Archaeological Research in the Lower Town of Limyra

During the 1980s excavation work in the so called "Weststadt" of the east Lycian city of Limyra brought to light remains of an early settlement. Behind a fortification wall of the classical period were found strata going back to the late 8th or early 7th century B. C. and walls datable to the archaic and early classical periods. Due to the limited scale of these works information about the structure and the size of the preclassical settlement could not be obtained. The project presented here aims to improve our knowledge of this central part of the lower town of Limyra and of the history of the site. Architectural remains of the preclassical periods will be investigated, documented and analysed in order to elucidate questions related to the typology and the structure of the early settlement. The excavations should also bring to light new information about the classical fortification wall and its interpretation as part either of the city defenses or of a fortified palatial area. The extend of the southern limits of the fortified hellenistic settlement, and the dating of the second phase of the byzantine city wall will also be investigated. This strong fortification wall and its towers will be documented by photogrammetric means. Our research will also focus on the analysis of the ceramics and of the finds, including the coins of all periods in order to obtain a chronological sequence of the central areas of the town. In that way the question concerning the possible existence of a chronological gap in early medieval times will be elucidated. Important results will be obtained by the systematic investigation of the ceramics of the prehellenistic phases of the settlement. Questions about the importation of Greek and Anatolian wares as well as the typological spectrum and the decorative patterns of local ceramics will be investigated. In that way the foundation for an assessment of the pre-Achaemenid culture of eastern Lycia will be laid.

The project in the western city of Limyra gave the opportunity to elucidate the history of a central part of the Lycian town. Architectural remains and findings are going back from the middle ages to the 8th century B.C., possibly even to prehistoric times. The focus of the excavations lay on the area behind the classical city wall. There were uncovered buildings of the 7th C. to the 4th Century b. C. The good state of preservation of these structures is owed to the fact that they were covered by a thick layer of earth during building activities which took place while the erection of the city walls. These buildings were probably simple dwellings. The excavation work permitted the discovery of clues to the fact, that the Wehrgang and the stairs leading on it were constructed with wood. It also showed that the main entrance in the city was covered on both sides by huge bastions. The dating of the city wall could be established in the years around 380 B.C. By the careful unearthing of prehellenistic strata huge amounts of pottery were uncovered. These will permit for the first time in this region of the ancient world the establishment of a typology and a chronology of prehellenistic ceramics. Aside the easily datable imports from Greece, mainly Attika, a big quantity of sherds of localy produced pottery have been found. One of these pots shows a very unusual figural decor, most are decorated with simple wavy lines, circles and straight lines. The final analysis of this material will permit the dating of the local by the imported wares. On the terrace behind the classical fortification wall the remains of prehellenistic buildings going back to the 7th c. B.C. have been discovered. In this area Roman structures have been destroyed in early byzantine times during the construction of an other city wall.