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©The Archaeological Settlements of Turkey - TAY Project
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Gryneion |
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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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City |
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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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Izmir |
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District:
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Aliaga |
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Village:
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Yenisakiran |
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Investigation Method:
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Excavation |
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Period:
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Geometric Archaic Classical |
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| Location: It is situated 1 km from Yenisakiran Village northeast of Aliaga District in Izmir. |
| Geography and Environment: It is on the Temasalik Promontory that extends inside the Çandarlik Gulf. |
| History: |
| Research and Excavation: Excavations that lasted a few days were conducted by some French people in 1883. Many burials were destroyed during Izmir-Çanakkale motorway in 1957 and those were covered by large size mosaics. These mosaics were unearthed during 1973 campaign excavations conducted by Bergama Museum. The excavations lasted between 1973-75. A salvage excavation was conducted in 1992 by Izmir Museum Director T. Özkan [Özkan1994:2]. |
| Stratigraphy: |
| Small Finds: Architecture: During the excavations conducted on the peninsula inside plan square H-15 mixed 2nd Millennium BC and Classical Period sherds were found inside the planted field soil. After the removal of this soil, a destroyed archaeological building level was encountered, the excavations at this location were terminated at 50 cm depth when the bedrock was revealed. Similar destruction was observed on a building level inside the plan square T-18, after the removal of the topsoil. A grave was unearthed during the sounding #4, at 50 cm depth in the necropolis area. 3 destroyed graves were found in sounding #7, underneath the vegetation, 1 monoblock sarcophagus was unearthed at sounding #8 under 50 cm depth, no other grave finds were encountered in that area to 3 m depth. Sarcophagus fragments destroyed through agricultural works and land erosion were found inside sounding 10. After the removal of these finds at 80 cm depth, a grave consisting of stone plates and a cover stone with a gabled roof were unearthed. It was observed that this grave, being near the sea level, was filled with water inside [Özkan1994:4-5]. Besides, Aeolian Orientalizing sherds were found among other finds. Pottery: During the survey that was performed before the 1992 salvage excavation was conducted, Geometric, Archaic and Classical Period sherds were found in the east section of the peninsula, 6th and 5th centuýries BC black and red painted Attican sherds were found in the north of the peninsula [Özkan 1994:3]. During the salvage excavation conducted the same campaign season, excavations took place in two different areas; the peninsula and the necropolis. 2nd Millennium BC and Classical Period sherds, a 4th Century BC amphora, and large kitchen vessels' sherds were found inside the topsoil at plan square H-15 of the peninsula. Among these sherds a terra cotta bread baking tray was also found. The second excavation on the peninsula, took place in plan square T-18 in the east, and just as in plan square H-15, a mixed architecture was encountered at the top, a 4th Century BC amphora and other sherds were found. During the excavations conducted under the topsoil, 4th Century Attican glazed black vases were unearthed on the level of the destroyed architecture floor [Özkan 1994:3, 4]. A palmetto kylix and a skyphos with eyes locally produced in Attican style were found inside grave 92-4, a banded skyphos and a plain dish were unearthed in grave 92-7. An Attican palmetto lekythos and Corinthian Orientalizing were found among other Attican vases' sherds inside sounding 8. Attican black figure decorated kylix, lekythos and skyphos were unearthed inside the grave at sounding #10. The cremation burial #92-1K containing trefoil-mouthed oinochoe was found again in that sounding. The unearthed sarcophagus covered with two stone blocks in sounding #11, contained Attican black glazed cantharos above the waistline of the skeleton [Özkan 1994:4-6]. Grave: 11 soundings were made during the 1992 excavations at the necropolis area, graves were unearthed at soundings numbered 4, 7, 8, 10, and 11. Monoblock limestone sarcophagi, sarcophagi built with limestone plates, cremation, inhumation pithoi and urne type burials were found during Gryneion Necropolis soundings. 1 burial was unearthed inside sounding 4, but since desroyed no finds were revealed. 3 monoblock sarcophagi were unearthed inside sounding 7. |
| Remains: |
| Interpretation and Dating: Burial gifts placed inside graves were observed in monoblock stone sarcophagi at Gryneion Necropolis where no common burial direction was identified. When grave types and finds were analysed Gryneion Necropolis have similarities with Troas, Aiolis and Ionian nekropolises. But based on grave contexts there are similarities particularly with the unearthed graves that belong to Late 6th and 5th centuries at Tenedos, Dardanos and Assos necropolises [Özkan 1994:6]. |
