Cilician Amphorae from the Tarsus Zeytin Pazarı Excavation

Abstract

Rescue excavations were carried out in and around the remains of the Roman reservoir uncovered during the renovation works of the Zeytin Pazarı in the north of the city center of Tarsus. In particular, piles of ceramic sherds were recovered from the fill inside the reservoir remains, and commercial amphorae constitute the most dense group among these finds. Spread over a long period of time during the Roman Period and Late Antiquity, the amphora also includes types from different geographical regions. Among these, amphorae, which were apparently imported from the cities of the Cilicia Region, were categorized. In this way, information was obtained about the regional trade connections of Tarsus in the above-mentioned period. The amphorae, which have been handled with the names commonly accepted in the literature, have been typologically defined and dated by analogy method. Thus, Pompei V and Agora G 198 amphorae from Aigeai were dated to the 1st-2nd centuries AD, Zemer 41 amphorae from Bıçkıcı, Antiochia ad Cragum and Syedra to the 1st-3rd centuries AD and Proto Late Roman 1 amphorae from Elaiussa Sebaste to the second half of the 4th century AD.