Daily use ceramics of Patara in Roman period

The subject of this article is the daily use ceramics found in the excavations that has been taking place in Patara since 1988. The findings from the Main Street, Hurmalık Bath, Modestus Arch, Tepecik Necropolis and Tepecik Bey House areas have a rich variety of forms. These forms, dating from the early Roman to the Late Roman Period, are the most abundant findings in the city.These ceramics, named as daily use vessels, covers 22 different form groups such as simple production table wares, cooking pots, storing vessels and other supplementary kitchen wares. These ceramics are typologically classified and include familiar forms from nearly all Mediterranean and Aegean cities. But within the scope of this thesis there are also some new forms which have been found in Patara excavations for the first time.It is known that, in the Roman Period, many red undercoated import ceramics were brought to Patara, the most important trade center of the Lycia due to its harbor. Amongst the Roman Period daily use ceramics, cooking pots which are thought be of Aegean origin dated to 1st to 3rd centuries B.C are in majority. Along with these, pots produced in the neighboring Xanthos and the bowls imported from Cyprus are among the groups whose production areas we are familiar with. Apart from imported ceramics, local productions are also known. Forms deduced especially from these bowls and bowl bases show that production was limited with local demands.As a result of the artifacts dating to different periods, it is possible to speak of ceramic production for certain. The oldest information related to ceramic production is gathered from Hellenistic Period Megara bowl templates. Faulty-produced ceramics gathered from Tepecik Bey House dating to 1st ? 2nd century AD, show that production was in process even in these dates. Ceramic stoves and workshops dating to Roman Period are among the other datas which verify production in Patara.