A Companion to the Achaemenid Persian Empire, 2 Volume Set. Группа авторов. Читать онлайн. Newlib. NEWLIB.NET

Автор: Группа авторов
Издательство: John Wiley & Sons Limited
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Жанр произведения: История
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isbn: 9781119071655
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Regional surveys in Ionia have also documented a number of fortified strongholds (Gezgin 2001: pp. 186–188).

      Archeological evidence for the peaking prosperity during the fourth century BCE appears to have been demonstrated by the ambitious building activities in Ionia, Karia, and Lycia, some of which is generally attributed to the patronage of the Hekatomnids, viz. the initiation of the Temple of Athena at Priene in Ionia, designed by the architect Pytheos, which most likely took place before the arrival of Alexander. The urban development that has been observed in many of the Ionian cities likely owes its inception to the security and financial stability under Achaemenid hegemony.

Photo depicts a view of Lake Manyas from Daskyleion.

      The Achaemenid period settlement had a series of terrace walls built in varying quality and material, the portions of which rise along the southeastern side, one segment reaching a length of 120 m. The northern end of this massive wall, preserved up to 3.75 m high, was built of mudbrick set on a stone foundation of well‐worked rectangular limestone blocks. This wall also served as fortification and the upper terrace walls went through repairs and alterations over a stretch of time. The first excavation seasons in the 1950s in the southern sector of the mound revealed some direct evidence for the Achaemenid occupation: the discovery of several hundred bullae with seal impressions in a rectangular structure. It was re‐excavated in 2004 (Erdoentityan 2007: p. 181). In this area there are several rock‐cut pits, foundations of other buildings including a three‐unit structure, and a large paved courtyard with drainage (İren and Yıldızhan 2013: p. 213). The excavation team suggests that the satrapal residence/palace with attached units lay in this location. Overall the architecture of this sector is complicated, partly due to alterations and reuse, and partly to the ambiguities in our knowledge about the material evidence for civic and religious practices (Kaptan 2016: pp. 350–354). The architectural fragments of Proconnesian marble and andesite found in spolia clearly indicate that there were exquisite structures and tombs in and around the settlement, the earliest from the late sixth and second quarter of the fifth centuries BCE. They comprise volutes, lintel, and frieze fragments decorated with lotus, palmette, and rosette patterns rendered in the styles of Classical Greek Asia Minor, some attributed to Milesian workshops (Ateşlier 2001: pp. 152–160). Architectural elements also include Lydian painted terracotta tile and revetment fragments similar to those in Sardis. It is possible that such terracotta revetments were used on mudbrick structures with stone foundations, traditionally known in the region. On the northern side of the mound, an area of about 300 m2 has been associated with the cult of Cybele.

      The finds reveal a prosperous and cosmopolitan center. The pottery sequence, in particular, shows a rich record: Attic pottery was imported in high quantity and regional imitations were also available. Local gray ware, some bearing graffiti, continued to be produced. Adaptations of lobed and plain Achaemenid bowls constitute a significant category in pottery. Fragments of polished stone plates, some similar to those from the Persepolis Treasury and the western Anatolian burials, are among the luxury tableware. There are fragments of ivory utensils carved in animal style, horse‐harness strap‐dividers in the shape of boars' tusks, and tripartite socketed arrowheads commonly associated with Iranian tribes, and slingshot bullets.

Photo depicts bulla and seal impression from Daskyleion.