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An overview of Byzantine Period settlements around Comana Pontica in north-central Turkey

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 January 2016

Burcu Erciyas
Affiliation:
Middle East Technical University, Turkey
Emine Sökmen
Affiliation:
Middle East Technical University, Turkey

Abstract

The sanctuary of Comana Pontica in north-central Anatolia, dedicated to a local Anatolian deity, Ma, was a significant part of the Hellenistic kingdom of the Mithradatids which continued to be of some importance under the Roman emperors. During the Byzantine period, as a result of the introduction of, and adaptation to, Christianity in the region, significant changes in settlement pattern/organization at and in the vicinity of Comana took place. This article illustrates these changes through the architectural and archaeological material discovered during surveys and offers a preliminary interpretation of the settlement patterns around Comana in the Byzantine period.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © The Centre for Byzantine, Ottoman and Modern Greek Studies, University of Birmingham 2010

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References

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13 The white dots are a representative number of archaeological sites discovered between 2004–2008. They date from the Early Bronze Age through the Turkish medieval period.

14 These excavations have not been published but reports with photographs are available at the Tokat Museum.

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51 This phenomenon will be presented in the conclusion.

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62 The dates suggested for the ceramics in this article have derived from a preliminary study by Mr. Will Anderson during his very brief visit to the site in 2008. We would like to thank him for his contributions.

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65 We are thankful to the Tokat Museum director and staff who generously shared this information and provided photographs of the seal.

66 Such as Bryer, and Winfield, Byzantine Monuments; Foss, and Winfield, Byzantine Fortifications; Crow and Hill, ‘The Byzantine fortifications of Amastris’.