Jahreshefte des Osterreichischen Archaologischen Institutes in Wien : Band 93 / 2024

This volume of the ÖJh features new research on Ephesus, Corinth, Constantinople, Sirmium and the Roman god Priapus. Topics include inscriptions, marble trade, Byzantine mosaics, Roman sarcophagi, polychromy and cult practices, offering fresh insights into the archaeology, art and history of the ancient Mediterranean.

This issue of the ÖJh also includes articles on Austrian research in Ephesus. In addition to a further instalment on inscriptions – this time focusing on funerary inscriptions – the journal presents inscriptions on pottery shards (ostraca and instrumenta domestica) from the so-called Serapeion, as well as a new discovery: an early imperial portrait head from the Cores Gate. Furthermore, an overview of the corpus of Ephesian sarcophagi is provided. Research into Hellenistic defensive structures in the surrounding area of Ephesus was carried out by Turkish scholars, who present their findings. The trade network of Corinth is examined on the basis of provenance analyses of white marble. Many of the sculptures examined were associated with the imperial cult and the patronage of urban elites. The provenance analyses not only help to understand trade dynamics, they also demonstrate the distribution of Asia Minor marble in the eastern Mediterranean during the Roman period and underscore the economic and cultural significance of Corinth for the Roman Empire. The so-called Palace Mosaic of Constantinople, covering a total area of over 1,800 m², was located in the palace quarter of the Byzantine emperors and has been the subject of lively debate since its discovery. The article presented in this volume attempts to explore the visual context of the depictions, focusing in particular on the border zones, which have hitherto been neglected. The ‘Cupid and Psyche’ sarcophagus from Sirmium, now in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, dates to the 2nd century AD and has been subjected to detailed material analysis for the first time. Using non-invasive examination methods, traces of what was once rich polychromy have been identified. Building on the scientific findings, the iconographic classification of the sarcophagus is carried out from an archaeological and art-historical perspective. The presentation of the most important written and archaeological sources concerning the genesis and worship of the Roman god Priapus, and the discussion of the dissemination of his various types of representation along the Amber Road within a literary context, takes place within the framework of a comprehensive and richly illustrated discussion.