The archaeological records prove the existence of a continuous settlement in Bayrakli Mound, located northeast of Izmir Bay, from the Bronze Ages until the Hellenistic Period. Migration movements to the Western Anatolian coasts beginning in the 11th century BC revealed the benefits of economic growth in Old Smyrna's socio-cultural structure and the city's identity as a Greek Polis. However, due to the importance of its geopolitical position and the outcomes of political events, the city was vulnerable to invasions from different powers. The military actions in the city which was captured by Lydia and Persia and later sieged by Macedonians (?) can be clearly recognized with archaeological data. Arrowheads are one of the sources of information for this data and are unquestionably the essential reference source among ordnance. Arrowheads, found in many places from the Near East to Anatolia and the Greek Mainland, were not only used in warfare, but they were also popular as a votive item given in the sanctuary and as a funerary offering left in the graves during burial customs. In this study, arrowheads unearthed in Old Smyrna throughout the previous and recent excavations were examined in-depth, and classification was developed based on the arrowheads' shape and functional qualities. A total of 133 bronze and iron arrowheads were classified typologically and compared to similar samples acquired from nearby and distant sites. The arrowheads discovered in recent excavations, ongoing since 2014, have been dated together with the context. This study particularly emphasizes the correlation between the destructions associated with the military actions in the city and the arrowheads. Therefore, this study of bronze and iron arrowhead findings in Old Smyrna, one of the most important cities in Western Anatolia, will critically contribute to the literature.
In this article, bone and ivory artifacts discovered in Old Smyrna, one of the most important cities in Western Anatolian region, were examined and classified according to their intended use. Most of the objects were found and recorded in previous excavations prior to 2014 and just lately observed during the latest arrangements made in the storehouse. The other part includes the finds unearthed in the recent excavations since 2014. Sixty-three artifacts were examined, including rings, ornaments (fibula, beads, hairpins, pendants), game pieces (game piece, fish vertebrae, astragals), appliqués, and tool handles. All the items were compared with akin samples from nearby and distant archaeological sites, and those with contexts were dated according to the ceramic groups found with them. The worked bone and ivory objects researched in Old Smyrna, inhabited from the Early Bronze Age to the Hellenistic Period, were dated to periods within the 1st millennium BC. Overall, due to the limited number of studies, the Old Smyrna finds will make essential contribution to the insufficient level of bone and ivory object researches. These objects provide insight into the daily lives of the people who lived in Smyrna.
Arkaik Dönem’de Batı Anadolu’nun sosyal, siyasi ve ekonomik hayatında önemli bir role sahip olan Lydia Krallığı, Sardes merkezli yönetim alanı kadar İonia kıyılarında bulunan Hellen yerleşimlerini de MÖ 7. yüzyıl süresince etkisi altına almıştır. Herodotos, Lydialılar, kültürleri ve onların komşularıyla ilişkileri hakkında detaylı bilgiler aktarmaktadır. İonia kıyıları üzerinde Kral Gyges ile başlayan Lydia baskısı, yaklaşık MÖ 600 tarihinde kral Alyattes’in saldırısıyla son kez kendini güçlü bir şekilde hissettirmiştir. Herodotos ve Strabon tarafından aktarıldığı üzere bu seferden en çok etkilenen yerleşim ise Eski Smyrna olmuştur. 1930lu yıllardan günümüze, aralıklarla araştırılmasına devam edilen Eski Smyrna’da araştırmacılar Alyattes’in kentte yarattığı tahribata ilişkin çok sayıda farklı arkeolojik veri ile yorumlarda bulunmuştur. Bu tahribatın izlerinin tespit edilebildiği alanlar, kentin kuzeybatı köşesinde bulunan ve kuşatma rampası olarak tanımlanan yığma tepecik, Alyattes saldırısıyla tahrip olduğu düşünülen Athena Tapınağı’na ait yapı evreleri ve sivil yerleşim sektörleridir. 1948-51 yıllarında bu alanlarda gerçekleştirilen kapsamlı araştırmalarla İngiliz ve Türk ekipler Alyattes’in Smyrna’yı tahrip ettiği tarihi belirlemek için çalışmışlar yürütmüş ve ele geçen arkeolojik veriye ilişkin farklı yorumlar üretmiştir. Buna rağmen iki ekip de Alyattes’in kenti tahribi için yaklaşık MÖ 600 tarihinde hem fikir olmuşlardır. Güncel araştırmalar, MÖ 7. yüzyılın ikinci yarısında inşa edilen kentin 3. savunma duvarı önünde yer alan yapılar ve mezarlar sayesinde tahribatın tarihine ilişkin yeni yorumlarda bulunmayı olanaklı kılmıştır. Bu çalışmada, Alyattes’in Smyrna’yı tahribini tarihleyen veriler ve yorumlar gözden geçirilmiş, bu sonuçlar ile tahribat tarihinin tespitinin güvenilirliği ele alınmış ve güncel araştırmalarla, kentin savunma yapılarının dışında ele geçen yeni verilerin Alyattes’in tahribinin tarihine ilişkin katkıda bulunması amaçlanmıştır.
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