Research Article
BibTex RIS Cite

The Geometric Themes in the Mosaics of the Religious Complex of Mértola (Portugal)

Year 2017, Issue: 10, 243 - 252, 30.11.2017
https://doi.org/10.26658/jmr.357089

Abstract

The Settlement of Mértola dates from at least the end of the second or early first millennium BC. In the so-called

Iron Age, possibly in the third century BC, a walled enclosure with a total length of about 4 kilometres was

constructed. This is equivalent to a fortified area of 173 acres. During the period of Roman domination, the

city of Mirtylis minted coins and was an important trading port with an important set of structures, such as the

forum or the castellum, some private residences and production sites within its walls.

In the late forth century AD, when Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire, important

civil structures were built in Mértola, such as the tower near the river, and religious facilities such as funeral

basilicas and a mausoleum. The sacred area developed on the platform of the old forum where, together with

two imposing baptisteries, the mosaic fragments were found.

Despite the scarcity of dating elements for the mosaics in Mértola, it would appear that they belong to the sixth

century, a historical period in which the members of the community were buried with their epitaphs written in

Greek, possibly because of the influence of tastes and fashions from the Byzantine East. During this and the next

century, two important basilicas and a mausoleum were built in the suburbs of the city. On the forum, a set of

religious buildings would therefore mark the Christian topography of Mértola.

References

  • G. Åkerström-Hougen, 1974, The Calendar And Hunting Mosaics of The Villa of The Fal- Coner In Argos: A Study in Early Byzantine Iconography, Svenska Institutet I Athen, Stockholm.
  • F. Baratte, 1978, Catalogue des Mosaïque Romaines et Paléochrétiennes du Musée du Louvre, Paris.
  • H. Buschhausen, 1989, Mosaïques Byzantines de Jurdainie, Musée de la Civilisation Galoromaine de Lyon, Paris.
  • J.E. Cirlot, 1982, Dicionário de símbolos, Barcelona.
  • T. Ghalia, 1998, Hergla et les Mosaïques de Pavement des Basiliques Chrétiennes de Tunisie: Plan, Décore Et Liturgie, Tunis.
  • T. Ghalia, 2001, “Ghalia, La Mosaïque Byzantine En Tunisie”, DossAParis 268, 67-77.
  • P. Gouber, 1944, “Bizance et I’Espagne wisigothique (554-7II)”, REByz 2, 5-78.
  • P. Gouber, 1945, P.“L’administration de I’Espagne byzantine”, REByz 3, 127-143.
  • P. Gouber, 1946a, “Influences byzantine sur I’Espagne wisigothique”, REByz 4, 111-134.
  • P. Gouber, 1946b, P. “L’administration de I’Espagne byzantine“, REByz 4, 70-110.
  • I. Lavin, 1963, The Hunting Mosaics of Antioch and Their Sources: A Study of Compositional Principles In The Development of Early Mediaeval Style, Dumbarton Oaks Papers 17, 179-286.
  • V. Lopes, 2003, Mértola na Antiguidade Tardia, Campo Arqueológico de Mértola, Mértola.
  • V. Lopes, 2014, Virgílio Mértola e o seu território na antiguidade tardia (séculos IV-VIII), Huelva: Universidade de Huelva, Dissertação de Doutoramento, Disponívelem.
  • J. M. B. Oleiro, 1992, “Corpus dos mosaicos romanos de Portugal, I, conventus scallabitanus. Conímbriga: Casa dos Repuxos”, Lisboa, IPM-MMC.
  • M. Piccirillo, 1993, M. The Mosaics of Jordan, Amman.
  • E. Veiga, 1983, E. Memórias das Antiguidades de Mértola, Edição Fac-Similada de 1880, Lisboa, Imprensa Nacional/Câmara Municipal De Mértola.
  • J. Vizcaíno Sánchez, 2009, La presencia Bizantina en Hispania (siglos VI-VII): la documentación arqueológica, Murcia, Universidad de Murcia.
  • M. Yacoub, 1970, Le Musée Du Bardo – Museée Antique, Tunis.
  • M. Yacoub, 1995, Splendeurs Des Mosaïques de Tunisie, Tunis.

Mértola Dini Kompleksi (Portekiz) Mozaiklerindeki Geometrik Temalar

Year 2017, Issue: 10, 243 - 252, 30.11.2017
https://doi.org/10.26658/jmr.357089

Abstract

Mértola yerleşimi, en erken İÖ 2. binyılın sonu veya İÖ 1. binyılın başlarına tarihlenmektedir. Demir Çağı olarak

adlandırılan, muhtemelen İÖ 3. yüzyılda, yaklaşık 4 kilometre uzunluğundaki bir sur duvarıyla muhafaza

edilmiştir. Bu, 173 dönümlük kuvvetlendirilmiş bir alana eşdeğerdir. Roma egemenliği döneminde Mirtylis şehri

sikke basmış ve sur duvarları içinde bazı özel konutlar ve üretim alanları ile forum ya da kastellum gibi önemli

yapıların bulunduğu önemli bir ticaret limanı olmuştur. İS 4. yüzyılda, Hıristiyanlık Roma İmparatorluğu‘nun

resmi dini haline geldiğinde, Mértola'da önemli sivil mimarlık faaliyetleri gerçekleştirilmiştir: Nehrin yakınında

bir kule ve cenaze törenleri için kullanılan bir bazilika ve mausoleum gibi dini tesisler inşa edilmiştir. Eski

forumun platformunda gelişen ve iki adet ihtişamlı baptisteriumu olan kutsal alanda mozaik kalıntıları tespit

edilmiştir. Mértola'daki mozaikler için tarihleme unsurlarının kıtlığına karşın bunların 6. yüzyıla ait oldukları

düşünülmektedir. Çünkü bu tarihlerde, muhtemelen Doğu Bizans’tan gelen beğeni ve moda etkisi ile toplumun

üyeleri Grekçe yazılmış epitaphları ile birlikte gömülmüştür. Bu yüzyıl ve sonraki yüzyıl boyunca şehrin

banliyölerinde iki önemli mausoleum ve bir bazilika inşa edilmiştir. Forumda bir dizi dini yapı, Mértola'nın

Hıristiyan topografyasına işaret etmektedir.

