The rise and fall of a Greek city
The increase in tourism -related tourism growth has provided numerous opportunities for excavation in the ancient Greek city of Apolonia Pontica. Matthew Simmands talked to Margaret Demianov about how the results are revolutionizing our knowledge of this important site.
It was a treacherous tension on the coast. The ancient Greek historian Zenophone, who writes in the fourth century BC, describes the dangers of the Black Sea in the area around Salimidisos, an ancient Thrace and a modern Turkish town. Zenfone has recorded that the hazardous shoes destroyed many unfortunate ships. For the staff, though, the conduct of running was often the beginning of their trial. Local thermons were well aware of the dangers of shipping, and the full selection they hold. The desire to loot the looting ships was so widespread that we are told that the boundary stones were erected to mark certain parts of the coast so that the protection of the special Thrissan groups. For the staff who successfully go to the coast of the Western Black, the first glimpse of Apolonia Pontica may have emerged as a welcome relief. The town presented a point of safety at the southern end of Bergas Bay.
According to the tradition, Apolonia Pontica was founded by Greek colonialism of Militos in 610 BC. The settlement was located on an excellent, natural port, built by a rocky island wandering around the sea, and the small island – now called St. Creek – which was just the beach. The Greeks were not the first to appreciate its ability, because at the end of the 5th thousand -year -old Christ, the signs of the occupation of Chilkolathak were also found in this place. Equally, Apolonia Pontica’s fame was more as a marine asylum. Although this standard was emphasized on an anchor coin that was mint in the city, it is also close to the metal reserves in Threseen Hunterland. An expression of this wealth took the form of a great statue of Apollo ITrosis (Apollo The Heller), which was standing at a height of 13 meters and dominated the main sanctuary in Apolonia Pontica. The discovery of temples affiliated with this complex is a specialty of the wealth of the activity done by dozens of archaeologists over the past two decades in Apolonia Pontica. Overall, the results force us to revise some traditional ideas of settlement, while forcing new light on the flow and flow of the city’s fortunes.
Looking for sanctity
Apolonia Pontica is an important piece of information that has never been lost. Today, the modern city is known as Suzopol, and late ancient sources Apolonia Pontica – in honor of Apollo – Christian Suzopolis, or the name of the ‘City of Salvation’. Thanks to this, people have been interested in its antiquities since at least the 19th century. The first documentary was made in 1904 by a French Consul, Alexander Digand. He sought Apollo’s famous sanctity, which was told by the Roman era geography Strarabo on an island. The strongest candidate for this was St. Creek, which was a small, naked area of the land at that time, which was slightly higher than the remnants of a medieval chapel and a few fishermen. Digand formally opened a series of trenches, but any hope for its memorable architecture was lifted. Instead, he discovered the graves and substances found in the archaeological period, which indicated that the island was a Nicopolis and that the famous sanctity was somewhere else.
If Digand found the Archaeological Archaeological Foes, the benefits presented by the natural port would soon be revealed once again. In the 1920s, a maritime school was built, and, although it is said that an archaeologist is monitoring the site, but it seems that the results are low together. In a short published note, interest is rarely reported, and it cites only two pieces of kerosene. The Maritime School was performing better, and eventually grew up at a Naval Academy, which led to the path to turning the island into a naval base. On this occasion, more archaeological excavation became impossible: When more buildings were added in the 1970s, it was in terms of complete confidentiality. The army just left in 2005, leaving the island empty again. In 2009, rumors began to circulate plans to develop it in a resort. This launched a new wave of excavation under the leadership of Dr. Curset Panaiotova from the National Archeology Institute with the Museum in Sofia.
