#architectural artifacts

[indiatrendzs]

Stories of Antique Indian Doors, Rustic Carved Teak Doors

Antique Indian doors and rustic carved teak doors are truly captivating pieces that carry with them the rich tapestry of Indian craftsmanship and history. Each Antique door serves as a timeless portal to a bygone era, showcasing intricate carvings, vibrant hues, and a deep-rooted cultural significance. Facebook @mogulinteriorr Follow us on Instagram @mogulinterior  These majestic doors have…

[sertane-j0]

Home Bar Living Room

Inspiration for a small, timeless living room renovation with a bar, dark walls, and no television

[sinoheritage]

Traditional Chinese gold bracelets. Made using an ancient craftsmanship “filigree inlay” 花丝手镯

Beijing’s filigree inlay techniques are the most famous and renowned in the industry. ⚜️⚱️

Examples of Chinese bracelets from the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1644 and 1644-1912 respectively).

[howamidrivinginlimbo]

The Stabian Baths in the ancient city of Pompeii

The thermae were constructed around 125 BC. Hundred years later, the baths were connected to Pompeii's aquaduct. They were damaged in the earthquake of 62 AD.

[illustratus]

The Triumphal Procession of Titus and Vespasian in Rome, with the Spoils of Jerusalem, AD 71 — by Peter Connolly

[blueiscoool]

'Once-in-a-Century' Discovery Reveals Luxury Bathhouse in Pompeii

After lying hidden beneath metres of volcanic rock and ash for 2,000 years, a "once-in-a-century" find has been unearthed in the ancient Roman city of Pompeii in Italy.

Archaeologists have discovered a sumptuous private bathhouse - potentially the largest ever found there - complete with hot, warm and cold rooms, exquisite artwork, and a huge plunge pool.

The spa-like complex sits at the heart of a grand residence uncovered over the last two years during a major excavation.

"It's these spaces that really are part of the 'Pompeii effect' - it's almost as if the people had only left a minute ago," says Dr Gabriel Zuchtriegel, director of the Archaeological Park of Pompeii.

The bathhouse changing room has vibrant red walls, a mosaic floor and stone benches

Analysis of two skeletons discovered in the house also shows the horror faced by Pompeii's inhabitants when Mount Vesuvius erupted in AD79.

The bodies belonged to a woman, aged between 35 and 50, who was clutching jewellery and coins, and a younger man in his teens or early 20s.

They had barricaded themselves into a small room, but were killed as a tsunami of superheated volcanic gas and ash - known as a pyroclastic flow - ripped through the town.

"This is a dramatic place, and everything you find here tells you about the drama," says Pompeii conservator, Dr Ludovica Alesse.

A third of the ancient city still lies hidden beneath volcanic debris from the disaster, but the new excavation - the most extensive in a generation - provides new insights into ancient Roman life.

The archaeologists have been followed by a documentary team from the BBC and Lion TV, for a series called Pompeii: The New Dig.

An entire block of Pompeii has now been uncovered, revealing a laundry and bakery, as well as the large private house. It's thought these were all owned by one wealthy individual, possibly Aulus Rustius Verus, an influential Pompeii politician.

The discovery of the bathhouse is further confirmation of his elite status, says Dr Zuchtriegel.

"There are just a few houses that have a private bath complex, so it was something really for the wealthiest of the wealthy," he says. "And this is so huge - it's probably the biggest bath complex in a Pompeiian private home."Those lucky enough to use the suite of bathing rooms would have undressed in a changing room with vibrant red walls and a mosaic floor dotted with geometric patterns inlaid with marble from across the Roman Empire.

Twenty to 30 people could bathe in the cold room's plunge pool, which is more than 1m deep

They would then head to the hot room, taking a dip in a bath and enjoying the sauna-like warmth, provided by a suspended floor that allowed hot air to flow underneath and walls with a cavity where the heat could circulate.

Next they would move to the brightly-painted warm room, where oil would be rubbed into the skin, before being scraped off with a curved instrument called a strigil.

