©The Archaeological Settlements of Turkey - TAY Project

Termera

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Termera
Type:
 City
Altitude:
 m
Region:
 Aegean
Province:
 Mugla
District:
 Bodrum
Village:
 Aspat (Asarlik)
Investigation Method:
 Survey
Period:
 Archaic Classical Hellenistic

     

Location: It is suggested that it was located on the hills above the Aspat Village; 15 km to the southwest of the Bodrum District of the Mugla Province.
Geography and Environment:
History: Termera; a Lelegian city; primarily became popular with its silver drachma from the late 6th or early 5th century BC. They were inscribed with Tymnes on the obverse; and Termerikon on the reverse sides. It is thought that Tymnes is the same person Herodotus referred as the tyrant of Termera [Herodotus 5; 37; 7; 98]. She paid a 2.5 talent tribute to the Delian League between 454 and 447 BC; however the amount was reduced to half a talent between 443 and 439 BC. The names of Tymnes and Termeres were first mentioned in the tribute list of 445 BC. According to researchers; the Unity of Termera continued until 447 BC; and it was dissolved while it was ruled by Tymnes (son of Histiaeus; grandson of Tymnes). After Tymnes got somehow dismissed from Termera; he kept ruling the rest of the unity settlements and paid one half of a talent to the Delian League. Termera also paid half a talent from 447 BC. A similar system may be observed in Pedasa and Madnasa during the same period. It is believed that Tymnes ruled the area from the Carian Telmessos after 445 BC based on the evaluations that the northern borders of Termera were bounded by Myndus; and no data related to the arable fields (Musgebi) in the northeast is available in the tribute lists; and the Carian Telmessos was located there. This way it might have been concluded that the Unity of Termera possibly consisted of Termera and Telmessos; which are suggested to have been stretching from the west coast to the lands of Pedasa in Bitez [Bean-Cook 1955:148]. It is considered that Plinius [Plinius 5; 29; 107] made a mistake by not including Termera among the Lelegian cities incorporated to Halicarnassus. Because the investigations yielded that depending on the potsherds; the settlement was discontinued in the 4th century BC; and it was probably used only as an observation post. According to Suidas; the tyrants used this place as a prison. Termera was incorporated into the Myndus territory following the Mausolus' period [Bean 1976:895-896; Bean 2000:119-120; Bean-Cook 1955:148-149].
Research and Excavation: Newton; Paton and Myres investigated the city at the end of the 19th century; followed by surveys of Bean and Cook in 1950; and of Radt in 1960. It is revisited during the survey carried out by A. Diler and team in 2009 [Diler et al. 2011.195]. It takes place in the registered archaeological sites list prepared by Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
Stratigraphy:
Small Finds:
Remains: Termera is a typical Lelegian settlement with its appearance of an inner fort enclosed by a city wall. City wall: The eastern part of the external wall has been well preserved. It was built with a polygonic stone masonry. It is likely that the 2 m wide gate was arched. Its characteristics and potsherds in the vicinity suggest the wall may be dated to the 5th century BC. The walls of the fort were erected by small stones. There is a gate to the northwest. A 1.5 m wide gate was found piercing the polygonic fortification below the hill to the south of the inner fort. It is believed that this area surrounded with walls continue up to the west side of the inner fort. Further south; a massive; polygonic wall has a 2 m wide entrance. Abundant number of potsherds collected from the surface are dated to the 5th century BC. The hardly noticeable road passing through the gate leads to the inner fort. The second massive polygonic wall was presumably the external fortification. Cistern: There is a large double-vaulted cistern inside the fort in addition to some other buildings. It was built 4 m under the ground with a total length up to 9 m. It is observed that the vaults on the top extend out from four edges in Lelegian style. Although some material from the Hellenistic and Byzantine Periods were unearthed; it is suggested that the cistern may have belonged to the Classical Period due its overall appearance. Residences: During the investigations in the area enclosed by the outer wall; architectural remains; possibly of residences; and potsherds from the Archaic Period; 4th century BC; and 2nd century BC at latest were uncovered. Due to the abundant number of the Classical Period material; the settlement inside the outer city wall might have been discontinued during the second half of the 4th century BC [Bean-Cook 1955:117-118]. An intense construction is observed between the outer wall and Acropolis Hill during the survey carried out in 2009 by Diler. The building remains on this area are harmonious with the topography particularly on the North-eastern and South-western terraces. The building techniques of terraces point to Pre-Mausollos period [Diler et al. 2011.195-196]. Necropolis/Graves: Various types of graves were found mainly to the south; and also to the east and west of the city. A considerably large cemetery was found in the valley to the south. The potsherds uncovered here belong to a large historical period ranging from