Imago Mundi Bibliography

 

The information supplied by National Representatives has been supplemented from other sources. Readers are urged to send information, press releases, exhibition catalogues, etc. directly to the Chronicle Editor, Imago Mundi, 76 Ockendon Road, London N1 3NW, UK (tony@tonycampbell.info), so that the next Chronicle can be as complete as possible. Chronicle considers all information that is current or historical at its closing date. Events after 2018 are not included.     

Solomon and His Empire: Fact or Fiction?

Abstract

The essay examines the plausibility of a “Double Monachy,” a large state, under a king Solomon in the 10th century with Jerusalem as its capital. First, all texts in the Old Testament are mentioned, and it is pointed out that no extrabiblical texts from the period mention such a state. In the next paragraph the archaeological finds from the period are examined whether they may allow the existence of such a state, and it is concluded that it is improbable. Also from historical knowledge of the period in the Levant as well as Solomon’s name it is concluded that there was not a large kingdom in Jerusalem under a king of that name.

In the rest of the essay I try, from the story in the Bible, to date the various elements of the story, and comparing them with other legendary kings (e.g. Sargon of Akkad) to find a suitable period when such a legend could be construed, I point to the second half of the 7th cent. BCE as the best possibility for the story’s date.     

Date Palms and Opobalsam in the Madaba Mosaic Map

Abstract

The Madaba mosaic map shows two main vegetal motifs: the date palm and a mysterious bush. The inclusion of the date palm testifies to its economic importance in the region, and it would follow that the bush should also have a similar importance. This bush is best identified as the Judaean balsam or opobalsam, which we know from literary sources to have been grown in the lower Jordan Valley, and elsewhere, in the Roman period. This was a lucrative product. In the Madaba mosaic map, the bush is situated on both sides of the Jordan, which gives us an indication of the extent of its cultivation in the sixth century C.E.     

Clarke Hall,Wakefield; architectural innovations in 17th-century West Yorkshire

Abstract

Clarke Hall stands one mile north-east of Wakefield (SE 342222) at the side of the A642 Aberford Road. Believed to be of early Elizabethan date, the house was purchased by the West Riding County Council in 1971 for conversion into a schools museum. Over the following three years the writer undertook a programme of documentary research and excavation which established that the building was entirely renewed in the late 1670s, its materials and plan clearly illustrating the transformation from medieval to post-medieval building practices in West Yorkshire.     

POTTERY VESSELS FROM A NEWLY DISCOVERED AMMONITE DOVECOTE AT AIN AL-BAIDA,AMMAN

Abstract

This paper deals with pottery vessels from a newly discovered Ammonite dovecote located at Ain al-Baida in north-east Amman. This dovecote may have operated independently or as an adjunct to a large estate or farm holding. Based on parallel ceramic studies, the writers date the establishment to the period from the late eighth to the sixth centuries BC. This discovery is unique, since no other comparable example from the late Iron Age is attested in Jordan.     

Medieval Britain and Ireland in 1983

Abstract

LATER MEDIEVAL ENGLAND possessed over 300 documented leper hospitals, representing around a quarter of all hospital foundations, but to date a sustained discussion of this archaeological material is lacking. This paper synthesises and explores the present state of archaeological knowledge within the broader context of recent studies in other disciplines. It identifies some current issues and avenues for potential research, with particular reference to the recent archaeological work at St Mary Magdalen, Winchester, one of the most extensive excavations of a medieval leper hospital and almshouse to date.     

The Date of the Gough Map

ABSTRACT

The date commonly given for the Gough map of Britain, about 1360, is, in the author's opinion, wrong. Arguments that have been offered to support such a dating are invalid. The best indication of the date of the map is the writing on it, which is essentially in a hand of about 1400, a dating endorsed by expert palaeographical opinion. Indeed, a few exceptional features of the handwriting may suggest a slightly later date. A few specific non-palaeographical features of the map confirm a date of production close to, or a little after, 1400. Comparison with other late medieval maps of large inland areas from any part of Europe shows how precocious or advanced the Gough Map is, even for the beginning of the fifteenth century. Arguments suggesting that the map had an earlier ‘prototype’, reflecting the affairs of King Edward I, are also found to be without merit.     

Yorkshire's Southern Boundary

Abstract

Henry Bolingbroke allegedly swore not to usurp the throne in Yorkshire in 1399 before going on to do so. Whether he committed perjury has divided historians of the past fifty years. Understanding of some old sources has improved and a new source has been discovered. This article reviews the evidence. It itemises each source in its original language and a modern translation as a foundation for future study. It suggests that Henry swore several oaths in different parts of Yorkshire and that originally there were options other than replacement of Richard II by Henry IV. It finds that all nine sources are interrelated. All date from the Percy revolt of 1403 or later. Some definitely do re-use Percy propaganda and others may. They cannot therefore be regarded as independent accounts of Henry's perjuries, which may nevertheless be true.     

The Two Earliest Maps of Hull

Abstract

This article seeks to date more accurately the two earliest-known maps of Hull. From both internal and external evidence, it is suggested that both are military engineers’ plans of fortifications, one probably drawn in 1538/9, the other in 1541/2.     

A Buff Coat of circa 1645

Abstract

Rescue excavations on part of the site of Richmond Palace, Surrey (NGR, TQ174748), revealed a revetment wall, part of a large moat, and other structures; the finds indicate a construction date in the first half of the 17th century, during a rebuilding of the Palace outworks.     

The Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet: History and Restoration

Abstract

The Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet (Grid Reference SK 326820), known historically as the Abbeydale Works, was built over a long period of time for the manufacture of edge tools. The earliest reference, 1676, described the site as a cutlery grinding shop. By 1714 it was established as an agricultural edge tool manufactory. The extant buildings date between 1785 and 1842. By the beginning of the nineteenth century the site was one of the largest on Sheffield's rivers, and a highly successful business in scythes, sickles, hay knives and other agricultural tools was developed until the Works closed down in 1933. This article traces the history of the site and also covers the period of restoration in the late 1960s, culminating in its opening to the public as a site museum in 1970. Some of the problems encountered during the restoration are discussed.     

Eine verklungene Novelle Zur Deutung des PSI 725

This paper treats a rhetorical fragment which is preserved in Stobaeus from four points of view. (1) The speech was delivered in Alexandria by a travelling rhetor. (2) There is a philosophical background with a Cynic flavour to this oration, which advocates concord within the city. (3) An analysis of the literary form shows that this text can be regarded as an example of a λαλι?. (4) The date has been very much debated, but a study of the vocabulary makes a date in the second half of the second century A.D. seem plausible.     

RADIOCARBON TRENDS AND THE EAST TEXAS CADDO TRADITION (CA. A.D. 800–1680)

Abstract

Through the employment of radiocarbon (¹⁴C) dates as data, we use the date combination process to refine site-specific summed probability distributions for 555 dates from Caddo sites (n = 19) in East Texas with 10 or more ¹⁴C dates. Summed probability distributions are then contrasted across river basins and natural regions with the remainder of the East Texas Caddo Radiocarbon Database (n = 338 dates from 132 other Caddo sites), highlighting the temporal and spatial character of Caddo archaeological sites throughout East Texas.     

Relief Maps and Models in the Archives of The Palestine Exploration Fund in London

Abstract

The primary objective of the article is to present the relief maps and models of Palestine, Jerusalem and some historical monuments, which are kept in the PEF Archives in London. We will describe each of these objects, try to identify its date, maker, and circumstances of its making. We will present them according to the site represented in them, but suggest also classifying them as (a) artifacts brought as souvenirs from Jerusalem; (b) models and relief maps created by the Fund and its members as a product of their scientific endeavours; and (c) models and relief maps created by scholars who were not directly connected with the PEF.     

The Godwins of Lugwardine,and the Other Hereford Tile Makers

Abstract

Tiles were made in Hereford in Roman and in Medieval times, and the manufacture of plain quarry tiles from plastic clay maintained the tradition and technique of tile-making. During the nineteenth century the Gothic Revival stimulated the production of decorated tiles and Godwins began to make them. The firm is not as well known as some of its competitors such as Maw and Minton, but its tiles were much admired and widely used, and can still be seen in good condition in a surprisingly large number of churches. Standard reference books, give 1861 as the starting date for Godwin tiles, but the writer noticed that they had been used in 1857 in Giles Gilbert Scott's restoration of Hereford cathedral, and is attempting in this paper to give an outline of the rather complicated history of the Godwins and the other Hereford tile makers. The tile industry which began in 1850 has been an important source of employment in the Hereford area until the present day.     

Bumpit: The Painted House at Lynsted,Kent

Abstract

The extensive wall-paintings at Bumpit are an important example of decoration in a late-Elizabethan-period house. They date to the last part of the 16th century and formed part of a very extensive scheme of building and embellishment. The house and its paintings are described in detail to provide a record of this important ensemble, and the characteristics of the paintings discussed to enable them to be seen in a wider context.     

A REASSESSMENT OF THE CHRONOLOGY OF MOUND A AT TOQUA

Abstract

The Toqua site (40MR6) is one of the most thoroughly excavated Late Mississippian mound sites in East Tennessee. The site has been a focal point of research on late prehistory in southern Appalachia, but there are issues surrounding its chronological placement. The radiometric dates obtained for the site in the 1970s and the archaeomagnetic dates reported in 1999 have large standard deviations. These dates are too imprecise to be useful for a temporal placement of the site that is clear enough for current discussions of the development of Mississippian culture. A newly obtained Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) date from the large platform mound (Mound A) allows a reevaluation of the occupation sequence of the Toqua site. This date provides an anchor for a refined chronology for Mound A. In addition to the new AMS date, this refined chronology is based on complementary lines of evidence, including architectural evidence, mortuary practices, pottery traditions, and shell gorget styles.     

The Introduction of Fallow Deer to Britain: A Zooarchaeological Perspective

Abstract

Ambiguous historical evidence, misidentifications, contextual disturbance, as well as ancient trade in antler and other skeletal elements, have all confused our understanding of the past distribution and spread of European fallow deer (Vama dama). In order to determine the date and source of their introduction to Britain, this paper sets out to examine and, in some cases, re-analyse the zooarchaeological evidence for this species.     

Itaakpa,a Late Stone Age site in southwestern Nigeria

Abstract

Itaakpa rockshelter was excavated in three short field seasons, from 1985 to 1988, during which a human maxilla and mandible were found in a context characteristic of the ceramic phase of the West African Late Stone Age (LSA). An AMS date of 2210±80 b.p. was obtained from burned palm kernels from the same level. There was no apparent stratigraphic or archaeological break between this level and the layers above, and the pottery indicates continuity of occupation; the upper part of the sequence compares well with other, more recent, sites known in the area. The dimensions of the human teeth show an affinity with those found at Shum Laka, a rockshelter in southwestern Cameroun, in an archaeological context similar to that at Itaakpa. The site is only the third to be found in Nigeria (along with Iwo Eleru and Rop Rockshelter) where human remains suitable for comparative analysis have been identified in a good stratigraphic context along with LSA artifacts.