Finally, they would enter the largest and most spectacular room of all - the frigidarium, or cold room. Surrounded by red columns and frescoes of athletes, a visitor could cool off in the plunge pool, which is so large 20-30 people could fit in it.

"In the hot summers, you could sit with your feet in the water, chatting with your friends, maybe enjoying a cup of wine," says Dr Zuchtriegel.

The bathhouse is the latest find to emerge from this extraordinary house.

A huge banqueting room with jet black walls and breathtaking artwork of classical scenes was found last year. A smaller, more intimate room - painted in pale blue - where residents of the house would go and pray to the gods was also unearthed.

The residence was mid-renovation - tools and building materials have been found throughout. In the blue room a pile of oyster shells lie on the floor, ready to be ground up and applied to the walls to give them an iridescent shimmer.

A small blue room used for prayer. Amphoras - terracotta containers used to transport olive oil or wine - are resting against a wall. Oyster shells are piled on the floor

Next door to this beautiful space, in a cramped room with barely any decoration, a stark discovery was made - the remains of two Pompeiians who failed to escape from the eruption.

The skeleton of a woman was found lying on top of a bed, curled up in a foetal position. The body of a man was in the corner of this small room.

"The pyroclastic flow from Vesuvius came along the street just outside this room, and caused a wall to collapse, and that had basically crushed him to death," explains Dr Sophie Hay, an archaeologist at Pompeii.

"The woman was still alive while he was dying - imagine the trauma - and then this room filled with the rest of the pyroclastic flow, and that's how she died."

The skeleton of a woman, clutching coins, was found curled in a foetal position

Analysis of the male skeleton showed that despite his young age, his bones had signs of wear and tear, suggesting he was of lower status, possibly even a slave.

The woman was older, but her bones and teeth were in good condition.

"She was probably someone higher up in society," says Dr Hay. "She could have been the wife of the owner of the house - or maybe an assistant looking after the wife, we just don't know."

An assortment of items were found on a marble table top in the room - glassware, bronze jugs and pottery - perhaps brought into the room where the pair had tucked themselves away hoping to wait out the eruption.

But it's the items clutched by the victims that are of particular interest. The younger man held some keys, while the older woman was found with gold and silver coins and jewellery.

A pair of gold and natural pearl earrings found close to the female skeleton

These are kept in Pompeii's vault, along with the city's other priceless finds, and we were given a chance to see them with archaeologist, Dr Alessandro Russo.

The gold coins still gleam as if they were new, and he shows us delicate gold and natural pearl earrings, necklace pendants and intricately etched semi-precious stones.

"When we find this kind of object, the distance from ancient times and modern times disappears," Dr Russo says, "and we can touch a small piece of the life of these people who died in the eruption."

Archaeologist Alessandro Russo holds a gold coin found with the female skeleton

Dr Sophie Hay describes the private bathhouse complex as a once-in-a-century discovery, which also sheds more light on a darker side of Roman life.

Just behind the hot room is a boiler room. A pipe brought water in from the street - with some syphoned off into the cold plunge pool - and the rest was heated in a lead boiler destined for the hot room. The valves that regulated the flow look so modern it's as if you could turn them on and off even today.

With a furnace sitting beneath, the conditions in this room would have been unbearably hot for the slaves who had to keep the whole system going.

"The most powerful thing from these excavations is that stark contrast between the lives of the slaves and the very, very rich. And here we see it," says Dr Sophie Hay.

Pipework and taps in the residence's boiler room

"The difference between the sumptuous life of the bathhouse, compared to the furnace room, where the slaves would be feeding the fire toiling all day.

"A wall is all that could divide you between two different worlds."

The excavation is in its final weeks - but new discoveries continue to emerge from the ash. Limited numbers of visitors are allowed to visit the dig while it's ongoing, but eventually it will be fully opened to the public.

"Every day here is a surprise," says Dr Anna Onesti, director of the excavation.

"Sometimes in the morning I come to work thinking that it's a normal working day - and then I discover we found something exceptional.

"It's a magic moment for the life of Pompeii, and this excavation work offers us the possibility to share this with the public."

By Rebecca Morelle and Alison Francis.

