The Lycia Project

The ruins of the site known today as Büyük Avsar are located on the edge of a fertile plain ca. 4 km south of Kyaneai. The ruins consist of an area located on the crest of the hill, which was fortified in the Classical period (5th-4th c. B.C.), and an unfortified area constructed at a later date on the slopes of the hill (especially the southern slope). The Classical settlement consisted of a strongholdwith a tower-like central structure which is still well-preserved (upper left). The impressive state of preservation is probably attributable tothe clean execution of the masonry.

The settlement constructed on the slopes of Büyük Avsar is also well-preserved. Not only are entire doorways still visible (upper right), but also individual rooms constructed partially out of thenatural rock are clearly distinguishable (lower left). These rooms mostlikely belong to the period when the slope was opened up for settlement.The pottery from the settlement on the slope extends from the third c.B.C. to the sixth c. A.D. and, thus, suggests a long period of occupation. A herm (lower right) discovered in this part of Büyük Avsar has been dated to the first century B.C.

The quality of the masonry and above all existence of a fortified settlement during the Dynastic period strongly suggest that the Classical period was a time of prosperity. The settlement in later periods continued as a center (Kome) of the Onindeis in the territory of the polis of Kyaneai. The connection of the Büyük Avsar site with Kyaneai is confirmed by sarcophagus inscriptions.