Marble Funerary Vases from Sinope
Abstract
Marble vessels of various forms and types had an essential role within the life of ancient people. However, the tedious obtaining process and the long-lasting lifetime of marble made the vessels produced from it valuable and scantly obtainable objects for everyone’s domestic life. On the other hand, due to its durability, marble vessels were highly preferred, especially by the elite for ritual but mostly for funerary oriented areas. Two marble vases kept within the storages of the Sinop Archaeological Museum supply us with some good examples of marble vessels produced and used for funerary oriented purposes. The two vases, carved in the shape of a lekythos and a hydria, are important finds for a better understanding of the funerary beliefs, cultural interactions and, even at some point, the demographic structure of ancient Sinop. In the scope of this paper, continuous evaluation will be conducted, firstly for an in detail interpreting and understanding of the two vases. Full or partial comparisons will be drawn with other various vases for establishing a more definite identification and a secure dating. Last but not least, the vases will be tried to be placed within the context of the use of marble vases for funerary purposes.
Keywords
Funerary marble vases, grave marker, lekythos, Attic, hydria
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