Falko Daim

What do we know about the environments in which the Byzantine Empire unfolded in the eastern Mediterranean? How were they perceived and how did man and the environment mutually influence each other during the Byzantine millenium (AD 395-1453)? Which approaches have been tried up until now to understand these interactions? And what could a further environmental-historical research agenda look like?

These questions were the focus of an interdisciplinary conference that took place on 17th and 18th November 2011 in Mainz. The present conference volume brings together contributions from researchers who have approached these issues from very different perspectives. They focus on the explanatory power of traditional as well as "new" sources and the methods of Byzantine Studies and Byzantine archaeology for this hitherto little-explored sphere. In this way, we see how closely environmental history is interwoven with the classical topics of Byzantine research - be they of an economic, social or culture-historical nature.

From March 17th to November 11th 2018 the exhibition „Byzantium and the West -a millenium forgotten”, planned by Römisch-Germanisches Zentralmuseum Mainz, will take place at the Renaissance Castle Schallaburg in Lower Austria (For further information see “Exhibitions” on our Academia profile).
On the occasion of this exhibition two companion volumes are going to be published, that encompass 40 articles about the multifaceted and alternating relations between  the Latin West and the Byzantine Empire. The volumes are subdivided into the media of communication: people, imagery, language, objects. They encompass articles of well-known researchers with archaeologic, art-historical, philological and historical focal points. The multilayered image of this general outline in conjunction with the detailed studies appreciates with the current results of research that are published for the first time in particular of the Leibniz-WissenschaftsCampus Mainz: Byzanz zwischen Orient und Okzident as well as the Byzantine research facilities in Vienna.

The collection of the Badisches Landesmuseum Karlsruhe contains numerous late antique and byzantine objects, which were only published in parts hitherto. The artefacts are mainly small finds of high scientific value. Among them are as well sacral as profane objects, passing on a wide range of everyday life, culture and arts in the Late Roman and Byzantine empire. 268 objects of bone, ivory, glass, ceramics, metall and stone, some of them bearing inscriptions, are basically documented, interpreted and classified in cultural history.

Wie lebten die Menschen im Byzantinischen Reich, wie gestaltete sich ihre Lebenswirklichkeit in den Städten und auf dem Land? Was war jeweils anders? Es lohnt sich, diese Frage aus interdisziplinärer Perspektive zu stellen.
Die Ausstellung „Byzanz – Pracht und Alltag“ der Kunst- und Ausstellungshalle der Bundesrepublik Deutschland in Bonn und des Römisch-Germanischen Zentralmuseums (26.2.-13.6.2010) eröffnete für die Byzanzforschung neue Perspektiven. Die begleitende Tagung “Hinter den Mauern und auf dem offenen Land: Neue Forschungen zum Leben im Byzantinischen Reich” nahm diesen Ansatz auf und vertiefte im interdisziplinären Rahmen die Themen der Ausstellung. Im Mittelpunkt stand dabei das Alltagsleben innerhalb der urbanen und ländlichen Regionen des Reiches. Die Beiträge des Bandes führen die Ergebnisse der Mainzer Tagung zusammen. Sie widmen sich der Hauptstadt Konstantinopel, den Städten und ihrem Umland auf dem Balkan und in Kleinasien sowie dem alltäglichen Leben zur See, in Klöstern und auf dem Land.

Die Geschicke des byzantinischen Konstantinopel waren stets untrennbar mit dem Meer verbunden. Die topographische, demographische und wirtschaftliche Entwicklung der Stadt spiegelt sich in der Geschichte ihrer Häfen, die erstmalig im vorliegenden Band in ihrer Gesamtheit behandelt wird.
Zwölf Untersuchungen zu den Häfen und Anlegestellen der Stadt am Marmarameer und am Goldenen Horn – aber auch zu jenen in ihrem europäischen und asiatischen Vorfeld – schaffen unter Auswertung schriftlicher, bildlicher und archäologischer Quellen eine Synthese des aktuellen Forschungsstandes.

Die Sammlung des Badischen Landesmuseums Karlsruhe birgt einen umfangreichen Bestand an spätantiken und byzantinischen Objekten, der bislang nur in Teilen durch Publikationen zugänglich war. Bei den Artefakten und Kunstwerken handelt es sich vornehmlich um kleinformatige Gegenstände von z. T. hohem wissenschaftlichem Wert. Sie sind sowohl dem sakralen wie dem profanen Bereich zugehörig und vermitteln ein breites Spektrum des Alltagslebens sowie des Kunst- und Kulturschaffens im spätrömischen bzw. Byzantinischen Reich. Die 268 Objekte aus Bein, Elfenbein, Glas, Keramik, Metall und Stein, darunter auch einige mit Inschriften, werden in dem Bestandskatalog grundlegend dokumentiert, interpretiert und kulturgeschichtlich eingeordnet.
Mit Beiträgen von Beate Böhlendorf-Arslan ∙ Jörg Drauschke ∙ Gerhard Fingerlin (†) ∙ Benjamin Fourlas ∙ Markos Giannoulis ∙ Michael Grünbart ∙ Sonngard Hartmann ·
Katarina Horst ∙ Karin Kirchhainer ∙ Guntram Koch ∙ Selina Küst ∙ Urs Peschlow ∙ Andreas Pülz ∙ Dieter Quast ∙ Sabrina Schäfer ∙ Mechthild Schulze-Dörrlamm ∙ Florian Ströbele ∙ Bendeguz Tobias

