ANTIQUE MOZAICS FROM STARA ZAGORA (in english)

This booklet is published with the financial assistance of Stara Zagora Municipality.

Stara Zagora Municipality Regional Museum of History ­- Stara Zagora ANTIQUE MOSAICS FROM STARA ZAGORA Prepared by: Maria Kamisheva Contact Information: Regional Museum of History - Stara Zagora 42 Ruski Blvd. www.museum.starazagora.net Tourist Information Center 27 Ruski Blvd. www.tour.starazagora.bg Format 16/60x84 Total print 2000 Pre-press and printing Litera print PLC - Stara Zagora Stara Zagora, 2015

The archeological investigation of the Roman “Exceedingly brilliant city” Augusta Trayana, which is located beneath the central portion of the modern-day town of Stara Zagora, has revealed magnificent examples of the culture and art of Classical Antiquity. Some of the most intriguing and impressive finds are the multitude of samples of the mosaic school from the classical city. So far over 20 mosaics have been discovered and studied. They used to decorate various public and private buildings in Augusta Trayana between the 3rd and 6th century AD. Some of them are unique in terms of their composition and symbolism not only for the Thracian lands, but also for the entire Balkan Peninsula and the Eastern provinces of the Roman Empire. The specialized scientific investigations of these monuments of mosaic art reveal abundant and intriguing information concerning the technological skills of the ancient artists. The floor mosaics were made in accordance with the requirements formulated by the Roman architect Vitruvius in the 1st century AD. First, a solid foundation of stone and mortar is installed. Its thickness can vary between 0.30 -0.40 m. A special layer of mortar with a thickness of 3 cm. is then placed on top of it. While this layer is still wet, the tesserae that constitute the actual mosaic are placed into the mortar, following an outline drawn beforehand and a specific pattern. This technology requires exceptional skill and talent demonstrated by the master mosaicists. There are several techniques used in the making of mosaics in Classical Antiquity. The earliest one is known as opus barbaricum. In this technique the mosaic is made of small pebbles. The most commonly used techniques were opus tessallatum and opus vermiculatum. They both feature

tesserae with a length of 1 cm. carved of stone of different type and color, or colored glass (smalt). The difference between the two techniques can be found in the shape and size of the pieces. In the first technique, the tesserae are larger and are used to depict geometric shapes, edges, borders and to fill entire fields. In the second technique, the pieces are smaller and have different shapes, which make it possible to depict human, animal and floral motifs. The last technique that was used in the making of mosaics is called opus sectile. For this technique the separate images were made of stone or terracotta, their geometric shape can vary and they are larger than the tesserae discussed previously. They are mostly used to depict geometric ornaments and to decorate edges.

MOSAIC FROM THE LATE ANTIQUITY FOUND IN A PRIVATE ROMAN RESIDENCE, 4TH CENTURY AD The mosaic was found in one of the rooms of a building uncovered in the central part of the ancient city. The building belonged to a rich urban family from Augusta Trayana. Its total area is 1600 m². The mosaic decorates the floor of the reception room in the northern part of the residence. Its dimensions are 9.40 x 9.65 m. Some large sections of the mosaic floor were destroyed in the 6th century AD. The mosaic is preserved in a protective structure built for that specific purpose. The central panel is divided into three separate parts. In the middle there is a field and in its centre – a pool. Sea creatures are depicted around that pool. In the northern field we can see the scene “The Spring of Life”, represented by a vessel and two vine branches adorned with grape clusters and leaves growing from that vessel. To the east of it, a doe and a duck are depicted. In two rectangular fields are shown octagons featuring wild

and domestic animals – a boar, a bull, a bear, a rabbit and a dog. In the southeast and southwest corners there are rectangular belts featuring fruits on a white background – an apple, a pear, a gourd, grapes and a flower. In the central field, a segment of an inscription in Greek has been preserved. It reads “Welcome” (at the entrance to the room) and “Cheers” (around the pool). The edges of the mosaic panel are decorated with rims of inlaid ivy branches. In a sequence of hexagons, different types of crosses, swastikas, shields, checkered squares, rosettes, flowers, branches, an ivy leaf, cups, and attributes of deities are portrayed. The mosaic represents the full cosmogonist pattern: the water world and its inhabitants; the earthly sphere symbolized by the fruits and game designated as gifts for the guests; and the seasons, which are represented as animal pairs. Finally, we have the heavenly sphere represented by the scene “The Spring of Life”. Paradise is symbolically represented in the scene “The Fountain of Life”. It is believed that this composition was influenced by Ancient Jewish symbolism. Based on the archeological data and the analysis of the style of the floor mosaic in the reception room of the Augusta Trayana home, it can be dated to the second half of the 4th century AD.

