Some Considerations on a Building at the Ancient City of Salamis

Year 2007, , 79 - 100, 01.10.2007

Ayça Özcan

https://doi.org/10.1501/andl_0000000352

Abstract

Some Considerations on a Building at the Ancient City of Salamis This article deals with a building which is excavated during the Ankara University’s excavations at Salamis under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Coşkun Özgünel. The building is situated on the northern part of Salamis where the public buildings such as Theater, Roman Baths and Bath-Gymnasium Complex are located. It stands west of the colonnaded street and southeast of the Roman Bath. It was found for the first time excavations took place in 2002 and has been excavated since 2004. This building, which was abandoned possibly after a fire, has a rectangular ground plan and consists of three chambers and a rectangular platform that is at the south edge. The building is 13,10 x 12,96 m at the short sides and 33,11 x 32,13 m at the long sides in length. A waterproof mortar pavement surrounded the building at the ground level. Between this pavement and the chambers there is an unidentified small corridor which is not continued south side of the building. Chambers run north-south axis and there are dividing walls that was constructed of limestone blocks between them. Inside of the dividing wall between Chamber II and III there is a clay water pipe which was maybe used for drainage. The eastern wall of Chamber I and II was constructed of brick and not preserved at Chamber III. No doorways between the chambers or the main entrance were assigned to the building. The main entrance should be on the north wall. A rectangular platform that is at the same level with the Colonnaded Street and two door or window openings which were closed in a later phase gave such hints. Floors of chambers were made of a waterproof mortar pavement. Two parallel rows consisted each of 8 columns one of that bears a masons’s mark “EA” in Greek letters can be seen in the floor pavement. On the each dividing walls there are also two column stands. This structure should be supported the roof system of the first phase like Loutron in Salamis or the other similar examples in the Mediterranean world. The excavations results revealed the building at least two phases that could represent of usage. The massive walls isolated with a waterproof mortar, clay water pipe system where at the south and southeast side of building are located and a water channel gave rise to thought in its first phase should be a water cistern or reservoir. With the help of the coin findings the second phase of the building can be dated to 4th century A.D. Pottery findings such as amphorae, kitchen, cooking and storing pots, mortars, a basalt grinding stone, limestone basins and also construction techniques give rise to thought that the building should be used as a house and / or a workshop. There were also found some findings which such as a limestone and a marble perirrhanterion stands, a late Roman column capital and three columns which were moved from the Colonnaded Street and the other buildings its environs. A fire destruction level can be seen on the whole building. Three silver coins with Arabic legends was found on the floor of Chamber II are important evidences to the last phase. It is known that Salamis abandoned after Arabic Invasions in 7th century A.D. All these information and the excavation results provide a general idea about this building. After completing the excavation which is still carried out in the building and water supply system around the building will be possible to determine the certain function and the building phases

Keywords

Cyprus • Salamis • Architecture • Cistern • Workshop

SALAMİS ANTİK KENTİNDEN BİR YAPI HAKKINDA DÜŞÜNCELER

Abstract

Bu makale, Prof. Dr. Coşkun Özgünel başkanlığında Salamis’te yürütülen Ankara Üniversitesi Kazıları sırasında bulunan bir yapıya değinmektedir. Sütunlu Cadde’nin batısında ve Roma Hamamı’nın güneybatısında yer alan yapı, en azından iki farklı kullanım evresi geçirmiştir. Horasan harç ile sıvanmış kütlesel duvarları, pişmiş toprak künk sistemi ve bir su kanalı ile yapı, Sütunlu Cadde ile çağdaş ilk evresinde bir sarnıç veya su deposu olmalıdır. Sikkeler aracılığı ile yapının ikinci evresi ise M.S. 4. yüzyıla tarihlenmektedir. Amphora’lar, mutfak, pişirme ve depolama kapları gibi seramik buluntular ile mortarium’lar, bazalt bir öğütme taşı ve kireçtaşı tekneler yapının bir atölye olarak kullanıldığını düşündürmektedir. Tüm yapıda taban üzerinde gözlemlenen yangın tabakası ve bu seviyede ele geçen Arapça lejandlı gümüş sikkeler ve M.S. 7. yüzyıldaki Arap istilaları sonrasında Salamis’in terk edildiğinin bilinmesi bir yangın sonucu terk edilmiş olan yapının son kullanım tarihi hakkında önemli bir ipucu vermektedir. Bütün bu veriler ve ilk kazı sonuçları yapı hakkında genel bir fikir sağlamaktadır. Yapıda ve onunla bağlantılı olduğu düşünülen su sistemine yönelik halen yürütülen kazıların sonuçlanması ile binanın kesin işlevini ve kullanım evrelerini kesin olarak tespit edebilmek mümkün olacaktır

Keywords

Kıbrıs, Sarnıç, Salamis