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©The Archaeological Settlements of Turkey - TAY Project
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Kastabos |
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For site maps and drawings please click on the picture...  |
For photographs please click on the photo...  |
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Type:
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Sanctuary |
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Altitude:
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m |
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Region:
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Aegean |
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Province:
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Mugla |
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District:
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Marmaris |
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Village:
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Hisarönü |
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Investigation Method:
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Survey |
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Period:
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Hellenistic |
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| Location: It is located on a plain ground called Pazarlik; to the south of the Hisarönü Village; southwest of the Marmaris District of the Mugla Province [Umar 1999:198]. |
| Geography and Environment: |
| History: |
| Research and Excavation: It was visited by Spratt at the end of the 19th century; and a survey was conducted by Fraser and Bean in 1948-50 and by Cook and Plommer in 1960s. |
| Stratigraphy: |
| Small Finds: |
| Remains: The sanctuary was dedicated to Hemithea; known as half-goddess. It is dated to the second half of the 4th century BC [Kuban-Saner 1997:439]. Theater: It was built on a slope [Kuban-Saner 1997:439]. Temple/Sanctuary: With a peripteral plan; it is in Ionic order [Kuban-Saner 1997:439]. Strong local limestone was used for all steps; orthostats and cella wall including stylobate. Columns and all entablature are of marble [Cook-Plommer 1966:77]. It consists of a deep pronaos and naos. The façade faces east. Based on the materials uncovered during the excavations; the elements comprising the façade of the temple included a crepis of three upward steps; stylobate; Ionic columns rising on pedestals; architrave; frieze and cyma. Very little of the frieze survived to the present day. One of the important finds during the survey performed by W. Held et al. in 2007 is possibly a stone block with accanthus motif which should probably be interpreted as the ante capital and a block containing a lotus-palmetto motif and the pedestal of the corner acroterium. It is assumed that this block belongs to the altar since it was found near the northeast corner of the krepis. The foundation of the altar and Cella walls were built of good quality limestone. As a result of drawing the stone blocks of the Cella wall it was found that the altar possibly had a deformation such as a particular part that beveled out. Among the roof tiles that wer collected during researches a particular roof tile bearing a single letter graffito, which is the first specimen in Karia language in the Karia Chersonnessos. The letter that was found does not belong to Greek alphabet but it is the letter N in the alphabets of Euromos, Kildara and Memphis [Held et al. 2009:214-215]. Three architrave parts, which were preserved with their full height and gave an idea about the superstructure of the temple, were found in 2008 studies. It was observed that these architraves were sculpted from two separate blocks. Upper fascia, Ion cymation and astragal were extracted from one block and lower two fascias from another block [Held et al. 2010:218-219]. During 2009 these studies have continued and the Northern terrace wall of the temple is found to be 54.30 m long while the Western terrace wall is 33.25 m long. It is determined that no attachment places exists which points to different phases. The wall is built up by polygonal technique with limestone blocks. Rectangular stones are used in the corners. A slight slope is identified by the measurements carried out in Krepis and toichobat in the North, South and East sides. This result is describing that the temple's architecture has the features that temples with highest quality in Hellenistic Period have [Held et al 2011:326]. The east and the south sections of the temple terrace were researched in 2010. The parapet wall which extends 1.6 m in length from the edge the temple terrace was partly researched Cook and Plommer. The structure 4 on the northeast has been cleaned and drawn. It has been documented that the parapet wall continued through east of the structure. The parapet wall which is located on the east side of the terrace has been studied within the context of "Eastern Structures". The large one of these structures is at the same level with the parapet wall. The small one is located on the east, behind the parapet wall. The wall of the large structure descends deeper than the parapet wall. The southwest corner of the wall has been carved later. Therefore it is believed that this structure could belong to an earlier phase which is earlier than the parapet wall. Another structure that its foundation partially preserved is located on the southeast corner of the terrace. The parapet wall ends in the middle of the south terrace. On the southwest corner of the terrace, a structure with two rooms was discovered. The eastern structures are different from the other small structures (naikoi) in the parapet wall. These structures were formed with roughly polygonal shaped walls. The façades of the naikoi which facing to the temple were built with well cut blocks. 3 fragments of marble statue and a fragment of marble palmette were found in the Large Eastern structure. Also a handle of sealed amphora and a roof tile were found. 3 fragments of marble statue were revealed in Structure 4 and Structure 7. The ramp rises from south to the temple terrace was reinforced with well cut polygonal shaped blocks which were formed by using carved natural rock and a terrace wall. The main road starting from the ramp extends straight and rises to the ridge on the west of the sacred rock [Held 2012:187-188]. The 2011 studies were concentrated on the theatre and temple terrace. There is an ancient theatre on the southwest of the temple terrace in the sanctuary. The theatre was studied by British archaeologists J. M. Cook and W. H. Plommer and some parts of the southwest section of Koilon were excavated. An area of 29 m in diameter belonging to Koilon was discovered and this area extends in the east-west direction. To the north and south, the terraces were built side by side on Koilon. Therefore, the koilon, where the spectators sat shows long and irregular plan. It measures 56 m long in N-S. A giant marble statue head, the height of which is two times bigger than the actual size, was found on the surface on the west of the skene. A shoulder part belonging to a marble statue in same size was discovered under the temple terrace on the south. There is a roughly dressed joint section under this fragment. So, it should belong to another torso made out of a different material. Although these two marble fragments don't join, they could belong to same statue. The statue was sculptured in acrolith technique. It should be the cult statue of Kastabos due to its size. Among the stones of the orchestra, another marble statue neck fragment in same form and size was found. This fragment doesn't join with the head and shoulder fragment. Therefore, there should be two giant acrolith statues in the sanctuary. One of these statues should be Hemithea cult statue. The function and location of the other one is not clear. The second statue should have been used in one of the Naiskoi on the east of the temple terrace [Held 2013:272-273]. |
| Interpretation and Dating: |