References

  • G. Åkerström-Hougen, 1974, The Calendar And Hunting Mosaics of The Villa of The Fal- Coner In Argos: A Study in Early Byzantine Iconography, Svenska Institutet I Athen, Stockholm.
  • F. Baratte, 1978, Catalogue des Mosaïque Romaines et Paléochrétiennes du Musée du Louvre, Paris.
  • H. Buschhausen, 1989, Mosaïques Byzantines de Jurdainie, Musée de la Civilisation Galoromaine de Lyon, Paris.
  • J.E. Cirlot, 1982, Dicionário de símbolos, Barcelona.
  • T. Ghalia, 1998, Hergla et les Mosaïques de Pavement des Basiliques Chrétiennes de Tunisie: Plan, Décore Et Liturgie, Tunis.
  • T. Ghalia, 2001, “Ghalia, La Mosaïque Byzantine En Tunisie”, DossAParis 268, 67-77.
  • P. Gouber, 1944, “Bizance et I’Espagne wisigothique (554-7II)”, REByz 2, 5-78.
  • P. Gouber, 1945, P.“L’administration de I’Espagne byzantine”, REByz 3, 127-143.
  • P. Gouber, 1946a, “Influences byzantine sur I’Espagne wisigothique”, REByz 4, 111-134.
  • P. Gouber, 1946b, P. “L’administration de I’Espagne byzantine“, REByz 4, 70-110.
  • I. Lavin, 1963, The Hunting Mosaics of Antioch and Their Sources: A Study of Compositional Principles In The Development of Early Mediaeval Style, Dumbarton Oaks Papers 17, 179-286.
  • V. Lopes, 2003, Mértola na Antiguidade Tardia, Campo Arqueológico de Mértola, Mértola.
  • V. Lopes, 2014, Virgílio Mértola e o seu território na antiguidade tardia (séculos IV-VIII), Huelva: Universidade de Huelva, Dissertação de Doutoramento, Disponívelem.
  • J. M. B. Oleiro, 1992, “Corpus dos mosaicos romanos de Portugal, I, conventus scallabitanus. Conímbriga: Casa dos Repuxos”, Lisboa, IPM-MMC.
  • M. Piccirillo, 1993, M. The Mosaics of Jordan, Amman.
  • E. Veiga, 1983, E. Memórias das Antiguidades de Mértola, Edição Fac-Similada de 1880, Lisboa, Imprensa Nacional/Câmara Municipal De Mértola.
  • J. Vizcaíno Sánchez, 2009, La presencia Bizantina en Hispania (siglos VI-VII): la documentación arqueológica, Murcia, Universidad de Murcia.
  • M. Yacoub, 1970, Le Musée Du Bardo – Museée Antique, Tunis.
  • M. Yacoub, 1995, Splendeurs Des Mosaïques de Tunisie, Tunis.
There are 19 citations in total.

Details

Subjects Archaeology
Journal Section Article
Authors

Virgílio António Martins Lopes This is me

Publication Date November 30, 2017
Published in Issue Year 2017 Issue: 10

Cite

APA Lopes, V. A. M. (2017). The Geometric Themes in the Mosaics of the Religious Complex of Mértola (Portugal). Journal of Mosaic Research(10), 243-252. https://doi.org/10.26658/jmr.357089
AMA Lopes VAM. The Geometric Themes in the Mosaics of the Religious Complex of Mértola (Portugal). JMR. November 2017;(10):243-252. doi:10.26658/jmr.357089
Chicago Lopes, Virgílio António Martins. “The Geometric Themes in the Mosaics of the Religious Complex of Mértola (Portugal)”. Journal of Mosaic Research, no. 10 (November 2017): 243-52. https://doi.org/10.26658/jmr.357089.
EndNote Lopes VAM (November 1, 2017) The Geometric Themes in the Mosaics of the Religious Complex of Mértola (Portugal). Journal of Mosaic Research 10 243–252.
IEEE V. A. M. Lopes, “The Geometric Themes in the Mosaics of the Religious Complex of Mértola (Portugal)”, JMR, no. 10, pp. 243–252, November 2017, doi: 10.26658/jmr.357089.
ISNAD Lopes, Virgílio António Martins. “The Geometric Themes in the Mosaics of the Religious Complex of Mértola (Portugal)”. Journal of Mosaic Research 10 (November 2017), 243-252. https://doi.org/10.26658/jmr.357089.
JAMA Lopes VAM. The Geometric Themes in the Mosaics of the Religious Complex of Mértola (Portugal). JMR. 2017;:243–252.
MLA Lopes, Virgílio António Martins. “The Geometric Themes in the Mosaics of the Religious Complex of Mértola (Portugal)”. Journal of Mosaic Research, no. 10, 2017, pp. 243-52, doi:10.26658/jmr.357089.
Vancouver Lopes VAM. The Geometric Themes in the Mosaics of the Religious Complex of Mértola (Portugal). JMR. 2017(10):243-52.

21079                 16193




22516          16207



                                                   16208                          16209



22362