Marcus Milwright
Biographic Data
| ID | 409885 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Marcus Milwright |
| GIVEN NAMES | Marcus |
| FAMILY NAME | Milwright |
| SIGNATURE | MILWRIGHT M |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Victoria |
| ORCID | 0009-0002-8176-9710 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 33 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 7 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 33 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1992 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2024 |
| H-INDEX | 1 |
Bleeding Fingers and Failing Eyes
The manual crafts practised in the Middle East present a range of potential health hazards. These issues have been highlighted in published scholarship on contemporary crafts across the Islamic world, but much less attention has been paid to historical material as a source on the impact of craft specialization on long-term health. This article concentrates on the evidence that can be extracted from late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century pho…
The Manual Crafts and the Challenge of Modernity in Late Nineteenth-Century Damascus
This chapter examines the changing landscape of craft production in late nineteenth-century Damascus, exploring how Damascene artisans navigated the challenges posed by modernity. It focuses on the metalworking and woodworking trades, highlighting the complex interplay between tradition and innovation, local and global influences, and the social and economic transformations that shaped the lives of craftspeople. Milwright argues that while some w…
The Queen of Sheba's Gift
Tells the history of the precious balsam of Matarea: a substance traded for its weight in goldUses archaeological and textual sources to trace the cultivation of balsam trees from the 4th century BCE to the 17th century CESurveys the evidence for the symbolic value and practical applications of balsam in the Middle East, North Africa and EuropeEstablishes the many uses of balsam in pre-modern medicine, religious ritual and royal ceremoniesCorrela…
Queen of Sheba's Gift
Greater Syria
Military Activity in Islamic Archaeology
Arts of Allusion
This book takes as its primary subject matter the portable arts produced in the central Islamic lands between the twelfth and the fifteenth centuries. The student of this phase has the opportunity to engage with beautifully realized objects, combining inscriptions, depictions of animate life, and complex geometric and vegetal ornament. This is promising territory for the art historian, but one with significant challenges, not the least of which i…
Reviving the Past and Confronting the Present
The article considers the ways in which traditional manual crafts in Egypt and Syria adapted to the challenges of the importation of mass-produced goods from Europe and changes in taste among local and foreign purchasers. While some crafts did not prosper in this environment, the evidence from surviving objects and primary sources indicates high levels of experimentation, including the creative use of new materials and technologies. The main part…
Islamic Arts and Crafts
About Antiquities
About Antiquities opens with the difficult question: ‘who owns antiquities?’ Many museums have had to wrestle with the ethical dilemmas associated with their collections, while the recent attacks in Iraq and Syria have stimulated active debate about the best ways to preserve endangered monuments. Zeynep Çelik contributes to this discourse through her concentration on the last decades of the Ottoman Empire. Reflecting both the increasing internati…
The Byzantine–Islamic Transition in Palestine
The Arab conquests of the seventh and early eighth centuries had a profound impact on the history of Eurasia. While debate will continue over the dates of specific battles and the capitulations of given towns and cities, there is broad agreement over the fundamental chronology leading to the establishment of a massive new empire stretching from the Atlantic coast to the border with Tang dynasty China. Scholars have long recognized the potential o…
Damascene ‘Trench Art’
This article presents a detailed analysis of an inlaid brass pyxis produced in Damascus in the second decade of the 20th century. The object is made from the lower sections of two artillery shell casings, one of which carries markings of the German munitions factory where it was originally manufactured. This unusual object is contextualized within the larger phenomena of the ‘Mamluk Revival’ style in Europe and the Islamic world and of the ‘Trenc…
On the Date of Paul Kahle’s Egyptian Shadow Puppets
Bayezid's Cage
This article discusses a story that has enjoyed a long life in scholarly literature, drama, and the visual arts: the alleged caging of the Ottoman Sultan Bayezid I Yildirim (r. 1389–1402) by the Central Asian conqueror, Temür (r. 1370–1405). Attention is focused on the evolution of scholarly discourse on the existence (or otherwise) of the cage. The period from the late seventeenth to the first half of the twentieth century is looked at in partic…
An Arabic Description of the Activities of Antique Dealers in Late Ottoman Damascus
