The Lycia Project

The ceramics discovered within the survey area span theArchaic through Late Byzantine and Ottoman periods. A small number of hardto classify sherds, however, found during the 1995 excavation on Avsar Tepesi may be Prehistoric in date (5th-3th millennium B.C.).

Both the excavations as well as those areas examined aspart of the surface survey on Avsar Tepesi, revealed several sherds with circle or semi-circular painted decoration. The sherdscarrying this type of decoration exhibit strong parallels with a well-knownware from Miletus dated to the seventh century B.C. The surrounding territoryof Kyaneai and Avsar Tepesi also yielded a series of sherds belonging tolarge-sized vessels. These sherds are adorned with a dark brown to greybrown matt-painted stripe and wavy-banded pattern, which has been datedto the Archaic period. The contexts of these sherds on Avsar Tepesi, however,are not especially informative: Some individual pieces are surface collections.During the Avsar Tepesi excavation, fragments of pottery with wavy-bandeddecoration were found in association with Attic imported ware dated betweenthe end of the sixth and the fourth centuries B.C. Evidence for Attic imported ware on Avsar Tepesi beginsin the second half of the sixth century B.C. Attic imports of the fifthand fourth centuries B.C. are represented by a series of kylikes, skyphoi,and bowls with stamped decoration, as well as several fragments of red-figure.

During the 1995 excavation season, certain fragments werediscovered which joined to form an almost complete large bowl with a reconstructable,offset wall profile. (Ill.) The black-figure decoration on the exteriordepicts a frieze of horsemen set between striding long-robed figures. Onthe interior, the tondo is adorned with a single solitary rider. The hastyexecution of the figures appears to point to the Haemon Group, a serieswhich was frequently exported to Asia Minor.

The surface pottery from the surrounding territory of Kyaneai, however, seems to offer a different picture. The Classical periodis represented only by a meagre amount of red-figure and high quality black-glazedsherds (most likely Attic imports). Instead, the black-glazed ware of theLate Classical and Hellenistic periods appears in greater numbers. Fragmentsof unguentaria and moldmade bowls are found among the Hellenistic ware.

Evidence from the Early and Middle Roman periods consistof Sigillata fragments (above all ESB). The majority of the ceramic findsfrom the surrounding Kyaneai territory belongs to the Middle and Late Romanperiods. The amount of Late Roman and Early Byzantine utility ware, mostlyundecorated, is relatively high. Contrastingly, decorated pottery of theByzantine and Ottoman periods is seldom found and almost entirely confinedto larger settlements such as Kyaneai and Hoyran.

Bibliography:

1. I. Mader, Keramik der Feldforschungen im Gebiet von Kyaneai aus den Jahren 1989-1992, in: F. Kolb (Hg.), Lykische Studien 3 (Asia Minor Studien 24), Bonn 1996, 87-127
2. I. Mader, Keramik der Feldforschungen auf dem Gebiet von Kyaneai Teil II: Die Funde aus den Jahren 1993/4, in: F. Kolb (Hg.), Lykische Studien 4 (Asia Minor Studien 29), Bonn 1998, 91-123
3. B. Rückert, Keramik der Kampagne 1995, in: F. Kolb (Hg.), Lykische Studien 5 (Asia Minor Studien 41), Bonn 2000, 95-136
4. B. Böhlendorf-Arslan, Keramik der byzantinischen und osmanischen Epoche aus der Polis Kyaneai, ebenda, 137-162
5. B. Rückert, Keramik der Feldforschungs-Kampagnen 1996 und 1997, in: F. Kolb (Hg.), Lykische Studien 6 (Asia Minor Studien 48),Bonn 2003, 111-134
6. B. Rückert, Die Keramik aus den Grabungen auf dem Avsar Tepesi 1996/1997, ebenda, 135-161
7. B. Rückert / F. Kolb (Hg.), Probleme der Keramikchronologie des südlichen und westlichen Kleinasien in geometrischer und archaischer Zeit. Internationales Kolloquium Tübingen 24.-26. März 1998 (Antiquitas Reihe 3, Bd. 44), Bonn 2003