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©The Archaeological Settlements of Turkey - TAY Project
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Syangela |
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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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Mugla |
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District:
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Bodrum |
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Village:
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Alazeytin |
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Investigation Method:
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Survey |
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Period:
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Archaic Classical |
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| Location: It is located to the west of Ciftlikkoyu; east of the Bodrum District of the Mugla Province. Presently it is called Alazeytin Kalesi [Bean 2000:129]. |
| Geography and Environment: |
| History: Syangela is one of the eight Lelegian cities in the Halicarnassus peninsula. Just like the people of Myndus; the people of Syangela was not forced to move to Halicarnassus; but they refounded a city at another location; which is called Thyangela. It is known that Syangela together with Amynanda paid a tribute of one talent to the Delian League. A person named Pigres was the governor of this city. Another Pigres; a Carian; who was the captain of a Persian ship in the Battle of Salamis in 480 BC; was possibly a member of this family. A group of silver coins with a depiction of griffon head dating to 500 BC was presumably minted during the dynasty of the same family. Some being uncovered on the shore of Alakilise; and a little in Theangela; these coins indicate that the dynasty of Pigres ruled in the area for a period of time [Bean 2000:127]. There are various comments about the site of Syangela. Radt associated Syangela with another Lelegian settlement closer to Theangela than Alazeytin; further than the Kaplan Mountain to the southwest of the Etrim Village. A large cemetery located in the above mentioned settlement is similar to the cemetery formed by mounds in Pedasa. It is believed that the larger ones may have belonged to the family members of the dynasty. Following the looting of Syangela by the Persians in 546 BC; the population settled near the present location of Etrim (then called Theangela); especially around Manastirtepesi (see Theangela). A burial mound dating to the 5th century BC indicate that the settlement in Syangela didn't discontinue. It is likely that the city was completely abandoned after Theangela was refounded and enlarged by Mausolus during the second quarter of the 4th century BC [Bean 2000:135]. Bean acknowledges that some of the buildings in Theangela reflect the characteristics of the Lelegian architecture. Although it seems to support the proposal that Theangela was founded over Syangela; Bean points out the fact that the masonry masters might have continued some old traditions. According to the researcher; the settlement in Alazeytin is actually Syangela[Bean-Cook 1955:146]. |
| Research and Excavation: Alazeytin Fortress was investigated by Judeich in the second half of the 19th century; by Bean and Cook in 1950s; and by Radt between 1964-66. It takes place in the registered archaeological sites list prepared by Ministry of Culture and Tourism. |
| Stratigraphy: |
| Small Finds: |
| Remains: City wall: The city is enclosed by a Lelegian type of roughly rounded fortification. There is a semicircular bastion on the eastern side of the wall pierced by square towers. The main gate lies to the south. The gate defense was fortified by making the wall inverted. It looks like an inner fort enclosed by a wall inside the city. This is one of the typical characteristics of the Lelegian settlements. It was protected by the towers around. There are a cistern and rooms facing a common courtyard inside the fort. The building to the west of the inner fort looks different with a regular masonry compared to the other city buildings. It has been well preserved; and it is of a later date. Presumably built as a watchtower; it might have been erected during the Mausolus's period to control the surrounding area and prevent the return of earlier inhabitants of the settlement. Agora: To the east of the fortress lies a large wide open area; which is presumably the agora accessible by the stairways carved into the bedrock. Temple/Sanctuary: There is a building at the southeast corner of the agora which is either a temple or a heroon. Two capitals were uncovered here. There is another building adjacent to the north wall. The researcher dates this building to the 6th century BC; and relates it to the buildings built after the Persian attacks within the same century. It is proposed that the heavily destructed building to the west of the interior fortress may have been the sanctuary of the city. Residence: The architectural remains to the north; east and south of the inner fortress belong to the residences. The houses adjacently built and separated by narrow streets are typical of the Lelegian architecture [Bean 2000:129-130]. Miscellaneous: A couple of hundred meters to the southwest of the city; there is a group of buildings very typical of the Lelegian Period. It is observed that the buildings with a circular plan were built adjacent to another building with a square or rectangular plan. The circular one measures around 12-15 m in diameter. It was found out that a second wall connects to the main wall at two points in each of the building. The area left between the main wall and the second wall is separated into sections with smaller walls; which are covered with corbeling vault. It is assumed that the square structures were used as warehouse while the circular ones were used as stables for animals like sheeps; and goats. It is reported that this type of buildings are common in the Halicarnassus Peninsula; but they are not always related to a city as in this case [Bean 2000:130]. |
| Interpretation and Dating: |