the Bronze Age to the Archaic Period [Bean-Cook 1955:118]. The rock-tombs on the lower North-western slope are documented during the survey carried out in 2009 by Diler [Diler et al. 2011:195]. In 2012, the studies carried out in the southeast and northwest necropolises. In the southeast necropolis, the burial platforms and remains of structure have been damaged since the area has been recently used as stone quarry. During the survey, 5 platform burials were found. The graves were built with andesite blocks. Inside rectangular stone platforms with a length of 5-10 m and a width of 3-5 m, masonry cremation burials in the form of cist grave were built. A rounded grave, platform burials and a burial chamber (dwelling?) were found in the northwest necropolis [Diler et al. 2014:420-422]. During the 2011 studies, it was discovered that the area on the top of the hill was encircled with defense walls and the area became a citadel. A rock cistern was built in the middle of this area. The cistern, the interior section of which measures 19x6 m, was carved into the bedrock and some parts of it were completed by building wall masonry where the bedrock is not proper for construction. Several layers of plaster indicate that this cistern was in use for a long time of period. Termera acropolis was surrounded by defense walls. These walls extending towards northeast and descending to southeast formed a terrace in this area. Illicit diggings pits were found in this area and foundations of structures were discovered in these pits. These walls functioned as a second defense system are preserved at the foundation level such in the citadel. The defense wall descending towards the southeast of the area joins with the south defense wall on the south section of the hill. One of the main gates of the city is located in this south defense wall. The studies carried out to follow the continuation of the defense wall show that the defense wall continues to the west to the main gate and then turns to the east and joins the citadel. The defense wall is built on sloping lands and it functions as terrace and defence wall. Thereby, proper areas were created for structuring. To the west, the defense wall is preserved up to 1-2.50 m high. It was reinforced with a tower located on the corner turning to the north. Inside this area surrounded with defense wall, there are civil buildings. Among these structures, olive oil and grape workshop remains that were probably used for endustrial purposes were discovered. The wall seen on the west slopes of the hill should belong to the building terraces. The agricultural terraces are located in the area beginning from the outside of the defense wall extending towards Aspat. These terraces are concentrated in two areas. One of them is located on the south of the acropolis and the upper slopes extending towards the east. The other one is situated on the slopes reaching to the west, 600-700 m south of the acropolis. The gate of Asarlik City and wall technique are dated to Early IA. There are grave platforms and stone tumuli on the ridge extending in the east-west direction on the northeast of the city. These grave platforms are located on the ridge on the edge of the valley leading to the south and north and northeast slopes of the narrow and long valley reaching from Asarlik to Aspat. In the territorium of Termera, agricultural structures and enclosures in various sizes scattered outside the agricultural terraces were discovered. There are also enclosures with one or two rooms as well as the enclosures used as dairy farm built in dry wall technique. The results of the research support the idea that the settlement in Asarlik hill belongs to Termera city that was mentioned in ancient literature. Because potsherds recovered from the grave platforms are dated to Sub-Mycenaean period and Early IA. The material contemporary with these potsherds were found in the same type of burials and platform cremation burials in Pedesa. These findings should be considered as the first archaeological data belonging to the society who created Caria culture and Lelegs [Diler et al. 2013:255-258].
Interpretation and Dating: It is particular that the face of rock tombs and the main gate of the city are shaped in a triangular forehead form. The tradition of crowning with a form of triangular forehead of walls, city gates and monuments is also seen in other early settlements such as Theangela within the same peninsula, and Thera and Hydas outside the peninsula. This method of application adds a monumental quality to the building, which may be associated with a religious symbol. This type of a tradition is used on the rock tombs of peninsula during Hellenistic and Roman Periods. This is especially instructive for understanding the links between Miken Culture where the same door tradition is used extensively, and the 2nd Millennium BC Anatolian Culture as observed in Termera, Hydas, Theangela and Thera which are Karia's earlier settlements [Diler et al. 2011.195]. It is understood that the city walls extend earlier than Mausollos period to the Miken period. This hypothesis is also supported by the fact that there are pieces among those observed around the illicit excavation hole that can be aged before the Geometric Period from the 4th century BC in lower Southeastern slopes of the Acropolis [Diler et al. 2011.196].


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