This article presents an analysis of a chapter in an Arabic dictionary of the crafts of Damascus (Qamus al-Sina'at al-Shamiyya) detailing the activities of antiquities dealers. Written sometime between 1890 and about 1905, this description contains information on the items traded by antiquities dealers in the last years of the Ottoman period (1516–1918) and the manufacture in Syria of imitations/forgeries of ancient artefacts. The last section of…
An Introduction to Islamic Archaeology
This book offers an introduction to the archaeology of the Islamic world. It traces the history of the discipline from its earliest manifestations through to the present and evaluates the contribution made by archaeology to the understanding of key aspects of Islamic culture. The author argues that it is essential for the results of archaeological research to be more fully integrated into the wider historical study of the Islamic world. Organisin…
Introduction to Islamic Archaeology
The ‘post-medieval’ Islamic world
This chapter assesses the archaeological evidence from the fifteenth to the early twentieth centuries, focusing upon the political, economic, and social changes occurring within the Islamic world. The first section looks at the appearance of two new commodities, coffee and tobacco, and their impact upon material culture in urban and rural areas. This section also deals with the growing influence of European industrially manufactured goods upon th…
An introduction to Islamic archaeology
Imported Pottery in Ottoman Bilad al-Sham
Cet article presente des indications textuelles et archeologiques concernant l'importation de poteries a glacure dans le Bilad al-Sham (Grande Syrie) du XVIII e au debut du XX e siecle. L'etude de la repartition chronologique et spatiale des ceramiques est mise en correlation avec les donnees fournies par les sources primaires ecrites. Les resultats sont compares a ceux de l'epoque mamelouke tardive et du debut de l'epoque ottomane (c.1450-1700).…
Word of God, Art of Man
Journal Article Word of God, Art of Man: The Qurʾān and its Creative Expressions: Selected Proceedings from the International Colloquium, London, 18–21 October 2003Edited by Fahmida Suleman Get access Word of God, Art of Man: The Qurʾān and its Creative Expressions: Selected Proceedings from the International Colloquium, London, 18–21 October 2003Edited by Fahmida Suleman (London and New York: Oxford University Press in association with the Insti…
Turquoise and Black
An analysis of a group of underglaze-painted stonepaste vessels produced in Bilad al-Sham (Greater Syria) is presented. Decorated in turquoise and black pigments under a colourless glaze, this ware was probably manufactured for a relatively limited period in the mid to late fourteenth century. The strong stylistic affinities exhibited in the underglaze painting and vessel profiles of the surviving corpus indicate that the bulk of the 'turquoise a…
So Despicable a Vessel
Central and Southern Jordan in the Ayyubid Period
For most of the Islamic period central and southern Jordan has existed on the periphery of larger states. During the twelfth and thirteenth centuries the political and economic life of the Muslim and Frankish polities of Bilad al-Sham (Greater Syria) was dominated by cities like Damascus, Aleppo, Jerusalem and Acre. These urban centres contained the greatest concentrations of the military and civilian elite, and provided the largest markets for l…
Ceramics from the Recent Excavations near the Eastern Wall of Rafiqa (Raqqa), Syria
This article presents a discussion of the ceramics recovered from recent exploratory excavations in the town of Raqqa in northern Syria. Two sondages were excavated inside the eastern sector of the walls of ancient Rafiqa (Raqqa), approximately 700 m. north of the Baghdad Gate. Sondage 1 revealed a section of brick wall and a paved surface that may be connected with the eastern gate of the Abbasid city (known in historical sources as Bab Sibal). …
Pottery in the written sources of the Ayyubid-Mamluk period (c. 567-923/1171-1517)
Vast quantities of ceramic shards of the Ayyubid-Mamluk period have been recovered from excavations of major urban sites such as Fusṭāṭ and Ḥamā, as well as from numerous smaller settlements in the Levant. Knowledge of the range of glazed and decorated wares has been supplemented by the publication of complete vessels in museum collections. As a result of archaeological and art historical research some production sites have been identified and br…
An Arabic Description of the Activities of Antique Dealers in Late Ottoman Damascus
This article presents an analysis of a chapter in an Arabic dictionary of the crafts of Damascus (Qamus al-Sina'at al-Shamiyya) detailing the activities of antiquities dealers. Written sometime between 1890 and about 1905, this description contains information on the items traded by antiquities dealers in the last years of the Ottoman period (1516–1918) and the manufacture in Syria of imitations/forgeries of ancient artefacts. The last section of…
Central and Southern Jordan in the Ayyubid Period
