Secular Byzantine Women

Art, Archaeology, and Ethnography of Female Material Culture from Late Roman to Post-Byzantine Times

Sophia Germanidou

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2022
• Print ISBN: 9780367672072
• eBook ISBN: 9781000537345
• Edition: 1
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: World History
• Index: History

Secular Byzantine Women examines female material culture during the Late Roman, Byzantine, and Post-Byzantine eras, to better understand the lives of ordinary and humble women during this period.

Although recent scholarship has contributed greatly to our knowledge of Byzantine and medieval women, such research has largely focused on female saints, imperial figures, and prominent women of local communities. But what about secular and non-privileged women? Bringing together scholars from various fields, including archaeology, history, theology, anthropology, and ethnography, this volume seeks to answer this important question. The chapters examine the everyday lives of lay women, including their working routines, their clothing, and precious possessions.

This book will appeal to scholars and students of Byzantine history, art, and archaeology, as well as those interested in gender and material culture studies.

Part IModest vanity, social identity

1Women's accessories from a bath house on Santorini (Thira), Cyclades (2th–4th centuries)¹

Marina Vogkli and Stavroula Papanikolopoulou

DOI: 10.4324/9781003014058-3

A great part of a Roman villa rustica was discovered in a private plot, in Kamari, on Santorini island (old name Thira, ancient Oia, Figure 1.1), during a rescue excavation that was carried out between 1999 and 2002 by the Greek Archaeological Service.² The villa is situated south of the church of Saint George Thalassitis, in an area where the ruins of an Early Byzantine three-aisled basilica and of a large building dated to the Imperial period, were discovered. It lies 1 km far from the settlement of ancient Oia, one of the two ports of ancient Thira.

Figure 1.1 Map of Thira/ Cyclades (© authors).

The so far excavated complex measures 37 × 21 m, occupying a surface of 520 m². The west part of the complex is not yet excavated; this is where the main entrance would be situated. A cobbled path (Figure 1.2) led to another entrance located approximately in the middle of the compound’s east side.

Figure 1.2 Ground plan of the bath house and the agricultural installation. Santorini (Thira), Kamari (©authors, Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports, Ephorate of Antiquities of Cyclades).

The complex is divided into two compartments, the north and the south. These compartments are regular and symmetric; between them is a corridor running E-W (Figures 1.3 and 1.4). The north compartment (rooms I-IX, Figures 1.2 and 1.5) includes accommodation rooms, storerooms and industrial installations (wine press and vat), while the south compartment includes a bath.³

Figure 1.3 General view from the southwest of the bath house and the agricultural installation. Santorini (Thira), Kamari (©authors, Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports, Ephorate of Antiquities of Cyclades).

Figure 1.4 Corridor from the east of the bath house and the agricultural installation. Santorini (Thira), Kamari (©authors, Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports, Ephorate of Antiquities of Cyclades).

Almost at the centre of the north compartment, inside room V, a wine press and a vat are constructed (Figures 1.2 and 1.6). The wine press⁴ is built above ground and has a shallow, rectangular tank; the walls and the treading floor of the tank are coated with hydraulic plaster; the floor has an inclination towards the built, underground vat⁵ (Figures 1.2 and 1.6). At the north wall, there is a small, rectangular hole where the wooden beam of the large mechanical wine press would be adjusted.⁶

Figure 1.5 The wine press and storerooms of the bath house and the agricultural installation. Santorini (Thira), Kamari (©authors, Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports, Ephorate of Antiquities of Cyclades).

Figure 1.6 View of the wine press from the southwest. Santorini (Thira), Kamari (©authors , Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports, Ephorate of Antiquities of Cyclades).

West (X), at the end of the corridor, there is a staircase of three steps leading to the first room, the bath (loutron) (Figure 1.1), the apodyterium (Ap) or vestibulum (Figures 1.2 and 1.7).⁷

Figure 1.7 View of the bath house from the west. Santorini (Thira), Kamari (©authors, Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports, Ephorate of Antiquities of Cyclades).

The bath (21,68m × 11,00m)⁸ belongs to the “single-axis row type”⁹ and it occupies a surface of 230 m². It includes eight main rooms: an apodyteriun, a frigitarium for the cold bath, two tepidaria for the warm bath, three caldaria for the hot bath, two praefurnia, and three auxiliary room (Figures 1.2 and 1.7). West of the bath, part of a built rectangular structure was discovered; it was probably a heroon (a shrine dedicated to a hero) of uncertain date,¹⁰ which was built to honour a family of physicians. Among the finds were four inscribed marble stones, a marble urn with an erased inscription and a conical lid, two fallen sculpted busts of men and a sculpted bust of a woman.