[elixir]

Skeleton praying, detail from the marble floor of Cornaro Chapel at the Church of Santa Maria della Vittoria in Rome. Italy, 17th century CE.

[artifacts-and-arthropods]

The Medieval Cave City of Vardzia, in Georgia (South Caucasus), c.1150-1283 CE: this cave city was originally built as a fortress that lay hidden within the mountain, and it included more than 6,000 caves, 25 wine cellars, 15 chapels, an apothecary, a forge, a bakery, farming terraces and an irrigation system

This enormous cave complex is carved along a section of the Erusheti mountain range, which is located at the foothills of the Caucasus, in southern Georgia (Sakartvelo). As this map illustrates, Georgia stands right at the crossroads between Europe and Asia.

Vardzia was designed to serve as a fortress, particularly in the event of a Mongol invasion. The entire cave city was originally concealed within the mountain (though much of it is now exposed) and it could only be accessed through a series of hidden passageways that began near the banks of the Mtkvari River, which runs through the valley below. The city was also protected by defensive walls, and it contained a secret escape tunnel, along with several dead-end tunnels that were designed to delay and confuse any invading forces.

In its prime, the cave city at Vardzia was inhabited by tens of thousands of residents. It featured more than 6,000 chambers spread out across nearly 20 different levels, all of which were connected by an intricate labyrinth of tunnels, staircases, terraces, and hidden passageways. The city included 25 wine cellars (which is almost enough to survive a Mongol invasion), 15 churches,  dozens of monastic cells, hundreds of additional dwellings, a nunnery, a throne room, a library, a bakery, an apothecary, a forge, several dining halls, a cemetery, a bell-tower, a series of stables, farming terraces, and an irrigation system, among other things.

Water was supplied using a system of aqueducts that were connected to the river in the valley below, providing the inhabitants with both drinking water and agricultural irrigation.

Vardzia also functioned as a Georgian Orthodox monastery; in addition to its many chapels, it also contained dozens of monastic chambers that were inhabited by monks, along with a large collection of religious manuscripts and relics. Many of the inner chambers at the site were decorated with elaborate frescos depicting the life of Christ, the history of the Georgian Orthodox Church, and major figures from Georgian history/folklore.

Unfortunately, most of the original structures at Vardzia were destroyed by a massive earthquake that struck the region in 1283 CE, less than a century after the site was completed. The earthquake sheared away part of the mountainside, exposing the cave complex and demolishing almost two-thirds of the site.

The surviving cave system represents only a fraction of the original city, which now contains less than 645 chambers and only 13 levels. The network of caves stretches roughly 500 meters across the cliffside.

When the earthquake tore through the site in 1283, much of the fortress and many of its defenses were also destroyed, and Vardzia lost most of its military and defensive purposes, but the site continued to operate as a monastery for several centuries after that. It narrowly escaped the Mongol Invasions of the 1290s, but it was eventually raided by the Persians in 1551. The invading forces looted many of the valuable artifacts from the site and burned most of the remaining manuscripts, relics, and other items that were stored within the cave system, leaving permanent scorch marks along the walls of the inner chambers.

Vardzia was ultimately abandoned after the Ottomans took control of the site in 1578.

Medieval portrait of Queen Tamar, the "Mountain Queen:" this portrait is one of the few Medieval frescoes that still decorate the inner chambers of Vardzia

The cave city of Vardzia is often associated with Queen Tamar the Great, who ruled over the Kingdom of Georgia from 1184 to 1213 CE, during a particularly successful period known as the "Golden Age" of Georgian history. Queen Tamar was also recognized as the Georgian King, with Medieval sources often referring to her as "King Tamar," because she held the title of queen regnant (meaning that she possessed the full power, position, and authority of a sovereign king). She was the first female monarch to be given that title in Georgia.

The initial phases of construction at Vardzia began under the command of Tamar's father, King Georgi III, but most of the complex was later built at the behest of Queen Tamar herself, who owned several dedicated rooms at Vardzia and frequently visited the cave city. Due to her relationship with the cave complex at Vardzia, Queen Tamar was also known as the "Mountain Queen."