The fortunes of Byzantine Constantinople always have been intrinsically tied to the sea. Topographical, demographical and economical development of the city is reflected in the history of their harbours, which for the first time is concerned in its entirety in this volume.
Twelve studies regarding the city's the harbours and landing stages at the sea of Marmara and the Golden Horn - but as well regarding those in their European as in their Asian surroundings - are creating a synthesis of the current state of research by analysis of written, pictorial and archaeological sources.

Interdisciplinary handbook compiled under the aegis of the Leibniz-WissenschaftsCampus Mainz.
An English Translation is available since November 2019: F. Daim, History and Culture of Byzantium. Brill's New Pauly Supplements 10 (2019) ISBN 978-90-04-33933-0.

The exhibition "Byzanz. Splendour and Everyday Life" of the Art and Exhibition Hall of the Federal Republic of Germany in Cooperation with the Roman-Germanic Central Museum Mainz (26.2.-13.6.2010) opened up new prospects for Byzantine research.
The accompanying conference "Hinter den Mauern und auf dem offenen Land: Neue Forschungen zum Leben im Byzantinischen Reich" ingested the approaches and enhanced the subjects of the conference in an interdisciplinary context. Everyday life in urban and rural regions of the empire has been focused. The contributions in this volume consolidate the results of the conference in Mainz. They consecrate to the capital Constantinople, the cities and their hinterland on the Balkans and in Asia Minor as well as everyday life at sea, in monasteries and in the country.

Der Karlsgraben wurde im Jahr 793 auf Initiative Karls des Großen zur Überwindung der europäischen Hauptwasserscheide errichtet. Der Kanal zählt zu den bedeutendsten wasserbaulichen Großprojekten des Frühmittelalters und sollte die Hafennetzwerke des Donau- und Rheinsystems auf schiffbarem Wege verbinden. Seit 2012 untersucht eine interdisziplinäre Forschergruppe aus Archäologen, Geographen, Physikern und Historikern das außergewöhnliche Bauwerk. Der Begleitband der Ausstellung „Großbaustelle 793. Das Kanalprojekt Karls des Großen zwischen Rhein und Donau“ bietet nach eineinhalb Jahren intensiver Forschung einen Überblick über laufende Arbeiten und neueste Ergebnisse. Über 25 Einzelbeiträge präsentieren verschiedene Facetten des Bauwerkes und beleuchten zugleich unterschiedliche Perspektiven, Fragestellungen und Methoden der Forschenden.

The Rum Seljuk Empire had emerged after the devastating Battle of Manzikert in 1071 in the previously Byzantine Anatolia. Until its dissolution in early 14th century it was the Byzantines’ most important neighbor on their Eastern border. The Rum Seljuk Empire combined Seljuk and Greek-Orthodox populations. Thus it was in close contact with Byzantium: Especially trade, the exchange of artists and marriages defined these relations. These social and political links as well as the ethnic and religious tolerance that shaped the coexistence of different groups in the Rum Seljuk Empire built the foundation for great art. At the same time we only know little about the Rum Seljuks and their interaction with the Byzantines so that the impression, that there had not been any cultural exchange between them, still prevails.

This conference volume presents the results of an interdisciplinary congress that took place October 1.-3, 2010 in the Römisch-Germanisches Zentralmuseum Mainz. The congress intended to discard this impression and initiate a discussion about problems concerning the Byzantine-Seljuk relations.

The problem of the so-called “pseudo-buckles” has since long been debated in Hungarian and
Russian archaeological scholarship. Although several papers have already been devoted to this topic, it
seems instructive to take a fresh look from the perspective of the archaeology of the Avar period. This
study offers a new typochronology and analysis of the “pseudo-buckles” with a focus on the earlier, less
profusely ornamented types. Examples from both the Carpathian Basin and Eastern Europe are reviewed to
illustrate the cultural connections between these two regions. Highlighted here are the formal connections
between the different types, alongside a model of the transformation process of these objects. Besides the
formal analysis, the technological aspects of these objects are also considered when possible. The formal
and chronological analysis is followed by a discussion of the possible social and historical relevance of the
pseudo-buckles.

