The Magnesian Gate of Ephesos

The aim of the project is the publication of the Magnesian Gate of Ephesus (Turkey) in a monograph of the "Forschungen in Ephesos". The Magnesian Gate is on of the main entrances to Ephesus and is part of the fortification system, dating back to early hellenistic time. Although the gate was discovered and excavated as early as 1869 by the English J. T. Wood and has been studied since several times, crucial points of its history are not clear. The main problem refers to the unsolved dating of the monument, because until now, there could not be attributed enough archaeological finds to the building phases and no detailed analysis of the architecture was done. Because the building is set into the Hellenistic city walls and, regarding its ground plan, it resembles a Hellenistic courtyard gate with flanking towers, a Hellenistic dating of the first building of the Magnesian gate seems probable. The regional meaning of the Magnesian Gate is on the one hand the one of a fortification building and a representative entrance to the city. On the other hand, at this point several roads meet who gather at the Magnesian gate and lead as a main road into Ephesus. For Ephesus itself the dating of the building phases and periods of usage will establish a connection to the urban development of the city and its layout. These questions and problems have to be discussed in cooperation with studies of the historic topography of Ephesus which are embedded at the Austrian Archaeological Institute. The effect of the study on the Magnesian Gate beyond Ephesus can be seen in the fact that the establishing of a thorough chronology and of building phases the gate can be evaluated within the architectural and urban landscape of Asia Minor in a broader context. These problems are investigated along with excavations in important parts of the gate, a detailed analysis of the building and the analysis of ceramics and small finds in cooperation with specialists of architectural history ("Bauforschung") and of ceramics and small finds. The documentation of the earlier excavations is considered and discussed with earlier excavator G. Seiterle.

The aim of the project is the publication of the Magnesian Gate of Ephesus (Turkey) in a monograph of the "Forschungen in Ephesos". The Magnesian Gate is on of the main entrances to Ephesus and is part of the fortification system, dating back to early hellenistic time. Although the gate was discovered and excavated as early as 1869 by the English J. T. Wood and has been studied since several times, crucial points of its history are not clear. The main problem refers to the unsolved dating of the monument, because until now, there could not be attributed enough archaeological finds to the building phases and no detailed analysis of the architecture was done. Because the building is set into the Hellenistic city walls and, regarding its ground plan, it resembles a Hellenistic courtyard gate with flanking towers, a Hellenistic dating of the first building of the Magnesian gate seems probable. The regional meaning of the Magnesian Gate is on the one hand the one of a fortification building and a representative entrance to the city. On the other hand, at this point several roads meet who gather at the Magnesian gate and lead as a main road into Ephesus. For Ephesus itself the dating of the building phases and periods of usage will establish a connection to the urban development of the city and its layout. These questions and problems have to be discussed in cooperation with studies of the historic topography of Ephesus which are embedded at the Austrian Archaeological Institute. The effect of the study on the Magnesian Gate beyond Ephesus can be seen in the fact that the establishing of a thorough chronology and of building phases the gate can be evaluated within the architectural and urban landscape of Asia Minor in a broader context. These problems are investigated along with excavations in important parts of the gate, a detailed analysis of the building and the analysis of ceramics and small finds in cooperation with specialists of architectural history ("Bauforschung") and of ceramics and small finds. The documentation of the earlier excavations is considered and discussed with earlier excavator G. Seiterle.