MOSAICS IN THE POST OFFICE IN STARA ZAGORA The ancient structure was uncovered during the expansion of the post office building in Stara Zagora in 1983. It is located in the southeast corner of the fortified section of Augusta Trayana. The revealed southwest section of an imposing public edifice and part of the utility area cover 1200 m². The total area of the entire architectural complex is estimated at over 3000 m². In the center of the building there is a large hall with a semicircular recess (exedra) to the west. The composition is geometric and falls within the category “cruciform with U-shaped elements”. As the mosaic is square and it is placed in a rectangular area, there are two additional bands on the east and west sides.

The inner field is square with a large circle in the middle. It is connected through a ribbon of double interlacing stripes to four U-shaped arches. There are depictions of vases with vine branches and two birds perched on each branch in four fields shaped like irregular pentagons. The central circle is decorated with scaled ornament in two colors: red and pink, green and yellow, grayish-blue and white. The arches feature different floral motifs – two ears of wheat, two birds and a plant in the middle, two vine branches adorned with grapes, two birds and again a plant in the middle. A geometric composition is portrayed in the recess. There are six triangular or trapezoid beams composed of dark yellow tesserae. Probably there was an emblem in the center, but it has been destroyed. The composition of the mosaic in the anteroom is fully geometric. The outer field is covered in squares connected with rhombs. There are 70 squares, 52 rhombs and 38 triangles in this field. A rectangular mosaic panel is placed in the western portico. Its composition is also geometric – octagons connected with squares and four-pointed stars with an inscribed circle. The inner field is separated with a frame which depicts an arcade consisting of a series of columns. 8 octagons have been preserved wholly or partially. Different geometric patterns are depicted on them. The floor in room 2 is covered with mosaics created using the opus sectile technique. The composition is geometric. The different elements are made of different types of stone – white, light grey, light blue and violet marble, grayish-green. Various square-shaped ceramic elements with pointed, elongated tips were also used. The stylistic characteristics of the mosaics in the post office building provide evidence in support of the conclusion that they were created in the eight decade of the 4th century AD – the period when Christianity established itself as the dominant religion in the Eastern Empire, which also marks the birth of a new style named the “Theodosian style” after Emperor Theodosius (379-395).

MOSAIC ON GRAF IGNATIEV STREET The mosaic was uncovered in the autumn of 1984 in the central part of Stara Zagora. The remains of two rooms and a hallway have been explored. The floor of one of the rooms is covered with a mosaic. These rooms are part of the large urban insula, whose northern and southeastern parts had been explored earlier. As it is located relatively close to the surface, the mosaic bears significant damage that has accumulated in later periods. The insula is located in the southern half of the fortified section of Augusta Trayana. It is situated west of the central street cardo maximus (running north to south). The two rooms probably served as apodyterium (anteroom) to the private bath discovered in the southern part of the insula. The mosaic floor was found in one of the rooms and in the eastern part of the hallway. The technique used in the making of this mosaic is opus tessallatum. The cubes’ dimensions are 1.1 – 1.5 cm. They are made of different types of stone in five different colors – white and light grey marble, dark yellow travertine, dark brick red and dark grey local stone. Two panels can be distinguished in the arrangement of the composition. The first one is located inside the room. It is rectangular and covers an area of 55.30 m2. A rim runs along the western, northern and eastern walls, featuring an undulating ivy branch composed of two rows of tesserae – white ones along the edge and grey-blue ones in the middle. The central field of the composition features geometric patterns – octagons connected with crosses with arms of equal lentgth and elongated hexagons. 14 octagons have been partially or completely preserved. Within them are depicted an eight-leaf rosette with white leaves on a dark

yellow background; a geometric pattern – a square with four hexagons; an inscribed circle and four peltae in a cross pattern; a cross-shaped white ribbon on a yellow background; an inscribed hexagon with pointed tips; a cross with arms of equal length formed by a dual white ribbon on a yellow background; a rosette with four, heart-shaped leaves; a white rosette with pointed leaves, etc. The second panel is located in the southern part and most probably served as decoration of the hallway. The composition is geometric. On the northern side there is a wide band in which can be seen two rows of squares outlined with one blue and one red line. On the outside, they are surrounded by four hexagons, also outlined with one blue and one red line. Based on the stratigraphic data, the building technique and the mosaic’s counterparts, it can be dated to the second half of the 4th century AD.

