Panel 3.17 – Light in context. Productions, solutions, consumptions and representations of the light and its devices for and in ancient spaces


Organiser/Chair:

  • Maria Elisa Micheli (University of Urbino 'Carlo Bo')

External Discussant:

  • Alessandro Launaro (University of Cambridge)
  • Marco Maiuro (Università di Roma "La Sapienza")

Speakers:

Panel abstract

Artificial lights have marked deeply the cultural, economic and technological system of ancient societies. Materials, tools, objects, fuels expressed different relationship between products and costumers as well as between public and private destinations in the ancient spaces. Therefore artificial lights are good indicators to filter and explain socio-cultural phenomena. The present panel discusses selected study-cases from Greek and Roman world and also compare them to modern lighting productions, in order to analyze the manufacturing process, functional and contextual uses, rituals and perceptive practices of lighting systems and devices.

 

Paper abstracts

1. Laura Ambrosini (Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche)

Light in Antiquity: Etruria and Greece in Comparison
Light in ancient Etruria has certainly had great importance as evidenced by all the religious doctrines and practices concerning lightning, the light par excellence. This study focuses on Lighting tools in Etruria and the comparison with similar instruments in Greece. Knowledge of their structure is essential because this enables us to define their different functions and uses in these different cultures. Greeks did not use candlestick-holders, and objects that have been improperly identified as candelabra (i.e., as supports for illumination with candles) should more properly be classified as lamp/utensil stands. The Etruscans, on the other hand, preferred to use torchlight for illumination, and as a result, the candelabrum—an upright stand specifically designed to support candles made of resinous fibers that were saturated with flammable substances—was developed in order to avoid burns to the hands, prevent fires or problems with smoke, and collect ash or melting substances. But they also used utensil stands similar in shape and form to the Greek lamp holders, which were placed near the kylikeion at banquets. Kottaboi in Etruria were important utensils used in the context of banquets and symposia, while in Greece, kottaboi they were interchangeable with lamp/utensil stands. All in all, this analysis demonstrates that there are both formal and functional differences between Greek and Etruscan lighting tools which can be traced to social and cultural differences.

"Light in Antiquity: Etruria and Greece in Comparison" (Fulltext)

 

2. Małgorzata Kajzer (Jagiellonian University in Kraków)

Unity in diversity. The variety of oil lamps found in different areas of the city of Nea Paphos, Cyprus
Oil lamps – as a basic source of light during antiquity in Mediterranean – can provide different kinds of knowledge about people, culture and organization of space. As a pottery material they are indicator of exchange and even trade between different regions. The case study concerns Hellenistic and Roman lamps found in Nea Paphos, ancient capital of Cyprus. 112 analysed objects, chosen from the whole assemblage, were found in different parts of the city, including the agora, residential area and the theatre. They represent variety of types and fabrics distinguished during the macroscopic studies. The differences and similarities between the sites will be discussed to show the deviations among finds coming from places representing different functions inside one city centre. Moreover, the problem of local and imported objects will be taken into account to illustrate the potential role of oil lamps in distribution of goods. The presence of Athenian, Rhodian, Levantine, Knidian or Ephesian production defined among the lamps from Nea Paphos is a good evidence for the importance of these production centres throughout times. The considerations about diverse aspects will create the opportunity for a discussion about the significant meaning of oil lamps in the archaeological research.

"Unity in Diversity. The Variety of Oil Lamps Found in Different Areas of the City of Nea Paphos, Cyprus" (Fulltext)

 

3. Custode Silvio Fioriello (Università di Bari Aldo Moro)

Oil for lamps. Apulian study-cases
The systematic collection – which is here for the first time – of the literary, epigraphic and archaeological sources relating to olive cultivation and olive oil production in Apulia in the Roman period, allows to reconstruct a well-structured and productive framework. Furthermore, the comparison with the solid data relevant to the entire regional compartment allows the hypothesis of a specialized olive oil chain also in the production of fuel oil. The synoptic analysis of the collected data draws an economic profile of integration between agricultural and artisan productions and then outlines a multifaceted landscape, far from the historiographical stereotypes that link Apulia to the Cicero's image of the region as a very unparalleled pars Italiae (CIC, Att. 8, 3, 2) and provide interesting prospects for the continuation of research also in the field of eco-sustainable valorisation and inclusive communication of the results achieved.