The definition and dating of the complex’s building phases is quite complicated, due to the consecutive reparations and alterations that took place. As no coins were found, any suggestion considering the time of its foundation and use is solely based on pottery. The pottery indicates that the bath complex was in use from the 2nd until the 4th century AD. This is a period when the rich aristocrats of Thira offered their donations to the city and also a time when only a very small number of citizens possessed land.¹¹ Besides the large number of ceramics,¹² some significant minor objects made of bone were found; objects serving cosmetic and other everyday purposes. A small pyxis belongs to the first category, while a spoon and a stirring rod may be used not only as cosmetic devices, but also in other daily activities.

The small cylindrical bone pyxis is complete (h.: 4.5 cm, d.: 3.8 cm) (Figures 1.8 and 1.9). It has a cylindrical body, flaring towards the base; the upper part is recessed to receive the lid, while the deeper interior recess at the bottom is to receive the slightly concave base. The body of the pyxis is decorated with three concentric double lines, while the lid is decorated with two relief bands. The outer walls of the lid are decorated with relief bands; at the centre of the lid there is a conical knob surrounded by a small circle in relief.

Figure 1.8 Vertical view of the pyxis from the bath house and the agricultural installation. Santorini (Thira), Kamari (©authors, Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports, Ephorate of Antiquities of Cyclades).

Figure 1.9 Horizontal view of the pyxis from the bath house and the agricultural installation. Santorini (Thira), Kamari (©authors, Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports, Ephorate of Antiquities of Cyclades).

The pyxis was found in room IV that is situated north of the wine press, at the complex’s north compartment. Similar objects are dated between the 1st and the 4th century AD and they are discovered in numerous areas and sites of the Roman world, such as in Athens,¹³ Corinth,¹⁴ Nikopolis,¹⁵ Pella,¹⁶ Crete,¹⁷ Naxos,¹⁸ Cyprus,¹⁹ the Balkans,²⁰ and so on.²¹ They were made of wood, stone, or other more or less valuable materials, and they were used as containers of make-up powders. These cosmetic substances along with the perfumes that were kept in polychrome unguentaria are related to practices of beautification and improvement of a person’s image.²²

It is not always easy to suggest a particular function of a bone object. This is because such an object often served for various purposes. A spoon and a stirring rod belong to this ambiguous case. The spoon, also known as cochlear, was discovered south-east of the bath, not far from the auxiliary room AU III. It has a concave, almost circular bowl (d.: 2.7 cm) and a cylindrical handle (l.: 9.65 cm) (Figures 1.10 and 1.11). Notches decorate the junction point of the bowl and the handle.

Figure 1.10 Front side of the cochlear from the bath house and the agricultural installation. Santorini (Thira), Kamari (©authors, Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports, Ephorate of Antiquities of Cyclades).

Figure 1.11 Back side of the cochlear from the bath house and the agricultural installation. Santorini (Thira), Kamari (©authors, Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports, Ephorate of Antiquities of Cyclades).

The spoons differ on the basis of their size, shape and handle decoration.²³ There are two main spoon types:²⁴ the first type is known as ligula; it is characterised by an oval bowl and it was used for a variety of purposes. The second type is known as cochlear; it is characterised by a small circular bowl and a long handle and it was used for eating, especially shellfish and eggs.²⁵ It was also used as a measuring spoon in the preparation of cosmetics, medicine, and perfumes.

Even though it was found in an auxiliary room/storeroom, this cochlear was most probably used in the preparation of cosmetics. This assumption is based on the lack of organic remains, such as shellfish or eggshells, in the respective archaeological context. Bone cochlears are rather common finds in contexts of the Roman and Byzantine times. Similar objects are found in Athens,²⁶ in Thessaloniki,²⁷ in Corinth,²⁸ in Delphi,²⁹ in Olympia,³⁰ in Atalanti,³¹ in Chalkis,³² in Thebes,³³ on Delos,³⁴ on Paros,³⁵ on Naxos,³⁶ on Crete,³⁷ in Thesprotia,³⁸ in Patras,³⁹ in ancient Demetrias,⁴⁰ in Kozani,⁴¹ in the Balkans (Moesia),⁴² in Israel,⁴³ and so on.⁴⁴

Another object serving for various purposes is a partially preserved bone implement that was found in the praefurnium PrII (Figure 1.12). It has a shaft (l.: 8.10 cm) with one loop end. The section of the shaft is circular, while that of the loop is square. The shaft is decorated with two incised lines and spiral fluting; the loop is decorated with three incised lines.

Figure 1.12 Bone tool section from the bath house and the agricultural installation. Santorini (Thira), Kamari (©authors, Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports, Ephorate of Antiquities of Cyclades).

Various functions are suggested in regard with this implement. Most researchers interpret it as a stirring rod: this object was used in the process of stirring and extracting perfume oils and fat from vases or boxes. It may have been used even as a tool to apply perfumes and oils on the body, or cosmetics, make-up, and powders on the face.⁴⁵ Only some researchers consider it as a ...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Table of Contents
• List of figures, plans, maps, tables
• List of contributors
• Preface
• List of abbreviations
• Introduction
• Part I Modest vanity, social identity
• Part II Working girls
• Part III Earthly delights, holy concerns
• Part IV An ethnographic glimpse
• Index