Category: Turkey

Another ‘Mass Grave’ from Pisidian Antioch

~ David Meadows ~ rogueclassicist ~ Leave a comment

From Hurriyet:

Excavations that have been continuing for four years in the ancient city of Pisidia Antiocheia in the southern province of Isparta’s Yalvaç district have revealed a second well containing the remains of six people.

Last month, the excavation discovered a mass grave of five people in a well on the ancient city’s Cardo Maximus Street.

Along with the six human bodies, a pig jaw was also found in the well-shaped hole inside a Roman villa with a pool in its garden.

Süleyman Demirel University Archaeology Department head Mehmet Özhanlı said they were very surprised that they had found two mass graves in one excavation season. “While our works have been continuing on the western side of Cardo Maximus Street, we found five skeletons in a well in a structure. This time we found a well-shaped structure in a Roman house. There were six human skulls and a pig jaw. We have determined that the murdered people were randomly thrown into the well,” Özhanlı said.

I’m not sure whether the previous month’s find made it to the English press … there is a Turkist report at Antik kentte cinayet izi (Milliyet). Back in January, the head of the excavations was hyping the town planning at the site: Town Planning at Pisidian Antioch.

Mycenean Rock-cut Tombs from Bodrum

~ David Meadows ~ rogueclassicist ~ 1 Comment

Interesting item from Hurriyet:

Rock tombs dating back to 3,500 years ago have been uncovered in Bodrum’s Ortakent district, which form part of the necropolis area.

Bodrum Underwater Archeology Museum manager Emel Özkan and archeologists Banu Mete Özler and Ece Benli Bağcı are leading the excavations. The experts are still not sure if there was a settlement or not.

The tombs are believed to belong to the early “Mycenaean Greece III A” era, which was a cultural period of Bronze Age Greece taking its name from the archaeological site of Mycenae in northeastern Argolis, in the Peloponnese of southern Greece. The tombs also revealed human and animal bones, bronze containers and many different kinds of pieces. The necropolis area has been taken under protection. The findings of the excavation may belong to the bronze age and also to the Akha Hellenistic era.

The tombs also reveal the culture and the lifestyle of the early Mycenaean Greek era, as well as the period’s artistic approach, according to experts.

Hurriyet has another version at Mycenaean artifacts found in Bodrum which has a different photo … there’s also some added detail from the Today’s Zaman coverage (inter alia):

[…] Speaking to the press, Professor Yusuf Boysal, the supervisor of the excavations, said his team so far has found the remains of several tombs, a canteen, a three-handled cup, a jug, a bronze razor, animals’ bones, many pieces of glass and beads with different shapes.

Boysal added: “Along with these new discoveries, now we will have more information regarding this ancient era. These tombs and other historical ruins are very important and they will give us information about the culture of the people who lived in that era.” […]

Greek Graffiti from Izmir

~ David Meadows ~ rogueclassicist ~ 2 Comments

Yet another one from Hurriyet which leaves us asking for more:

A rich Greek graffiti collection has been found in the İzmir agora during excavation work in the area. The graffiti shows daily life in the Hellenistic and Roman periods.

The graffiti is estimated to date back to the 2nd and 4th centuries A.D. Experts have said the graffiti was the richest Greek graffiti collection in the world. Besides writing and paintings done with paint, there are also dozens of carvings on the wall.

The graffiti shows that İzmir was very tolerant even in ancient times. The writings on the wall mention the names of different cities, showing tolerance of other cultures.

There are many different figures in the graffiti, from trade ships to gladiators. There are also confessions; one read, “I love someone who does not love me.” One inscription read, “The gods healed my eyes, this is why I dedicate an oil lamp to the gods.” Another piece of graffiti read, “The one who ensouls,” which symbolized Jesus Christ in early Christianity. There are also riddles that have not yet been solved on the walls.

Professor Cumhur Tanrıver said İzmir had the most Greek graffiti in the world. “There are some pieces of graffiti under the plaster as well that we cannot prepare yet. We are having talks with Swiss experts to uncover them without damaging the ones on the top layer.”

The article is accompanied by a photo which is presumably an example of the graffiti, which seems to be a gladiatorial scene. Seems kind of ‘sketchy’ for graffiti … I couldn’t track down any other photos:

DHA photo via Hurriyet

Temple of Roma at Alabanda

~ David Meadows ~ rogueclassicist ~ Leave a comment

… at least that’s what I think they’re referring to; not sure if there’s an ‘Augustus’ or something in there too because it seems to be earlier than the empire. From Hurriyet:

Excavation works of a 2,200-year-old “Goddess Rome Temple” have started in the Alabanda Ancient City near Turkey’s southwestern province of Aydin.

