Ancient Tomb Frescoes in Thrace and Macedonia

Year 2021, Volume: 9, 169 - 195, 29.06.2021

Engin Kekeç

Abstract

In particular over the past 50 years, the tumulus-type tombs unearthed in ancient Thrace and Macedonia have generated interest in frescoes in terms of understanding the art of antiquity. As a result of the study of the tomb paintings in the two neighbouring regions, with the aim of understanding in terms of painting techniques and iconographic features, both the similarities and differences in these regions and between each other. Furthermore; inferences are drawn the tomb finds and written sources relating to the sociocultural structure of the communities. Frescoes within the scope of this work are divided into two main groups according to whether they are figural or not. It is understood that the tombs in both regions, containing figures or not, have similar design schemes consisting of horizontal bands on top of each other. In the tombs in Thrace, dating from the middle of the first half of the Vth century B.C. to the middle of the Ist century A.D.; hunting scenes, the funeral dinner, funeral games, crowning, war dance and fighting scenes were depicted. In the Macedonian graves, the earliest of which is dated to around 340 B.C., the latest to the middle of the IInd century B.C.; the subjects depicted were of hunting, funeral games, crowning, trophe, the kidnapping of Persephone, judgement (transition to the afterlife), philosophers’ meeting and royal symposia. The burial frescoes, which are concentrated in the second half of the IVth century B.C. and the IIIrd century B.C. in both regions, are important for depicting new subjects developed in the Hellenistic Period and they include the earliest examples of some techniques that are employed in modern painting.

Keywords

Hellenistic, Tumulus, Mural, Iconog¬raphy, Painting Techniques

Trakya ve Makedonya’da Antikçağ Mezar Freskleri

Abstract

Özellikle son 50 yılda antik Trakya ve Makedonya böl¬gele¬rinde açığa çıkarılan tümülüs tipi mezarlar, antikçağ resim sanatının daha iyi anlaşılması açısından fresklere olan merakı tetiklemiştir. Bu iki bölgede bulunan mezar fresklerini kapsayan çalışma sonucunda, re¬sim tekniği ve ikonografik özellikleri açısından bölgelerin kendi içinde ve birbirleriyle olan benzerliklerinin ve farklılıklarının anlaşılması amaçlanmıştır. Ayrıca, mezarlardaki buluntulardan ve yazılı kaynaklardan da faydalanılarak toplulukların sosyokültürel yapısına ilişkin çıkarımlar yapılmıştır. Çalışma kapsamında freskler, figür içerip içermediklerine göre iki ana gruba ayrılmıştır. Her iki bölgedeki resimlerin de hem figür içerenlerinin hem de içermeyenlerinin benzer tasarım şemalarına sahip oldukları ve üst üste yatay bant sıralarından oluştukları anlaşılmıştır. MÖ V. yüzyılın ilk yarısı ile MS I. yüzyılın ortasına tarihlendirilen Trakya’daki mezarlarda; av sahneleri, cenaze yemeği, cenaze oyunları, askeri müzakere, taçlandırma, savaş dansı ve mücadele sah¬neleri işlenmiştir. En erkeni MÖ 340 civarına ve en geç olanı MÖ II. yüzyıl ortalarına tarihlendirilen Makedonya’daki mezarlarda ise avlar, cenaze oyunları, taçlandırma, trophe, Persephone’nin kaçırılması, yargılama (öbür dünyaya geçiş), filozoflar toplantısı ve kralî sympo¬sion işlenmiştir. Her iki bölgede de MÖ IV. yüzyılın ikinci yarısı ile MÖ III. yüzyılda yoğunlaşan mezar freskleri, Hellenistik Dönem’le birlikte geliştirilen yeni konuların tasvir edilmesi ve modern resim sanatındaki bazı tekniklerin en erken örneklerini içermesi açısından önem arz etmektedir.

Keywords

Hellenistik, Tümülüs, Duvar Resmi, İkonografi, Resim Teknikleri

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