MEDITERRANEAN UNDERWATER
ARCHAEOLOGICAL
RESEARCH CENTER – TURKEY
&
MUSEUM OF ANTALYA
UNDERWATER
SURVEY OF
GAZIPASHA
( ANTALYA / TURKIYE )
2003
HAKAN ONIZ *
January 2004
INTRODUCTION
The Mediterranean Underwater
Archaeological Research Center (AASAM), which works for the Turkish Ministry of
Culture and Tourism, started underwater archaeological research on the Turkish
Mediterranean coast in 2002. This coast is in the region known as the Rough
Cilicia. Cilicia was the name given to this region by the Roman Emperor
Vespasian in AD 72, and had also been known as Kizzuwatna during the Bronze Age
when it was a Hittite territory. The coast of Rough Cilica is considered to be
an important Mediterranean trade route.
The
team members are from the Antalya museum, Mediterranean University, Eastern
Mediterranean University, Anatolian University, Aegean University and members
of ASAD (Underwater Archaeological Research Association – Istanbul). The
scientific director is Metin Pehlivaner, the manager of the Antalya Museum and
the technical director is Hakan Oniz, head of ASAD. The sponsors are: the
government of Antalya, the municipality of Gazipasha, the municipality of
Kemer, the Hurriyet Media Group, the Commercial Union-Turkiye and the Garanti
Bank-Turkiye.
AIMS OF RESEARCH
The first aim of this project is to make
an investigation of the underwater archaeological objects and unknown harbors.
The main aim is to give some new ideas about ancient cities and trade routes in
order to understand the evolution of civilizations, and the cultural and
economic relationship between societies via the sea routes of the
Mediterranean.
HISTORY OF LAST RESEARCH
Initial
research was concentrated on the Alanya-Gazipasha shores of the Antalya city,
and chosen in 2002. AASAM teams found some artifacts in Selinti cape and Iotape
harbor on the Gazipasha coast during the survey. Selinus ancient city is situated 2 km. away
from the Selinti cape. Selinti cape`s artifacts are 3 architectural pieces and
2 millstones which produce by konglamera.
Teams also found a bad rock of konglamera
in the same place on the shore. The AASAM team’s other survey was in Iotepe in
2002. Iotape is inside the borders of
the Alanya district, 33 km. away from the center of Alanya and 8 km. away from
the Gazipasha district. Iotape artifacts are 8 stone anchors, 2 stone lines or
net weights, 1 couple and 1 single lead cipo that belonged to wooden anchors,
pieces or a whole of 5 iron anchors and 2 stone mooring anchors. 7 stone anchors,
2 lines or net weights and lead parts taken by a rescue excavation to Antalya
and Alanya Museums in 2002.
HISTORY OF THIS RESEARCH
As
for the second part of the research, the Gazipasha shores of the Antalya city
were chosen in 2003. There are some ancient cities from the center of the Gazipasha coast to Anamur cape in the east.
These are Selinus, Cestrus, Nephelion and Antiochia Ad Gragum. The main
researched area is from Selinti cape to Kulaklimakam cape. Cestrus ancient city
is 3 km. far from the coast inland. Selinti Cape from west and Kulaklimakam
cape from east, both of them 4 km. from
Cestrus.
AASAM
members and archaeologists from the Museum of Antalya worked on past and
present literature to collect information about research in the area since
2000. The team also collected information from local people, past and present
sea maps and records of the environment of the coast. First work on the coast
was detailed mapping. According to the map, the team started in two natural
harbors.
NATURAL HARBOR OF KORUDAG ( N 36.12.958` E 032.20.068` )
This harbor is available for 5 ships, each one
approximately 20 mt. in the good weather conditions. The harbor is completely
closed for winds of north, northeast, and northwest and partly closed for winds
of west and east. It opens for all winds of south. Probably, this harbor was
used as a temporary mooring.
Methods of work
The research boat was positioned in the center of the
harbor with two anchors by 45` degree angles, and 4 lines from the back. The
GPS coordinate was taken from this center by a Garmin standard hand GPS. The
team members drew a plan of 1/100 scale by using the museum boats and
electronic distantmeter. The researched area was squared by floats. Researchers
surveyed in these rectangles by compasses in the equal directions with scuba
equipment. During these the position of
finds were kept and they were drawn and photographed where they were.
Afterwards the position of the finds were marked by buoys and also marked on
the plans. GPS did not prefer to coordinate for each finding, as the findings
were very close to each other. During another research it will be safer to use
the plan that shows that position of the findings.
Artifacts
During the research, the team found 2 stone anchors
and 5 iron anchors. Probably, all of lines between from ships to anchors were
clipped by seamen when sudden storms started from the south.
KDL 1 : T type iron anchor, broken. It is similar to
Late Roman – Byzantine iron anchors.
KDL 2 : Stone anchor. It has similar shapes to
Bronze Age Cyprus and Crete islands` stone anchors.
KDL 3 : A body
from an iron anchor.
KDL 4 : Y type
iron anchor. It is similar to Late Roman – Byzantine iron anchors.
KDL 5 :
Special T type iron anchor, broken. It is similar to AD 7. Century, Byzantine
iron anchors.
KDL 6 : Stone anchor. It has similar shapes to Bronze
Age Cyprus and Crete islands` stone anchors. It is also similar to a stone
anchor from Iotape rescue excavation in 2002.
KDL 7: A body
from an iron anchor.
NATURAL HARBOR OF KULAKLIMAKAM CAPE ( N
36.10.246` E 032.23.794` )
This harbor is available for 3 ships, each one
approximately 20 mt. in good weather conditions. The harbor completely close
for winds of north and northeast, and partly close for winds of northwest and
east. It is open for west and all winds of south. There are some ruins at the
east side of the harbor on the land. The researchers just found two artifacts
used for mooring in the past. The team could not find any stone anchors, lead
part of wooden anchors and iron anchors. According to the ruins and artifacts,
this natural harbor was used for domestic boats, which were probably used by
the owners of the buildings.
Methods of work
The methods were same as those used in the Harbor of
Korudag. The research boat was centered in the middle of the harbor with two
anchors by 45` angles and 4 lines from the back. The GPS coordinates were taken
from this center by a Garmin standard hand GPS. The team members drew a plan of
1/100 scale by using the museum boats and electronic distantmeter. The research
area was squared by floats. During the dives with scuba equipment, the 2 and 4
person teams combed the inner section of the harbor between 10 m. parallel
lines by compasses. During these the position of the finds were kept and they
were drawn and photographed where they were. Afterwards the position of the
finds were marked by buoys and also marked on the plans.
Artifacts
During the research, the team found 1 mooring anchor
(fixed weight with a handle) and 1 line weight (net weight?). Probably, this
place was not preferred by seamen because the other harbor was safer than it.
KMB 1 : Probably, a stone line weight (or net
weight).
KMB 2 : Probably, a mooring anchor.
* Hakan
Öniz
Technical head of AASAM
Mediterranean Underwater
Archaeological Research Center, Museum of Antalya
Konyaalti Cd. Antalya –
Turkiye Tel: (90) 242 2385689, (90) 392 6302589