The ancient city sheds light on the history of the region, Archeology lecturer at the Adnan Menderes University, Dr. Suat Ateslier, told Anadolu Agency. Ateslier emphasized that Roman historian Titus Livius Patavinus (Livy) mentioned the Alabanda and temples in ancient articles and added that by following their works in that way, they finally identified the location of the temple.

Built for strengthen relations with Ancient Rome.

Ateslier drew attention to the greatness of the Goddess Rome Temple as it was bigger and much more magnificent than the previously unearthed Apollo and Zeus temples in Alabanda.

“As the Goddess Rome Temple is bigger than the mother goddesses’ temples, we have to think about receiving the political and military support of Ancient Rome. Alabanda had an intense war period during the second century BC with Rhodes and asked support from the Ancient Rome.

Poking around Perseus, we get the Livy story (43.6) in the context of the Third Macedonian War:

There was a gathering of numerous deputations from Greece and Asia in Rome. [2] The Athenians were the first to obtain an audience. They explained that they had sent to the consul and the praetor what ships and soldiers they had. [3] They had, however, made no use of them, but demanded 100,000 modii of corn. Though the soil which they tilled was unproductive and even the cultivators themselves had to be fed on corn from abroad, they had nevertheless made up the amount that they should not fail in their duty, and they were prepared to supply other things which might be required. [4] The people of Miletus mentioned that they had not furnished anything, but expressed their readiness to carry out any orders the senate might wish to give with regard to the war. [5] The people of Alabanda stated that they had built a temple to “The City of Rome” and had instituted annual Games in honour of that deity. [6] They had also brought a golden crown weighing fifty pounds to be placed in the Capitol as an offering to Jupiter Optimus Maximus, and 300 cavalry shields which they would hand over to whomsoever the senate might name. [7] They requested to be allowed to place the gift in the Capitol and to offer sacrifices. [8]

Back in January, excavators found a possible head of Artemis (Artemis (maybe) from Alabanda) …

Honourary Pillar from Sagalassos

~ David Meadows ~ rogueclassicist ~ 1 Comment

The incipit of a Hurriyet piece:

The latest excavations at the ancient city of Sagalassos, in the southwestern province of Burdur’s Ağlasun district, have uncovered the fourth “honorary pillar” of the city’s agora. “They started the 2013 excavation season two weeks ago and the hamam, city mansion, library and neighborhoods have been revealed,” said Sagalassos ancient city excavation vice president and architect Ebru Torun.

The president of the excavations, Professor Marc Waelkens, is from Belgium’s Leuven University. Waelkens’s team consists of 80 people. “There are many different people in the excavation team such as architects, archeologists, geophysicist and many more. These excavations address all kinds of sciences,” added Torun. There are scientists from Belgium, Turkish, Sri Lanka, US and Slovenia participating in excavation works.

The fourth pillar revealed

Torun said one of the most important developments of this year’s excavation was finding the fourth pillar of the agora. The pillar is 12 meters long and the sculpture part of the pillar has been unearthed. “We had found the other three honorary pillars before, now we are working on them to erect them. We were wondering about the fourth pillar and we have found it in a very good condition,” Torun explained.

The pillar has many special features and belongs to the first century B.C.. Noting that they had learnt the writings and the patterns on the pillar and their origin, Torun said, “In each corner of Agora there are sculptures of people that build the agora. This pillar is the fourth of them. These pillars are constructed by the famous people of the city.”

Torun also said that in 2010 the Antonin fountain was the most important find of Sagalasos and that they were currently working to reconstruct the agora a whole. “We want to finish the works in the north of the area and we want to finish the restoration of the agora next year,” added Torun.

Experts have also uncovered traces of Ottoman settlements at the Sagalassos ancient city, in the western town of Ağlasun.

Burdur Provincial Director of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Tanır said July 17 in a written statement that the interesting findings had revealed that the ancient city was abandoned after the 13th century. He said that during the excavations in the upper part of the old Ağlasun-Isparta highway structures, ceramics and metal tools from the Ottoman period had been found. “These findings show that settlement existed at Sagalassos in the Ottoman period and continued until the 18th century. This brings a new dimension to the ancient city.” […]

A few months ago, Carole Raddato — of Following Hadrian fame —  had a nice two-part feature on her trip to Sagalassos, with plenty of photos:

… and, of course, Sagalassos is one of Archaeology Magazine’s Interactive digs with plenty of info on a decade or so of digging: City in the Clouds. For the most recent info, check out the Sagalassos Archaeological Research Project page …