"Olio per lucerne. Contesti di studio nella Puglia di età romana" (Fulltext)

 

4. Manuela Broich (University of Cologne)

Brenndauer und Rußentwicklung verschiedener Lampenöle – Eine Versuchsreihe

"Brenndauer und Rußentwicklung verschiedener Lampenöle – Eine Versuchsreihe" (Fulltext)

 

5. Laurent Chrzanovski (International Lychnological Association)

Lighting design in Late Hellenistic and Roman period. Clay polylychnes lamps
Among the ancient artifacts related to lighting devices, clay polylychnes lamps offer relevant information not only about their relationship with the precious artifacts having similar shapes, but also about production-centers, and function-systems. The propose of the state of knowledge on these artifacts will create the opportunity for a discussion about the socio-anthropological ways of use and destinations.

"Gli scavi di Arles-Rhône-3, le lucerne e l’archeologia di fronte alla doxa mediatica" (Fulltext)

 

6. Maria Elisa Micheli (Università di Urbino Carlo Bo)

Lighting design in Late Hellenistic period. Marble chandeliers from Fianello Sabino
The case-study concerns few great marble chandeliers by the Roman villa in Fianello Sabino; they were sculptured in Delos in the second half of 2nd century B.C. They are discussed from a double point of view: marble-manufacture and function-system. Their virtual display offers also an interesting opportunity to prove intensity and perception of the lighting phenomenon in a closed space.

"Strumenti per l’illuminazione in età ellenistica: i lampadari in marmo da Fianello Sabino (Lazio)" (Fulltext)

 

7. Giandomenico De Tommaso (Università di Firenze)

Lighting design with transparent effects. The glass lamps
In the field of lighting, glass is used both in public and private architecture, with non-transparent window slabs (predominantly for thermal space) and lamps. In the second case, lamps have been attested for a long time, both cups in suspension and alone. One hypothesis to be verified is the possibility that diatreta may have been used like lamps, placing inside a single wick.

"Lighting design with transparent effects. The glass lamps" (Fulltext)

 

8. Anna Santucci (Università di Urbino Carlo Bo)

Painting lights. Light into a room, light on objects
Greek and Roman wall-paintings offer the more significant evidence on the perception of the lighting phenomenon in the space and on the objects. The paper aims to analyse some examples of such aspects in the classical world in order to observe how light and lighting were painted and used in constructing visual representations.

"Dipingere luci. Luce in sé, luce sugli oggetti, luce negli interni" (Fulltext)

 

9. Anna Santucci (Università di Urbino Carlo Bo) / Paola Lassandro and Marina Zonno (CNR - Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche)

Lighting a funerary interior. The Roman Tomb N83 at Cyrene in a 3D perspective
The lighting in a funerary space assumes different values and functions. Roman rock-cut Tomb N83 at Cyrene offer a controlled study-case for analyzing quantity and quality of the lighting performance in a 3D perspective. Starting from the archaeological and historical reconstruction of the context, the 3D model will simulate the interior lighting of the tomb using virtual prototypes of ancient lamps. The 3D models contribute also to develop interpretive virtual models application for valorizing and promoting the cultural heritage.

"Lighting a Funerary Interior. The Roman Tomb N83 at Cyrene in a 3D Perspective" (Fulltext)

 

10. Massimo Zammerini (Università di Roma La Sapienza)

Stone, marble and glass: lighting design in the Modern and Contemporary
Starting from the new sources of lighting, which have today introduced a new aesthetic in the lighting fixtures, the paper wants to introduce materials and shapes of ancient artifacts in the contemporary dimension of the architecture and the design; the purpose is to evaluate their possible use and their effects.

"Marmo e vetro: l’illuminazione di design in età moderna e contemporanea" (Fulltext)