Research Article

Tokens Used in the Letoon Sanctuary: Society, Religious Ceremonies and Governance in the Light of Tokens

Volume: 12 June 11, 2024
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Tokens Used in the Letoon Sanctuary: Society, Religious Ceremonies and Governance in the Light of Tokens

Abstract

Tokens are objects that provide a lot of information about the material structure of the society, the form of administration, rituals, festivals and beliefs that constitute social relations evidenced through tokens from prehistoric times to the present day. Tokens of different materials and designs are called tesserae, spintriae, symbola, voting tokens, countermarks under the "moneti form". The functions of these tokens, which have been found in different archaeological excavations, sometimes singularly and sometimes in large numbers, have not been subject to much focused research. In this study, 179 terracotta tokens recovered from the Lycian sanctuary of Letoon in the 1970s were analysed. The tokens were discovered during the excavation depot works carried out in 2016 and 2018 and studied by the author. There is no information about the detailed findspot, context, stratigraphy of the tokens and they are not mentioned in the excavation reports. The majority of the tickets were recovered from the terrace area in front of the theatre furnacatum vault. It is suggested that the tokens recovered from the Letoon may have served more than one function. Some of the tokens are marked, others have numbers or monograms on them. The fact that the tokens were recovered from an area close to the theatre, where Romania Letoia festivals and agonistic performances were held, and which was also used as a council building, suggests that these little-studied objects may have had a wide variety of uses for the sanctuary.

Keywords

Supporting Institution

The literature research for this article was conducted with scholarships provided by the Koç University Research Center for Anatolian Civilizations ANAMED, Netherlands Institute in İstanbul NIT and IFEA Institut Français d’Etudes Anatoliennes.

Thanks

I would like to thanks to Prof. Dr. Sema Atik-Korkmaz who was the director of the Letoon excavations (2014-2018) due to permission to publish this group of material, which I worked on during the 2016 and 2018 excavation seasons.I would like to dedicate this work to my beloved father (Geodesy and Photogrammetry Engineer Colonel Dr. İlhan Özdilek) who passed away 1 year ago. I am grateful to him for guiding me to choose the profession of archaeology and for his endless support in my progress in my profession.

References

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  2. Arslan A. 2023, “Studying Fingerprints in Archaeology: Potentials and Limitations of Paleodermatoglyphics as an Archaeometric Method”. Arkeoloji Bilimleri Dergisi, 1-16.
  3. Atik Korkmaz S. 2016, “Ana Tanrıçanın Kutsal Alanı: Letoon”. Eds. H. İşkan & E. Dündar, Lukka’dan Likya’ya. Sarpedon ve Aziz Nikalaos’un Ülkesi. İstanbul, 186-205.
  4. Atik Korkmaz S., İ. Ergüder & E. Babayiğit 2015, “Letoon Tiyatrosunda 2011-2012 Yıllarında Gerçekleştirilen Jeofizik Destekli Arkeolojik Araştırmalar Ön Rapor”. Eds. H. İşkan & F. Işık, Patara VII-1: Kum’dan Kent’e Patara Kazılarının 25 Yılı Uluslararası Sempozyum Bildirileri, 11-13 Kasım 2013, Antalya. İstanbul, 417-424.
  5. Badie A., S. Lemaitre & J. C. Moretti 2004, “Le theatre du Letoon de Xanthos. Etat des recherches”. Anatolia Antiqua XII, 145-186.
  6. Balland A. 1981, Inscriptions d’époque impériale du Létôon. Inscriptions d’Epoque Imperiale du Letoon. Paris. Bener S. S. 2013, Antikçağda Oyun ve Oyuncaklar. İstanbul.
  7. Crisà A. 2020, “Ancient Tokens of Sicily. Small Communities on the Mediterranean Island Utilized These Pieces for Ceremonial Purposes”. The Numismatist 133/2, 47-51.
  8. Crisà A. 2018, “A New Terracotta Tessera from the Excavations of the University of Milan at Palmyra (Tadmor, Syrian Arab Republic) (2010)”. Archeologia Classica 69, 803-810.

Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Greek and Roman Period Archeology

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

June 11, 2024

Submission Date

May 1, 2024

Acceptance Date

June 5, 2024

Published in Issue

Year 2024 Volume: 12

APA
Özdilek, B. (2024). Tokens Used in the Letoon Sanctuary: Society, Religious Ceremonies and Governance in the Light of Tokens. Cedrus, 12, 45-62. https://izlik.org/JA49SC25DZ
AMA
1.Özdilek B. Tokens Used in the Letoon Sanctuary: Society, Religious Ceremonies and Governance in the Light of Tokens. Cedrus. 2024;12:45-62. https://izlik.org/JA49SC25DZ
Chicago
Özdilek, Banu. 2024. “Tokens Used in the Letoon Sanctuary: Society, Religious Ceremonies and Governance in the Light of Tokens”. Cedrus 12 (June): 45-62. https://izlik.org/JA49SC25DZ.
EndNote
Özdilek B (June 1, 2024) Tokens Used in the Letoon Sanctuary: Society, Religious Ceremonies and Governance in the Light of Tokens. Cedrus 12 45–62.
IEEE
[1]B. Özdilek, “Tokens Used in the Letoon Sanctuary: Society, Religious Ceremonies and Governance in the Light of Tokens”, Cedrus, vol. 12, pp. 45–62, June 2024, [Online]. Available: https://izlik.org/JA49SC25DZ
ISNAD
Özdilek, Banu. “Tokens Used in the Letoon Sanctuary: Society, Religious Ceremonies and Governance in the Light of Tokens”. Cedrus 12 (June 1, 2024): 45-62. https://izlik.org/JA49SC25DZ.
JAMA
1.Özdilek B. Tokens Used in the Letoon Sanctuary: Society, Religious Ceremonies and Governance in the Light of Tokens. Cedrus. 2024;12:45–62.
MLA
Özdilek, Banu. “Tokens Used in the Letoon Sanctuary: Society, Religious Ceremonies and Governance in the Light of Tokens”. Cedrus, vol. 12, June 2024, pp. 45-62, https://izlik.org/JA49SC25DZ.
Vancouver
1.Banu Özdilek. Tokens Used in the Letoon Sanctuary: Society, Religious Ceremonies and Governance in the Light of Tokens. Cedrus [Internet]. 2024 Jun. 1;12:45-62. Available from: https://izlik.org/JA49SC25DZ

Our journal has decided to continue its publication under the Continuous Publication Model as of January 1, 2026. A maximum of 15 articles will be published in the relevant annual volume. As of October 2024, Cedrus accepts articles only in foreign languages.