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©The Archaeological Settlements of Turkey - TAY Project
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Amyzon |
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Type:
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City |
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Altitude:
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m |
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Region:
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Aegean |
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Province:
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Aydin |
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District:
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Koçarli |
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Village:
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Gaffarlar |
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Investigation Method:
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Survey |
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Period:
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Hellenistic Roman Classical |
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| Location: It is located at Mazin Kale; 1.6 km above the village of Gaffarlar to the northwest of the Karpuzlu District of the Aydin Province. The city lies to the north of the ancient city of Alinda [Bean 2000:209-210]. |
| Geography and Environment: |
| History: According to Strabo; it is a peripolion to Alabanda [Strabo 14; 2; 22]. In the 3rd century BC; Amyzon; signed a treaty with Ptolemy and then with Seleucus; which was followed by a peace with Heracleia under Latmos. The city had some privileges based on a message by Antiochus III in 203 BC. It is known that the city was represented by a delegate in Klaros. It became a religious center during the 2nd century AD [Bean 1976:53; Ozkaya-San 2002:246]. |
| Research and Excavation: Explorations by Paton and Fowler in the early 20th century; and by Robert in 1950s and by Lauter in 1970s were followed by a survey carried out by Ozkaya and San together in 2000. It takes place in the registered archaeological sites list prepared by Ministry of Culture and Tourism. |
| Stratigraphy: |
| Small Finds: |
| Remains: City Wall: The city wall; partly preserved up to 6 m; were erected of cut stone blocks by the isodomic masonry. It is approximately 137 m long and 1.68 m wide. Probably it dates back to 300 BC [Bean 2000:210]. Temple/Sanctuary: The Temple of Artemis was built on terraces. In a Dorian order; it measures 6x15m and lies in the east-west direction. It consists of a naos and a pronaos which have a distance of around 1.4 m in between. The entrance to pronaos and naos is paved with square-rectangular blocks. The architectural elements of the upper part of the temple indicate that it was built in the Greek style. It was probably encircled with a temonos wall. To the east; a structure; most probably an altar; was found. An inscription was found on an architrave block; stating that it was built by Idrieus. Thus; the temple dates back to the Hecatomnus Period. According to the inscription on the votives; the temple was built in dedication to Artemis and Apollo [Ozkaya-San 2002:246-247; Bean 1976:53]. Miscellaneous: There are large and vaulted underground rooms; considered as store houses; other than a few undefined building in the city. These buildings lie parallel to each other in the east-west direction. It has been suggested some might have been used as cisterns. The coins uncovered from the site are from the Hellenistic and Roman Periods [Bean 1976:53; Ozkaya-San 2002:246]. |
| Interpretation and Dating: |
