Amphorae and Other Material Culture Finds Unearthed in the Phaselis Hellenistic Temple Pronaos Excavation: Preliminary Results

Abstract

Located at the intersection of Lycia, Pamphylia, and Pisidia, Phaselis has become an important commercial center, particularly between the Archaic an –Hellenistic periods, due to its three harbors and anchorage area. The Hellenistic Temple discussed in this study was constructed on an elevated plain at a dominant point on the northern slopes of the city. Although excavations have been ongoing in this area since 2019, numerious structures and archeological remains from different periods and with various functions have been identified within the temple temenos. In this study, amphorae constitute the primary material under examination and have been classified both typologically and chronologically. Based on the amphorae and other finds recovered from the area, attempts have been made to determine the function and chronological stages of both the temple and the unearthed structures were tried to be determined.

A review of the findings from the Temple Area reveals issues and problems with both chronology and function. In this context, the primary objective of the study is to identify and examine the various structures and finds present within the confines of the Hellenistic temple temenos. Therefore, one of the objectives of the present study is to address these issues by referring to the material culture remains examined and to propose new suggestions. The objective of this study is twofold: firstly, to enhance comprehension of the functions of the building groups and, secondly, to establish the upper limits of the historical process of the Temple Area through the analysis of concrete archaeological data obtained from archaeological excavations.