Cooking Pots from the Excavations at the Kitchen Space (M11) of the Olympos Episkopeion

Abstract

The ancient city of Olympos was a harbor city located in eastern Lycia. Today, it is situated within the boundaries of Yazır Neighborhood in the Kumluca district of Antalya Province. The settlement layout visible today was largely shaped during the urban development activities of the 5^th and 6^th centuries AD. Natural disasters in the mid-6^th century, followed by a process of economic and military decline and the Arab incursions affecting the southern coasts of Anatolia from the mid-7^th century onwards, indicate that the city’s population was adversely affected. The Episkopeion (Episcopal Palace) is a monumental ecclesiastical complex located in the northern part of the city. Archaeological excavations have revealed that construction of the complex began in the second half of the 5^th century AD and reached its final form in the first half of the 6^th century AD. Excavations have identified a rectangular space in the northwestern part of the complex, designated as Room 11 (M11), which functioned as a kitchen. The cooking vessels that form the subject of this study were recovered from a dense fill layer on the floor. These vessels are classified into two main groups based on their functions: cooking pots used for preparing vegetables and stewed meat dishes, and vessels utilized for sautéing and frying. Intense traces of secondary burning resulting from prolonged use were observed on all examined specimens. Animal bones found alongside the cooking vessels provide significant data regarding the dietary habits of the city’s inhabitants. According to the stratigraphy identified in M11 excavations, the cooking vessels are dated from the 6^th century to the early 7^th century AD. This study aims to introduce the form repertoire of these vessels and present evaluations regarding their possible production origins.