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227 8 Elements: Crownings, Bases, Naiskoi, and Anthropomorphic Stones The stelai, which have been the focus of the discussion up until now, were the most visible part of complex funerary monuments consisting of several elements. Five groups of other finds are directly associated with the grave stelai and are presented in the catalog at the end of this chapter. Some of these objects were found in the fill of the Tower of Zeno, but most were found outside the tower or in different contexts. In many cases, the lack of documentation, which is less thorough than in the case of the stelai, makes it impossible to determine their original find spots. Furthermore, as already seen with the gravestones, it is possible that some of the objects found outside the tower should be associated with the tower finds. To treat them separately would be even more problematic, and so after painstaking consideration, the option of addressing them together seemed better. The precise connection between these various elements and the gravestones is a multifaceted question that cannot be completely answered. Still, they must be discussed here in order to understand the unique funerary art of Chersonesos. These elements are: 1. The separately worked crownings for stelai 2. The bases of gravestones 3. Small naiskoi 4. Anthropomorphic stones (carved stones suggesting a human head and shoulders, generally without preserved facial features) 5. Small bases for the anthropomorphic stones The anthemia and separately worked pediments are unquestionably connected with the gravestones discussed in previous chapters; however, their attribution to specific stelai is possible only in very few cases. The same applies to the stelai bases. The association of the stelai, however, with the three other elements —small naiskoi, anthropomorphic stones, and small bases made exclusively for them—is not apparent at first glance. Nevertheless, the contemporaneity of all these elements with the “Greek type” of grave stelai was evident and already assumed much earlier by Belov.1 The five elements themselves demonstrate much variation and appear in a remarkable number of combinations . These combinations, especially when the anthropomorphic stones are involved, are unique, and one could seek in vain in the rest of the Greek world for a comparable collection. In most cases, it is even more difficult than it was with the stelai to glean any information about their exact context. The large stelai bases, as well as the small naiskoi, are either in a very fragmentary state or much too plain in appearance to have warranted any attention from those studying the stelai. This applies above all to the bases of anthropomorphic stones and the stones themselves. These circumstances make a chronological ordering within the individual groups almost impossible, although there have been a few attempts by scholars.2 Nonetheless, some patterns can be detected and certain features should be addressed, as they relate in important ways to the grave stelai. For example, the naiskoi—both the separately constructed versions and those that are incorporated in the front of a stele base—differ in the architectural design of their terminations, having either a gabled crowning or a flat roof with antefixes. This may reflect the gender-specific pattern shown by the stelai (see Ch. 3) and help to resolve at least some of the mysteries surrounding the meaning of the anthropomorphic stones. Following a formal description and analysis of the materials, the discussion will turn to comparanda and various interpretations proposed by numerous scholars. A compilation of all elements with a view to the reconstruction of the original appearance of the monuments will follow later in Chapter 9 on their original location within a hypothetical reconstruction of the Chersonesan necropoleis. 1 Belov 1981, 167. 2 E.g., Kolesnikova 1986, 86–101; Buiskikh/Zubar 2006, 12–23. 228 Chersonesan Studies 1: The Polychrome Grave Stelai 1. Separately worked crownings (Nos. CR1–CR13) This group consisting of thirteen pieces in all (Nos. CR1–CR13), includes nine anthemia and four pediments . There is little that needs to be said about them, as they unquestionably belong to the stelai, and in their significance they form an important part of Chapters 5, 6, 7, and 10 on the workshops, the dating of the stelai , and the painted grave stelai of other areas. Considering the rarity of marble in Chersonesos, the three marble anthemia (Nos. CR1–CR3) are most likely imported pieces, whereas three very similar examples (Nos. CR4–CR6) made of local limestone represent well-made copies, which could have been produced right in Chersonesos. Neither the...

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