Roman and Early Byzantine lamps the Malatya Museum

Throughout history, illumination has always maintained its importance. In order to meet this requirement, people have sought various solutions. With the discovery of the fire, various tools were made for the purpose of carrying the fire. One of the most important of these tools is oil lamp since they are small and it is easy to carry them. Oil lamps made of stone, terracotta and metal are also used for grave decorations and votive purposes. Social and economic interpretations of societies can be made by looking at form and decoration characteristics. The lamps, which are shaped according to the workshops, the materials used, the religious beliefs and the artistic taste of the period, have been used as an important part of the society. The aim of this thesis is to conduct catalog studies of 53 oil lamps in Malatya Museum, to determine the location of Roman oil lamps and to contribute to future studies. The typology of the oil lamps was created, the oil lamps were compared with similar samples based on the characteristics of the lamps and then they were dated. The location of the Roman oil lamps in the Malatya Museum during the period were determined, their functional features and social and their cultural aspects were evaluated as a result of study. Key Words : Malatya Museum, Lamp, Roman, Lighting, Early Christian