A Graffito from Tisna

Year 2020, Issue: 1, 87 - 97, 30.06.2020

Emre Erdan

Abstract

In this study, a graffiti found in Tisna will be examined. Tisna is in Aliağa District of Izmir Province. Pliny is the only source in the ancient texts that convey information about the city located in the core of the region defined as Aeolis in the Ancient Period. In the city, which was first visited by the French traveler Guichon in the 1860s, an archaeological survey was initiated by us since 2018. The city is located on two rather hilly elevations, which are defined as Kocakale Tepe and Sarıkale Tepe today. Our studies in the city showed that Sarıkale Tepe was the main settlement area in ancient times. In the highest point of the hill, which we define as an acropolis, a sanctuary with architectural elements can be observed along with many finds. During our studies in the field, a unique graffiti was encountered in terms of Anatolian Archeology. It is believed that the graffiti in which a figure depicted and formed with scraping lines on the andesite bedrock mass may have belonged to the Archaic Period at least in terms of the finds presented by the area.

Keywords

Tisna, Aeolis, Sanctuary, Graffiti, Archaic Period

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