“By the end of the 2009 season, it was quite clear that the site was an extraordinary,” says Margaret Demianov, an associate professor at the Threasian Archeology Department at the Institute, said. ‘The excavation revealed a long -lasting ancient Beselica, which is the history of the 5th or sixth century advertisement. Just after that, two long before the Greek period were temples. One was from the late archaeological period and was close to 500 BC at the end of the sixth century. The second was a little later, and it began in the first half of the 5th century BC. Joints next year’s season, we almost completed the excavation of a third temple, which is very close to the other two, and was also built in the first half of the 5th century BC. This is exactly when we are told that Apolonians invited the Greek sculptor Kellymis, a famous Greek sculpture to eradicate Apollo’s memorable statue. So we have this seemingly public place, in which a row is connected to the temples and the foundations of the altar in front of the initial one. ‘
‘The temples had relatively small buildings, only 11-12 meters long, and maybe with two columns in the front. In most parts, only their foundations survive. We can imagine that most of the marble superstors ended up in the limestone, perhaps to make a mortar for late ancient Baselica. Some good pieces of architecture are alive, though, and in 2023 we got a hand in the 6th century layer. There are also parts of a very good ceramic refrigerator that reflect the fighting between Greek hoplets and non -Greek cars. Earlier, the pieces were discovered by Digand, and now we have found many more, resulting in a total of about 23 pieces. Mostly show the same scene, which means that we have several copies of the same plaque. Hoplets are seen marching, in which a horn is blowing, and behind them is a galloping horse over a falling hoplite, which is apparently dead. According to the style and structure, the freez is related to the end of the BC at the end of the sixth century. The general inspiration may have come from monuments like Safenian Treasury in Delphi, which is 525 BC, and this is the first example of freezing a multi -faceted war scene. An interesting question about our example is the identity of the non -Greek horseman. Sadly, the only girl of this rider is badly safe, but he is making a spear, and it has clothes and pallets. This type of shield is traditionally affiliated with thermons, so it is attracted to the possibility that the freez shows a clash between the Greeks and the Threshe. ‘
“We also have clear evidence that this is the main refuge in Apolonia Pontica. There is a lot of grafts found in this place, and it usually contains two letters, I And hWhich can represent the start ietrosHealing, but, in 2013, almost Almost from the first half of the sixth century BC was found in a full archaeological cup. It has a robe that was dedicated to Apollo ATOros. Although the dedicated name is missing, it is mentioned that they were from the city of Nedos on the coast of the current Turkish Mediterranean, which is about 1,000 one thousand kilometers away. Although the cup itself is quite modest in the widespread context of Greek kerosene, it is interesting because it is rare in Apolonia. In fact, it was known by the single site until last year. Because of this, it is quite understandable that the cup was not something that was purchased only to dedicate Apollo ATOros to a market in Apolonia. Instead, they will be brought home well from home to offer. ‘
Excavation is also revealed about the Apolonia Pontica Foundation. It is a part of a group of settlements on the Black Sea that is developed by the colonialism of the Milites, which includes Barison, far off the coast of Ukraine, and other places, including hysteria in Romania. According to written sources, the two cities were founded in the mid -600s, which kept them a few decades before Apolonia Pontica. Both barren and hysteria have been discovered by archaeologists and has manufactured a large amount of archaeological equipment, which indicates the occupation of about 630 BC by the pottery. For the first time, the excavators on St. Creek have obtained a comparison of archaeological material from Apolonia Pontica. Analysis of pottery shows the overall proportion of similar types and early vessels known as barren and hysteria. This shows that Apolonia Pontica was established in the first history compared to the earlier definition, and that it was almost contemporary with the other two Melisson cities. As an important port for anyone traveling on the west coast of the Black Sea, Apolonia Pontica, in view of the status of Apolonia Pontica, has perfect meaning.
The results of St. Creek Excavation also provide the taste of how this key area has developed. In the first half of the sixth century, a house was demolished to make the path to a large altar outside a temple, while layers from the seventh century were closed under the grounds of the temple. This shows that it was only a century after the foundation of the city, or after that the Apolonis apparently collected enough money to expand their sacred area and start its monument.
This is a squeeze of an article that appeared CWA 131. Read in the magazine (click here to subscribe) or our website, the past, which digital all the content of the magazine. In the past you will be able to read the contents of our other magazines as well as each article, Current archeologyFor, for, for,. AncientAnd Military history matters.