PERISTYLE BUILDING EXTRA MUROS The building was discovered and partially explored in 1989-1990 during salvage archeological excavations. The part that has been explored covers approximately 1500 m2, which is roughly one half of the entire structure. The fortified peristyle house is approximately 500 meters southeast of the fortified section of Augusta Trayana. It lies on the southern slope of the mountain of Sredna Gora, in close proximity to the road running north of the city. Its architecture, monumental decoration and location provide evidence for the conclusion that it was the suburban residence of the archbishop of Augusta Trayana. The mosaic covers a spacious hall with a semicircular recess (exedra) to the west. Its length is 15 meters, or 20 meters if we include the exedra. The total area covered by the mosaic is 175 м2. It is well preserved and there is only minor damage around the center of the recess as a result of digging connected with the installation of modern communication lines. The mosaic was built using the opus tessallatum technique. The dimensions of the tesserae are 1.2-1.5 mm, and they are made of different types of stone in five colors – white, dark yellow, dark red, grayish blue and black. The compositional pattern is geometric with several geometric figures in different parts of the mosaic. A row of squares surrounded with hexagons is depicted in the rectangular hall. The field bordering the recess is filled with squares outlined with white ribbons. The field next to the entrance is composed of five panels covered with different geometric motifs: a cross with arms of equal length, connected with octagons and hexagons; cross-shaped rosettes or squares placed diagonally. The central field consists of hexagons connected through swastika

meander patterns. In the middle of each hexagon lies a small cross. The pattern in the exedra consists of a large circle with a rosette with eight leaves, composed of rhombs. The circle is decorated with two concentric bands along its periphery – the outer one features a “traveling wave” pattern in grayish-blue and white, while the inner one features grayish-blue and white triangles. The remaining space outside the circle is filled with cross-shaped rosettes in white and yellow. In the triangles outlined between the central circle and the fields with the rosettes there are two small circles with two ivy leaves each. The circles are divided into colored sections. Based on the archeological data and the stylistic analysis, the floor mosaic can be dated to the period that falls between the third quarter of the 4th century and the 5th century AD.

MOSAICS ON 129 H. D. ASENOV STR. The mosaic was found in a building dating from Classical Antiquity during construction activities on a private property in Stara Zagora. It is located in the western part of the fortified section of Augusta Trayana. It was uncovered in a room with an exedra (a semi-circular recess). It is believed that the building is connected with Christianity and was probably part of a reception hall or part of the archbishop’s residence complex. The mosaic was made using the opus tessallatum technique. It consists of tesserae made of different types of stone in four colors – white, dark yellow travertine, brick red and black. The mosaic is only preserved along the edges of the room, on a total area of 15 m2. , primarily in the northern and western sections of the room. The pattern of the composition is geometric and consists of several fields. The outer one is composed of a band with inscribed ivy branches in white on a yellow background. The leaves are heart-shaped, with elongated and curved sharp points. The field is surrounded with a frame consisting of five rows of white and two rows of black tesserae. The next field is composed of squares with touching points. They are outlined with black tesserae and their interior consists of alternating lines of white and yellow. In the middle of each rhomb there is a cross with arms of equal length and widened ends. In the central part of the room the mosaic is preserved only in certain spots. It is covered with a meander swastika pattern. The field probably served as the border of the central composition, which has been destroyed. The stratigraphic research, the building technique and materials indicate the mosaic dates back to the end of the 4th and or beginning of the 5th century AD.

MOSAIC ON 38 IRECHEK STR. The mosaic was uncovered during salvage archeological surveys in the northern part of Augusta Trayana, in close proximity to the defensive walls. A part of a building was explored, including at least two living quarters, a spacious patio and a pool. The western room has the following dimensions: east-west 10.15 m., north-south - 4 m. (the explored section of the room). Its floor is covered with a mosaic. The technique used in the building of this mosaic is opus tessallatum. It consists of tesserae made of different types of stone and smalt in more than 15 shades with the following dimensions: 1-1.5 mm. The mosaic panel is a complex composition, consisting of geometric ornaments: an ochre line running along the periphery; square panels featuring inscribed multicolored ornamented circles and plant ornamentation in the corners; alternating panels with intertwined swastikas and square panels. The squares and intertwined swastikas are composed of belts of interlacing black, red, grey and yellow stripes. The emblem on the mosaic is an exquisitely portrayed figural composition – “The Procession of Dyonisis”. The procession is led by a satyr holding a shepherd’s crook in his raised left hand. His head is facing to the right and his right hand seems to be gesturing to the dancing menads, urging them to follow. The first of the female figures depicted on the emblem is shown dancing with her head leaning towards the satyr. The movement of her hands in the dance is illustrated with the musical instruments resembling castanets with long handles that she holds– the left hand is raised to approximately chest level, while the right one is down. The menad’s head is crowned with a laurel lined with green leaves. The second female figure is portrayed in a similar fashion – she holds castanets in both hands and her arms are raised. Her hair is tied in a bun. There are no animals around the human figures, which is unusual for this type of scene. According to the preliminary reproduction, the composition is supposed to contain two additional figures north of the field that has been uncovered so far. The figural scene is lined with two bands – the inner one is ochre and the outer one features a laurel. The second section of the center of the mosaic panel is comprised of an octagonal pool. It has a marble floor and water was fed into it via a lead pipe. Around it lies a catch basin made of marble slabs, which matches perfectly the shape of the pool. It was carefully designed and planned to fit the mosaics. Based on the stratigraphic observation made during the archeological investigation, it can be concluded that the mosaic dates back to the third quarter of the 4th century AD, probably the reign of Julian the Apostate.

