CILICIA_ANEMUR_Williams 1977_Byzantine Lamp Deposit.pdf

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A Byzantine Lamp Hoard from Anamur (Cilicia)
Author(s): Hector Williams and Peter Taylor
Source:
Anatolian Studies,
Vol. 25 (1975), pp. 77-84
Published by: British Institute at Ankara
Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/3642575
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Anatolian Studies
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A BYZANTINE LAMP HOARD FROM ANAMUR (CILICIA)
By HECTOR WILLIAMS
University of British Columbia
and PETER TAYLOR
University of London
In the course of excavating a well-preserved late Roman bath building a
Anemurium (modern Eski Anamur) during the summer of 1968 a large hoar
some six hundred and fifty whole terracotta lamps plus fragments were fou
stacked in a disused hypocaust system.' Since that time many fragment
similar lamps and a mould have also been discovered in other parts of the sit
mixed fills containing pottery of the fifth to mid-seventh centuries A.D. As
lamps of similar types have been published from the eastern Mediterranean f
datable contexts the value of the Anamur hoard both as a chronological indic
and as a stage in the development of late Byzantine and early Islamic lamps
evident.2
Although no datable material was found with the lamps themselves the
abandonment of such a considerable body of material may perhaps be best
explained by events at the site in the mid-seventh century. At this time the city
seems to have been deserted, probably as a result of Arab raids on the coastal
cities of Cilicia, and was only briefly reoccupied six centuries later.3 As there are
no marks of burning on any of the lamps and as some filling and wick holes are
incompletely punched through, the hoard may well be the stock of a shop or
merchant hastily put away at some moment of danger and never reclaimed.
As will be seen from the discussion of the three basic forms found, there is
also a certain amount of external evidence that tends to corroborate this date.
A study by G. Huber of the building suggests a fifth-century date for its const
tion, establishing the terminus post quem.4
Form I (Fig. 1). 24 examples. L. 0-105, W. 0-080, H. 0-041.
Mouldmade in a coarse unslipped red-brown clay. Ovoid shape; top con
with stylized face, probably of woman, in relief; relief rings on cheeks; large re
ring around mouth/filling hole; wick-hole punched through chin. Walls of l
half slope sharply to form tear-drop-shaped ring around slightly concave ba
handle.
1968", Tiirk Arkeoloji Dergisi, XVII.2 (1968), p. 178; P. Taylor and E. Alf6ldi, "Excavations-
and Restoration at Anemurium, 1969", TAD XVIII.2 (1969), p. 39, fig. 2, 3. We should like to
thank Dr. Elizabeth Alf61ldi for providing the photographs used in this article and Mrs. Caroline
Williams for the lamp profiles.
1 For a preliminary notice see L. Smith, "Excavation Report, Eski Anamur (Anemurium),
2See Florence Day, "Early Islamic and Christian Lamps", Berytus VII (1943), p. 79 on
this question.
p. 205.
4 G. Huber, "Die Restaurierung der Therme II 7 A in Anamur", TAD XVIII.2 (1969),
pp. 47-58.
3James Russell, "Excavations at Anemurium (Eski Anamur), 1971", TAD XX.1 (1973),
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78 ANATOLIAN STUDIES
FIG. 1. Form I: lamp in form of fe
FIG. 2. Lamp mould and cast for Fo
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A BYZANTINE LAMP HOARD FROM ANAMUR (CILICIA) 79
The only parallel available for this is a lamp of somewhat similar form in the
collection of the American University Museum in Beirut, which probably dates
from the eighth century; it is different, however, in representing a bearded male,
and having a clearly defined channel to the wick-hole, a round base-ring with
relief rosette inside and a conical handle.s That such lamps were made at Anamur
was confirmed in 1972 by the discovery of a fragment of a terracotta mould for a
similar lamp (Fig. 2).6
Form II
This form appears in some twenty-six variants that all have certain features
in common: blunted tear-drop shape; depressed round disk with single filling hole;
trapezoidal slightly raised channel between disk and wick-hole; decoration in
relief on sloping shoulders; sharply sloping sides on lower half that form tear-drop
shaped ring around slightly concave base; vestigial pyramidal knob handle (a few
have loop handles instead). Most are about the same size (0-090-0-095 m. in
length) and were produced from a similar series of moulds. The unclear reproduc-
tion of design in many cases indicates the use of worn moulds.
The only exact published parallel known to us is from Salamis on Cyprus
from an undated context.' Somewhat similar lamps, however, are known from
Syrian sites of this general period8 and a well-dated example of the second half
of the seventh century has recently been published from the Kornos cave on
Cyprus.9
1. 20 examples. L. 0-090, W. 0.068, H. 0-033. On r. of nozzle two large
quadrupeds facing rear on shoulder; 1. of nozzle large long-necked quadruped
facing rear, followed by peacock.
2. 24 examples. L. 0.094, W. 0.074, H. 0-030. On shoulder long-legged
waterbirds or fowl, three on each side of nozzle; two large birds face each other
eating from a mound; one small on r. side facing rear with head bent back, on
1. side facing forward.
3. 43 examples. L. 0.091, W. 0.071, H. 0.033. On each shoulder peacock
pursuing long-necked quadruped to rear.
4. Fig. 3. 20 examples. L. 0-095, W. 0-075, H. 0-032. Two schematically
drawn peacocks on shoulder on either side of nozzle; smaller following larger
toward bowl at rear.
5. 1 example. L. 0.108 (incl. handle), W. 0-075, H. 0-032. Identical to
preceding except for attachment of loop handle in place of knob.
6.25 examples. L. 0"093, W. 0"072, H. 0"034. Shoulder r. of nozzle:
6AN 72-163. Preserved length 0-078, width 0-075. Found in unstratified fill; coarse
porous light brown clay: "Excavations at Anamur, 1972", TAD XXI.2 (1974), p. 157, p. 165,
sDay, op. cit., p. 67, pl. X.2.
Fig. 13.
7 Th. J. Oziol and J. Pouilloux, Salamine de Chypre, I. Les Lampes (Paris 1969), no. 469,
pl. X; it is suggested on p. 24 that this and other early Byzantine lamps are of fifth century date,
an unlikely early dating for which no grounds are given.
8J. P. Rey-Coquais, "Lampes antiques de Syrie et du Liban", Melanges de l'Universitce
St. Joseph, XXXIX (1963), p. 160, no. 38; C. Kennedy, "Development of the Lamp in
Palestine", Berytus XIV (1963), pp. 89-90.
9H. Catling, "The Kornos Cave", Levant, II (1970), p. 49, fig. 4.
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80
ANATOLIAN
STUDIES
mL-~_
FIG.
3.
Form
FIG.
4.
Form
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