology, that is the archaeological investigation of the great Mediterranean civilizations of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome, has been one of the principal fields of interest –scholarly or not- for the past few centuries. The contribution of Renaissance for example, to the revival of the ancient Greek culture is immense and well attested. It is remarkable that until the end of the 17th century, the base for the “education of a gentleman” was the study of the art, language, philology and history of the Classical world, a pattern that lasted for over 200 years. And even if that sounds strange for such a traditional field, archaeology has been a discipline that involved always the cut in edge technologies for research and study. Aim of this paper is the contemporary interdisciplinary approach in Archaeology that involves sciences and technology. More specifically, the goal is to present the up to date contribution of the new technologies and to trace issues and problems in order to explore the new directions of this interdisciplinary study in the archaeological research.