For most of the Islamic period central and southern Jordan has existed on the periphery of larger states. During the twelfth and thirteenth centuries the political and economic life of the Muslim and Frankish polities of Bilad al-Sham (Greater Syria) was dominated by cities like Damascus, Aleppo, Jerusalem and Acre. These urban centres contained the greatest concentrations of the military and civilian elite, and provided the largest markets for l…
Balsam in the Mediaeval Mediterranean
The economic and political implications of commodity exchange in the mediaeval Mediterranean have been the subject of extensive study by historians and archaeologists. In recent years anthropologists and archaeologists working in other regions and historical periods have begun to focus greater attention upon the cultural aspects of commodity exchange. The functions performed by a commodity, and the value consequently accorded to it, may be subjec…
An Architectural Survey of Muslim Buildings in Tiberias
This study in Tiberias in July and August 1989 was devoted to three buildings: the Jāmic or Great Mosque, the smaller Fisherman’s Mosque near the quayside and the remains of a shrine in the Arab graveyard, slightly outside the main town. The principal structure, the Great Mosque, was built in the 1740s during the reign of Shaikh, Zāhir Āl-cUmar and now stands in the middle of a shopping centre in the modern town. The smaller mosque appears to be …
Petrography of Middle Islamic Pottery from Karak
During the Middle Islamic period (C. A.D. 1100–1650) the site of Karak in Jordan was known co be producing pottery and also to be receiving pottery from a wide area. Petrographic analysis of a selection of pottery from this site is aimed at defining the products of Karak, exploring the petrographic variability of the pottery of the region, and, in some cases, identifying the production origin. It is intended that this study will lay the foundatio…
Pottery in the written sources of the Ayyubid-Mamluk period (c. 567-923/1171-1517)
Vast quantities of ceramic shards of the Ayyubid-Mamluk period have been recovered from excavations of major urban sites such as Fusṭāṭ and Ḥamā, as well as from numerous smaller settlements in the Levant. Knowledge of the range of glazed and decorated wares has been supplemented by the publication of complete vessels in museum collections. As a result of archaeological and art historical research some production sites have been identified and br…
Pottery of Bilad al-Sham in the Ottoman Period
This paper reviews the present state of knowledge concerning the pottery of Bilad al-Sham during the late-Mamluk and Ottoman periods. Dating evidence in published excavations is considered and diagnostic pottery is identified. It is argued that greater attention needs to be paid to regional variation in material culture and to the role of social and economic factors in the analysis of the evolution of specific ceramic types. The paper concludes t…
Islamic art and architecture
This chapter presents an introduction to the art and architecture of the Islamic world from the first/seventh century through to the end of the twelfth/eighteenth. This is an exceptionally rich visual culture that encompasses the portable artefacts and buildings produced in a region comprising Spain, North and sub-Saharan Africa, Sicily, Eastern and Central Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia, the Indian subcontinent and South-East Asia. Islami…
Balsam in the Mediaeval Mediterranean
The economic and political implications of commodity exchange in the mediaeval Mediterranean have been the subject of extensive study by historians and archaeologists. In recent years anthropologists and archaeologists working in other regions and historical periods have begun to focus greater attention upon the cultural aspects of commodity exchange. The functions performed by a commodity, and the value consequently accorded to it, may be subjec…
Modest Luxuries
The balsam of Matariyya
The products derived from the balsam tree (probably a cultivar of Commiphora opobalsamum [L.] Engl.) were employed extensively in medicine during the medieval period. This article presents a preliminary survey of the Arabic and European texts which discuss the varied medical uses of balsam. The analysis of the medical applications of balsam is organized into broad categories according to groups of illnesses and treatments. Although other sources …
Ceramics from the Recent Excavations near the Eastern Wall of Rafiqa (Raqqa), Syria
This article presents a discussion of the ceramics recovered from recent exploratory excavations in the town of Raqqa in northern Syria. Two sondages were excavated inside the eastern sector of the walls of ancient Rafiqa (Raqqa), approximately 700 m. north of the Baghdad Gate. Sondage 1 revealed a section of brick wall and a paved surface that may be connected with the eastern gate of the Abbasid city (known in historical sources as Bab Sibal). …
So Despicable a Vessel
Central and Southern Jordan in the Ayyubid Period
For most of the Islamic period central and southern Jordan has existed on the periphery of larger states. During the twelfth and thirteenth centuries the political and economic life of the Muslim and Frankish polities of Bilad al-Sham (Greater Syria) was dominated by cities like Damascus, Aleppo, Jerusalem and Acre. These urban centres contained the greatest concentrations of the military and civilian elite, and provided the largest markets for l…
