Journal of Mosaic Research (Nov 2009)
Danae House Mosaics in Zeugma
Abstract
Danae House was unearthed by my responsibility, on head of Gaziantep Museum Directorate in 2003-4 excavation. The house was named Danae owing to Danae was figured on the mosaics. Danae-Diktys mosaics were found in shallow pool (impluvium) of inner court. On this mosaics, the chest containing Danae and Perseus washed ashore on the island of Seriphos is described. Danae gets out from the box with her baby Perseus who was embraced by her, over agains pirate Diktys extends his hand to baby Perseus. One of the fisherman holds cover of the chest, the other looks at inside it. Similar scene like DanaeDiktys were find few on the other mosaics. The scene were described on the wall and vase painting. On these grounds, the Danae mosaics of Zeugma is rare. Geometrics desing mosaics are seen on the ground of perystyle, living room, resting room and latrine. The motifs of geometric mosaics are intersecting circles forming quatrefoils, row of tanged outlined with serrated fillets, shaded three-strand guilloche, meander and row of tangent four-pointed stars as saltires, with in crosslets of 5 poised tesserae. These geometric motifs are also seen on the ground mosaics of the other houses of Zeugma. Owing to location of Danae House is higher than Birecik Dam lake, its mosaics are left on-site in original rooms which they were found.
