Late Hellenistic - Roman Period jewellery of Patara

vu SUMMARY In consequence of their sophisticated appreance and high value, jewellery goods are always being the first target of the treasure hunters. This fact has decreased the possibility of finding them by the archeological excavations. This study has been started to make scientific evaluations on the jewelry material which have been revealed in the excavation of Patara in 1993, 1995 and 1997. Researched materials in this study are the artifacts of underground chamber tombs. Among the 45 graves which have been excavated, only 8 of them were found in untouched situation. After the 3 excavation seasons, the total amount of jewelry goods were 68. All of them have been classified according to their typological features. Majority of jewelry fit However there are some exceptional samples, which the comporison material could not be found in the other publications as well. So that it has been comprehended that the jewelry forms were not always created in the same pattern, but they could be changed according to demand of the user or pleasure of the craftsman. K9 and K10 in this study are examples to this. The stylistic studies present, that the majority of the jewelry in Patara were produced in the Late Hellenistic and early Roman eras. The earliest more early examples has been dated to the end of 2nd century BC. The Roman type jewelries like finger rings and earrings, found out in the underground chamber tombs have been dated to the 1st - 2nd century AD. In some of the graves the jewelry materials have been dated with 40 or 50 years differences. This fact has also been observed in the other group of like terracottas and unguentariums. And this situation is explained by the permanent using of the chambers. The hardly obtaining of the worthy mines and the popularity of the skillfully conspicuous materials, have been caused to the remaining of the limited number of jewelry workshops till to the Roman times. By the producing of the simple forms in the Roman period, the number of the local workshops have been increased. So that, the production center of the Hellenistic jewelry goods, that have been revealed from Patara have been localized by stylistic, typological and iconographic analysis to the central workshops like Alexandria, Cyprus, Phoenicia and Antiochia. Especially the existence of the Mediterranean originated jewelry products in Patara, can be explained by the well protected natural harbor of the city. Jewelry of Patara have got several kind of very kinds of iconography. Compositions known in the Greek and Roman mythologies were used on gemme like as Y4, Y5 and Y7. Onvıu the other hand Y10 was illustrate goddess of Isis, and K8 which its pendant consist of Attis - Eros figure, related with the Egyptian cult. So the influence of the Egyptian art, which has already observed in the terracotta figurines can be accepted for the jewelry goods in Patara. At the end of this study, that it has been clarified that, some of the earrings which have been found single; should have been used as a tomb present, instead of death good.