Imported Pottery in Ottoman Bilad al-Sham
Cet article presente des indications textuelles et archeologiques concernant l'importation de poteries a glacure dans le Bilad al-Sham (Grande Syrie) du XVIII e au debut du XX e siecle. L'etude de la repartition chronologique et spatiale des ceramiques est mise en correlation avec les donnees fournies par les sources primaires ecrites. Les resultats sont compares a ceux de l'epoque mamelouke tardive et du debut de l'epoque ottomane (c.1450-1700).…
Word of God, Art of Man
Journal Article Word of God, Art of Man: The Qurʾān and its Creative Expressions: Selected Proceedings from the International Colloquium, London, 18–21 October 2003Edited by Fahmida Suleman Get access Word of God, Art of Man: The Qurʾān and its Creative Expressions: Selected Proceedings from the International Colloquium, London, 18–21 October 2003Edited by Fahmida Suleman (London and New York: Oxford University Press in association with the Insti…
Turquoise and Black
An analysis of a group of underglaze-painted stonepaste vessels produced in Bilad al-Sham (Greater Syria) is presented. Decorated in turquoise and black pigments under a colourless glaze, this ware was probably manufactured for a relatively limited period in the mid to late fourteenth century. The strong stylistic affinities exhibited in the underglaze painting and vessel profiles of the surviving corpus indicate that the bulk of the 'turquoise a…
An introduction to Islamic archaeology
An Introduction to Islamic Archaeology
This book offers an introduction to the archaeology of the Islamic world. It traces the history of the discipline from its earliest manifestations through to the present and evaluates the contribution made by archaeology to the understanding of key aspects of Islamic culture. The author argues that it is essential for the results of archaeological research to be more fully integrated into the wider historical study of the Islamic world. Organisin…
Introduction to Islamic Archaeology
The ‘post-medieval’ Islamic world
This chapter assesses the archaeological evidence from the fifteenth to the early twentieth centuries, focusing upon the political, economic, and social changes occurring within the Islamic world. The first section looks at the appearance of two new commodities, coffee and tobacco, and their impact upon material culture in urban and rural areas. This section also deals with the growing influence of European industrially manufactured goods upon th…
On the Date of Paul Kahle’s Egyptian Shadow Puppets
Bayezid's Cage
This article discusses a story that has enjoyed a long life in scholarly literature, drama, and the visual arts: the alleged caging of the Ottoman Sultan Bayezid I Yildirim (r. 1389–1402) by the Central Asian conqueror, Temür (r. 1370–1405). Attention is focused on the evolution of scholarly discourse on the existence (or otherwise) of the cage. The period from the late seventeenth to the first half of the twentieth century is looked at in partic…
An Arabic Description of the Activities of Antique Dealers in Late Ottoman Damascus
This article presents an analysis of a chapter in an Arabic dictionary of the crafts of Damascus (Qamus al-Sina'at al-Shamiyya) detailing the activities of antiquities dealers. Written sometime between 1890 and about 1905, this description contains information on the items traded by antiquities dealers in the last years of the Ottoman period (1516–1918) and the manufacture in Syria of imitations/forgeries of ancient artefacts. The last section of…
Damascene ‘Trench Art’
This article presents a detailed analysis of an inlaid brass pyxis produced in Damascus in the second decade of the 20th century. The object is made from the lower sections of two artillery shell casings, one of which carries markings of the German munitions factory where it was originally manufactured. This unusual object is contextualized within the larger phenomena of the ‘Mamluk Revival’ style in Europe and the Islamic world and of the ‘Trenc…
The Byzantine–Islamic Transition in Palestine
The Arab conquests of the seventh and early eighth centuries had a profound impact on the history of Eurasia. While debate will continue over the dates of specific battles and the capitulations of given towns and cities, there is broad agreement over the fundamental chronology leading to the establishment of a massive new empire stretching from the Atlantic coast to the border with Tang dynasty China. Scholars have long recognized the potential o…
Islamic Arts and Crafts
About Antiquities
About Antiquities opens with the difficult question: ‘who owns antiquities?’ Many museums have had to wrestle with the ethical dilemmas associated with their collections, while the recent attacks in Iraq and Syria have stimulated active debate about the best ways to preserve endangered monuments. Zeynep Çelik contributes to this discourse through her concentration on the last decades of the Ottoman Empire. Reflecting both the increasing internati…
Archaeology and Historical Studies (26 works) · History (26 works) · Archaeology (23 works) · Ancient history (22 works) · Art (19 works) · Islam (15 works) · Geography (11 works) · History (9 works) · Islamic Studies and History (9 works) · Political science (9 works)