Some of the monastic caves at this site have been revived in recent decades, and they are once again inhabited by a handful of Georgian monks.

Many of the remaining structures at Vardzia are also open to the public, though many of the chambers and passageways are narrow, steep, and difficult to access. I visited Vardzia during one of my first trips to Georgia back in 2012, and it truly is a spectacular site, especially in the chambers where the Medieval frescoes are still intact.

Sources & More Info:

Atlas Obscura: Vardzia Cave Monastery

CNN: Exploring Vardzia, Georgia's Mysterious Rock-Hewed Cave City

Lonely Planet: Vardzia

Globonaut: 5 Facts about Vardzia, Georgia's Hidden Cave City

Wander Lush: Vardzia Cave Monastery (complete visitor's guide)

[witofspaeds]

Finally getting to watch the X-Men films, and like?

Who sees a beautiful church, even an abandoned and heavily graffitied one, and is like.

Hm. Lemme just...

Blow the door off its hinges real quick.

[helena-bottom-farter]

The oldest door in the UK. This oak door belongs to Westminster Abbey and is the oldest and only Anglo-Saxon door in Great Britain. The door has been standing for over 950 years, dating back to the reign of Edward the Confessor during the 1050s. The door was made from a single oak tree from the east of England in medieval times. The oak piece has 5 main boards, connected by iron strips and wooden beams, and is approximately two meters high. There are rumors that traces of human skin remain on the door, but it has been proven to be bovine leather: (it happens that many wooden artifacts were covered with leather to preserve the quality of the wood and to decorate the environment).

The door opens into the large octagonal room, where monks gathered daily for prayers in the 13th century and today serves as a storage place for important religious documents.

[artifacts-archive]

Dragon-Shaped Architectural Ornament

Indonesia, 13th/14th century

[indiatrendzs]

Old World Architectural Furniture & Decor

If you’re looking for unique old-world architectural furniture and decor, you’re in for a treat! Here are some exquisite options to consider: Visit Our Online Store:-ETSY MOGULGALLERY Antique Armoire: Crafted with intricate detailing and ornate carvings, this magnificent accent armoire is the perfect statement piece for your home. It offers ample storage space while adding a touch of…

[wandering-italy]

Carbonized wooden bed.

Casa del Tramezzo di Legno, Herculaneum

March 2024

[thatsbutterbaby]

Fragmento de albanega de arco, de yesería, de época nazarí, con decoración vegetal en relieve y pintada. Procedente del fondo antiguo del Museo de la Alhambra.

De mediano tamaño, corresponde a parte del ángulo recto de la albanega y de una ancha moldura lisa y convexa, que podría ser la rosca del arco. La superficie aparece estucada en blanco y con pequeños restos de color rojo. Enmarca la albanega una moldura lisa en listel. La decoración del interior presenta parte de una composición vegetal, dispuesta con simetría respecto a la bisectriz del ángulo. Figuran dos finos tallos espirilíneos entrecruzados, de los que han brotado dos grandes palmas de doble hoja y pimientos de limbos lisos. Las palmas tienen una excrecencia, a modo de cresta, sobre la hoja superior. El fragmento muestra en el reverso mortero de yeso y, en la parte superior, un alambre curvado en forma de argolla, para colgarlo.

[howamidrivinginlimbo]

Palatine Chapel in the Aachener Dom, Aachen

It was built between 792 and 805 under Charlemagne. The building combined elements of Classical, Byzantine and Pre-Romanesque architecture. The architect was Odo of Metz.

[unique-pieces]

Stained Glass Deer Jigsaw puzzle

Discover the perfect blend of art and nature with our Stained Glass Deer puzzle. This enchanting design captures the spirit of the forest, bringing a touch of natural elegance to your puzzle collection.

Discover the beauty of nature with our "Stained Glass Deer" jigsaw puzzle. Featuring a majestic deer in a vibrant, stained glass forest, this puzzle combines art and challenge. Perfect for puzzle enthusiasts and art lovers alike.

Designed and sold by Unique-Pieces