Unguentaria and Ampulla Mould from the Early Byzantine Period in Tlos

Abstract

Tlos, whose history of settlement dates back to the Prehistoric Ages, is one of the six largest cities with the right to three votes within the Lycian Union, which was founded in 168 BC When the Roman Emperor Claudius turned the Lycian Region into a Roman province in 43 AD, Tlos maintained its importance within the League during this period and retained its title of Metropolis. In the Early Christian Period, Tlos was among the important centers of the episcopacy in Lycia. The city basilica, whose first phase dates to the second half of the 4th century AD, and the city walls, which date back to the first half of the 5th century AD, are provide evidence that the Christian population played a significant role in Tlos since the Early Byzantine Period. This process continued through the Middle Byzantine Period and into the Anatolian Principalities, with its growing population and developing economy.

In this study, sealed and unsealed samples of unguentaria and a mold of the ampulla from the Temple of Kronos and the theatre were examined under the titles of typology, production and function. Unguentaria and ampulla, which are common in the Mediterranean Region, appear as local productions in Anatolia, especially in the centers on the pilgrimage route. The unguentarium fragments with manufacturing defects and a mold of the ampulla analyzed in this article clearly show that both forms were produced in the ancient city of Tlos during the Early Byzantine Period onwards. On the other hand, the presence of figurative and monogrammed seals unique to Tlos on some unguentaria supports the existence of local production.