Face Off. Understanding Ancient Masks

Project Information

Face Off

Grant agreement ID: 101028591

DOI

10.3030/101028591

Project terminated on 31 March 2024

EC signature date 20 April 2021

Start date 1 September 2022

End date 31 August 2024

Funded under

• EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Total cost

€ 160 932,48

EU contribution

€ 160 932,48

Coordinated by

UNIVERSIDAD POMPEU FABRA
Spain

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - Face Off (Face Off. Understanding Ancient Masks)

Reporting period: 2022-09-01 to 2024-08-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The Face Off research project explored masking phenomena in the Iron Age Mediterranean (c. 12th-2nd centuries BCE) to understand the roles of masks and disguised practices in ancient societies and to explain the diverse mask experiences in relation to the individual and collective need to cope with liminality. This goal was addressed by analysing the Phoenician/Punic corpus of masks and face-related imagery, comparing it to contemporary evidence of masked activities from Cyprus and Greece, and considering masking traditions from other regions and modern cultures to address gaps in the archaeological dataset. By adopting an integrated methodology that included 3D modelling, Face Expression Recognition, and Machine Learning, the Face Off project characterized the contexts in which masks were used and the variety of functions they served. It also identified different patterns among the types of superhuman beings portrayed and the emotional responses they may have elicited in the audience attending mask events, and provided a deeper understanding of the roles that age and gender may have played in masked activities. The COVID-19 pandemic has heightened public interest and fueled competing discourses on facial masks, the various practices associated with their use, and the diverse sensory and identity experiences they can evoke for both the wearer and the audience. The Face Off project contributes to this debate, ultimately emphasizing the multifaceted and enduring importance of masks in human societies and experiences.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The Face Off project was developed by advancing five parallel research phases: (1) the review and analysis of existing data; (2) the building of a theoretical framework; (3) the development of the historical and archaeological background for each culture, site, and region of the Iron Age Mediterranean yielding evidence related to masking practices, to maximize and formulate precise research hypotheses; (4) the collection of new data from various museums and archaeological excavations; (5) laboratory work aimed at developing and testing a method to interpret the emotions conveyed by the masks; and (6) a graphical reconstruction of case studies that allow for visualising the biography of selected masks and the various practices associated with their use.
This multidisciplinary approach has allowed us to enucleate the multifaceted use of masks and characterise the practices of the various Iron Age Mediterranean communities and cultural groups. Common elements have been sometimes identified among the masking traditions of these different cultures, but they primarily concern formal aspects such as decorations, colours, and imagery. Conversely, the practices – even in cases where centres like Carthage exert a supra-regional influence in the circulation of particular iconographies – appear to largely follow internal dynamics that may refer back to older local traditions. The Face Off project has shifted the focus from the mask to the individuals involved in masked activities in various capacities – mask wearers and/or users, participants performing other roles, and the audience – and the spaces hosting these events. In the realm of sensory perception, the most significant achievement has been the development of an interdisciplinary scientific method aimed at understanding the emotions conveyed by masks.
Ideas, results, and theoretical perspectives were presented concurrently with the progression of the research, occasionally taking advantage of conference invitations to delve deeper into specific themes or broaden the scope of the investigation. This approach aimed to reach diverse audiences, considering that the Face Off project encompasses cultures and geographical areas that are typically studied separately. To achieve these goals, presentations were made at the following venues: (1) Kition and the Phoenicians in the Mediterranean Sea, Multispace of Creativity and Culture (Larnaca – Cyprus), 1/10/2022; (2) 10th International Congress of Phoenician and Punic Studies, Palacio de Congresos de Ibiza (Ibiza – Spain), 20/10/2022; (3) Il Mediterraneo antico e gli studi fenicio-punici, Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei (Rome – Italy), 29/11/2022; (4) Representations of Goddesses and Gods in Palestine, German Society for the Exploration of Palestine (Mainz – Germany), 3/12/2022; (5) Articulated Figurines in Ancient Greece and Beyond, University of Fribourg (Fribourg – Switerzland), 24/06/2023; (6) Demonios, espíritus malignos y otras entidades del inframundo en las culturas antiguas, Universidad de Sevilla (Sevilla – Spain), 2/05/2024; (7) Women and Gender in the Phoenician Homeland and Diaspora, the Badè Museum’s virtual series (USA), 2/5/2024.
The dissemination activities include a programme of publications. The following papers have already appeared: (1) Orsingher 2023, “Human-shaped Vessels and Funerary Practices: a Jug from Ibiza”, in Graells i Fabregat et al. (eds.), Thauma. Festschrift dedicado a Dirce Marzoli, Alicante:251-262. (2) Orsingher 2023, “Architecture and Afterlife: Small Portable Shrines and Ritual Activities from Tyre to Ibiza”, JEMAHS 11(2-3):256-279. 3 Orsingher, A. 2023, Review of Maeir et al. (eds): To Explore the Land of Canaan, OLZ 118(2):103-105. 4 Orsingher 2023, Review of Kleiman, Beyond Israel and Aram. The Archaeology and History of Iron Age Communities in the Central Levant, OLZ 118(4-5):310-312. https://doi.org/10.1515/olzg-2023-0094.
Papers given at conferences will be published in indexed journals and peer-reviewed series. Two of them have been submitted and are expected to be published by 2024: (1) Orsingher, “«La fortuna di Elissa». Bilanci e nuove prospettive negli studi sui Fenici e Cipro”, Il Mediterraneo antico e gli studi fenicio-punici. A cento anni dalla nascita di Sabatino Moscati. Rome: Bardi Edizioni. (2) Orsingher, “Kition, its terracottas and their Mediterranean connections: a reappraisal”, in Kition and the Phoenicians in the Mediterranean Sea (The ARWA Collection). Brepols.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The Face Off project has made significant qualitative and quantitative advancements over the previous state of the art in the investigation of masks in the Iron Age Mediterranean. Furthermore, it has favoured dialogue between archaeological datasets related to masked practices from distinct regions and cultures, which are traditionally studied by different disciplines and rarely addressed together consistently. Such a comparative analysis allows for a broader geographical perspective, balancing potential gaps in the documentary record and raising methodological questions about the possibilities and limitations of a comparative approach in the study of the ancient world. Additionally, the Face Off project proposed and tested a new methodology for interpreting the emotions conveyed by facial representations. Once published, along with its preliminary results, this methodology can be further developed and applied to other fields of investigation beyond archaeology. Results, methods, and theoretical perspectives derived from this project have been disseminated within the scientific community and beyond, shaping classroom discussions with students, as well as the supervision of Bachelor’s and doctoral theses. This ensures the transmission of knowledge to future generations of European and international citizens and researchers.

Figure 1: A selection of Phoenician/Punic masks.

Figure 2: Delivering a talk at the conference “Kition and the Phoenicians in the Mediterranean Sea”,

Figure 3: Delivering a talk at the conference “10th International Congress of Phoenician and Punic S