Avar finds from the first half of the 7th century include several iron strap ends and belt fittings with
damascene or coated decoration that are generally seen as related to Germanic groups. In the second
half of the 7th century, this changes: only three of the multiple types known from Italy and southern
Germany in particular are represented amongst Avar finds. Each of these three types, however, is
found at several sites:
1. Narrow fittings with depictions of faces (SD-phase 10, c. 650– 670): found at 4 sites;
2. Iron belt fittings with wide longitudinal stripes and/or zig zag damascene decoration
(SD 11, c. 670–700): found at 6 sites;
3. Iron belt fittings with coated stripe decoration (SD-phase 11, 670–700): found at 6 sites.
This distribution pattern cannot be explained by the mere presence of Langobard or Baiuvarii groups
within the Avar sphere. It ought rather to be seen as the result of traders offering their merchandise
within this territory. The distribution of fittings with depictions of faces appears to indicate Italian
origins, while the other two groups appear around Vienna and in southern Pannonia. As such, they
may indicate a trade route running along the Danube that originated in Bavaria.

Falko Daim - Jérémie Chameroy - Susane Greiff - Stephan Patscher - Peter Stadler - Bendeguz Tobias,  Kaiser, Vögel, Rankenwerk - byzantinischer Gürteldekor des 8. Jahrhunderts und ein Neufund aus Südungarn. In:  Falko Daim – Jörg Drauschke (Hg.), Byzanz – das Römerreich im Mittelalter Teil 3, Peripherie und Nachbarschaft (Monographien des Römisch-Germanischen Zentralmuseums 84, Mainz 2010), 277-330.

International Conference of Leibniz-WissenschaftsCampus Mainz: Byzantium between Orient and Occident, organized by Prof. Dr. Falko Daim (General Director, RGZM) and Prof. Dr. Neslihan Asutay-Effenberger (Johannes Gutenberg Universität, Mainz).

Cultural exchanges between Christianity and Islam, especially between Byzantium and its Islamic Neighbours, but also in the Caucasian region, have been an attractive topic for historians, art historians and archaeologists in recent years. Scholarly interest focuses on diplomatic gift exchange, trade, the mobility of artists and the common motifs in both Christian and Islamic objects. The stage extends from Spain to Afghanistan and justifies the necessity of this debate. Yet, unfortunately, the role of one of the important protagonists of this exchange, namely the Persian Sasanians, is less well researched, although many important artistic and cultural phenomena in Byzantium, Armenia, and Georgia as well as in the Islamic countries can only be understood when this culture is included.   

The Sasanian Empire (224-651 A.D.) extended over a large territory. In Late Antiquity and the early Medieval Era, it ruled the whole area of modern Iran, Iraq, Azerbaijan, Pakistan and Afghanistan. The Caucasian region was exposed to its political influence. Until the middle of the 7th century, Sasanians were the major rival of the Late Roman and Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire and exported art and culture into these civilizations through various means and on different levels. The cultural connections ended after the fall of the Sasanian Empire, which was replaced mainly by Arab Muslims, and a new era began: the new owners of the territory then adapted Sasanian elements into their own culture.   

From the10th century onwards, the Turkish dynasties such as the Ghaznawids (963-1186) or the Great Seljuks (1019-1157 / de facto until the 13th century) settled in Persia and styled themselves as the successors of the Sasanians as well as as Turks; hence, they were called "Persians" in Byzantine sources. The Sasanian artistic and architectural tradition continued to exist in these cultures. The same phenomenon also applies to the Turkish Rum-Seljuks, who founded their empire in Anatolia: Persian was the court language, the sultans were named after Sassanian heroes from the Shahname (Keykubad, Keyhusrev, Keykavus), and despite the religious prohibition, drinking scenes were depicted in the artworks and wine played an important role at the ceremonies and celebrations according to the Sasanian model. 

As can be clearly seen, the Sasanian Empire had not only ‘transfused’ its art and culture to its neighbourhood during its prime time, but also influenced the successor states after its decline. Just as Ancient Greek and Roman culture played an important role in the formation of Western Europe, the Sasanian Empire bequeathed, a remarkably rich cultural heritage to the Christian and Islamic East.

The conference “Sasanian Elements in Byzantine, Caucasian and Islamic Art and Culture” succeeds “Der Doppeladler. Byzanz und die Seldschuken in Anatolien vom späten 11. bis zum 13. Jahrhundert", which was held at the Römisch-Germanisches Zentralmuseum, Mainz in October 2010. The first event dealt with the cultural relations between Islam, particularly Turkish Islam, Byzantium and the Caucasus. At the forthcoming conference, we aim to discuss the role of the Sasanian Empire in the process of cultural exchange before and after its decline.

Nell'ambito della Biennale di studi sulla Longobardia Meridionale, dal 23 al 25 novembre presso il Rettorato dell'Università del Sannio - Palazzo San Domenico - Piazza Guerrazzi - Benevento, si terrà ilconvegno dal titolo "Dal Ducato al Principato. I Longobardi del Sud".