The Amphora stamps from Black Sea region found in the Marmaray Tunnel excavations at Sirkeci Station (Heracleia Pontica, Sinope, Amastris and Khersonesus)

The extensive engineering and construction projects undertaken in several Istanbul districts in the last years, particularly those aiming to solve transportation issues, have enabled a reassessment of the history of the city through archeological excavations. Among them, the most important archeological excavations are the ones carried out within the scope of the Marmaray Project. While it was initially a large scale transportation project, the data and material evidence collected in the course of the archeological excavations became the focus of growing attention of researchers, both nationally and internationally. As a result of the excavations performed at the Marmaray Sirkeci Station between 2004 and 2012, important information about the city of Byzantion dating back to the Hellenistic period was obtained. This is the first study that proves, through amphora stamps, the commercial relations between Byzantion and two important cities of the Black Sea region during the Hellenistic period, as well as the important role played by Byzantion in the sea trade in the Black Sea, the Aegean and the Mediterranean. Keywords: Byzantion, Hellenistic period, sea trade, amphorae stamps, Marmaray rescue excavations.