MOSAIC IN THE THERMAE OF AUGUSTA TRAYANA The thermae of Augusta Trayana have been partially uncovered and studied within the structure at the western gate of the city. The public bath of the “small imperial bath” type covers an area of 7000 m2 . The following sections have been uncovered: the southern bathing rooms, partially the frigidarium (bathing room with cold water) and a large part of the vestibule (transitional area between the entrance and the interior part of the building), which was discovered in 2013. A floor mosaic covering more than 220 m2 was found in this transitional area in the northern part of the building. The vestibule contains semicircular and rectangular recesses along the northern and southern walls. The semicircular recesses are decorated with murals. The walls are covered in white plaster and the murals are placed on top of it, forming vertical fields. In the part of the mural that has been preserved we can recognized floral motifs in red, blue and ochre. A complex drainage system was discovered under the mosaic floor, consisting of one longitudinal and six transverse drains. The technique used is opus tessallatum. The tesserae are 1.2-1.5 cm. long. The mosaic covers completely the entire floor of the vestibule. It is composed of several bands. The central part consists of a field featuring interlocking circles of black tesserae outlining rosettes with four leaves made of white tesserae. The spaces between the rosettes are rhomboid and comprised of ochre tesserae, whose color has changed to red in those spots where traces of fire are present. On both sides of the central part we can see meander pattern bands with squares featuring an inscribed “X” and swastikas opposite them made of black and white tesserae. Borders are outlined among them with black, white and red stones. They separate the aforementioned field from those along the periphery. The spaces next to the recesses feature various floral and geometric ornaments – peltae, interlocking octagons, a scaled ornament, inscribed circles, “X” symbols (probably representing stars), a clover, an “alder”, a fruit basket, a Solomon’s knot. A wide variety of colors were used to make them – white, black, ochre, red, grey, light blue, etc. The floor space within the recesses is covered in scaled ornament in the northern ones, and rhombs and kantharos with rinceaux coming out

of it in the southern ones. In the explored rectangular recesses along the southern wall of the vestibule we can find ivy leaves (in the eastern one) and a Solomon’s knot, while the northern one features a rhomb ending with peltae. The edge of the mosaic along the walls features marble curbs. Based on the data from the archeological investigation and the counterparts of the floor mosaic, it probably dates back to the 3rdcentury Ad or the first half of the 4th century AD.

MOSAIC IN THE LAPIDARIUM IN THE REGIONAL MUSEUM OF HISTORY – STARA ZAGORA The mosaic was discovered during archeological surveys in the southern section of Augusta Trayana. It was found in the portico of a public building from Late Antiquity in close proximity to the southern gate of the city. The area that has been explored is approximately 6 m2. The mosaic was built on a bed of medium-sized river gravel and quarry rock with a mortar filling. Based on the surviving fragments, it can be concluded that the portico was divided into three fields separated by two straight lines, each of which consists of three rows of white tesserae in the middle and one row of black tesserae along both edges. Within this frame we can see two wrapped lines – one made of yellow, red and white pieces, and one made only of white pieces. On the fields within the frame we can see the main motif of this mosaic – interlocking circles on a yellow background. There are two types of circles. The first consists of a row of black pieces, followed by two rows of red ones, one row of white ones and another black row. The second type is composed of one row of black pieces, two rows of green ones, one row of white ones and another black row. In the corner of the three framed fields of the mosaic, we can find triangles featuring a stylized flower with a black chalice and three grey leaves (probably a depiction of a lotus bloom). The technique used for this mosaic is opus tessallatum. The pieces are 1.0 to 1.4 cm. long and are made of different types of stone in six colors – white and light grey marble, dark yellow travertine, brick red, green, grayish-blue and black, as well as of fragments of smalt. Based on the stratigraphic observations made during the archeological investigation, it can be concluded that the mosaic dates back to the third quarter of the 4th century AD.