Hellenistic and Roman plastic art of the Ancient City of Arykanda (1971-2018)

The subject of the doctoral thesis here is "Hellenistic and Roman Plastic Art of the Ancient City of Arykanda (1971-2018)". Arykanda is located within the borders of Arif Village, 35th km of the Finike-Elmalı highway in the Finike district of Antalya province. Within the scope of the thesis, 97 artefacts were studied and these artefacts are located in Antalya, Elmalı and Demre Museums. The scope of our study consists of all the plastic artefacts found during the excavations between 1971-2018. In this context, the study covers all sculptural artefacts, including bronze sculptures with very high-quality workmanship in the city as well as independent sculptures. Although these plastic artefacts have not been the subject of a comprehensive study to date, the fact that they have been introduced to the scientific world for the first time by us reveals the unique value of our study. In addition, the fact that these works have been evaluated with a holistic approach in terms of typology, stylistics and iconography is also important in understanding/illuminating the artistic level and chronology of Arykanda plastic, which has a rich repertoire. Among the artefacts evaluated within the scope of the study, the largest group consists of independent marble and limestone/calcareous carvings. These artefacts are divided into sub-groups; with portraits and marble statuettes constituting the largest group in terms of number. Apart from this group of artefacts that are of inventory value; there are also small pieces of sculptures and statuettes included in the study. These small pieces consist of heads, torsos, arms, legs, and statuette pedestals. Bronze artefacts constitute another important group of finds found in the city. In the group where very few bronze artefacts were recovered; a portrait of Alexander Severus?/Gordianus III? and fragments of arms, legs, feet and dress folds in good condition were also evaluated within the scope of the study. Although most of the artefacts evaluated in our study belong to the Roman Period, a few artefacts that can be dated to the Hellenistic Period were identified. As a result of the stylistic evaluations, it was understood that the earliest material in the city belongs to the 2nd century BC and the latest dated ones to the 4th century AD. During this period, it was observed that the sculpture activities in the city continued uninterruptedly. Although no artefacts belonging to the Classical Period were found in the assemblage, it is understood that the famous types of this period were copied with minor changes especially in the 1st and 2nd centuries AD. As a result of the stylistic and typological evaluations, it has been determined that the sculpture works of Arykanda have similarities with nearby cities such as Side and Perge, and that they are related to regions outside Western Anatolia such as Delos, Samos, Kos and Leptis Magna. Concrete data were also found regarding the workshops in the city, the existence of which has not been hinted so far. In addition to the unfinished portraits of men and women, the presence of half-worked statuettes supports our suggestion that there may have been local workshops in Arykanda. In this study on the sculpture of Arykanda, it was possible to identify the artefacts typologically despite the fact that they are mostly broken. It is understood that the typologies of Aphrodites in the statuette category with daily themes were preferred. Again, among the artefacts analysed within the scope of our study, the statuettes of Eros with his hands tied behind his back were introduced to the literature as a new type and revealed the importance of the cultural and artistic aspect of the city. Another important finding that will shed light on the belief world of the city is the Telesphoros statue, which shows quality workmanship and draws attention with its dimensions, unlike similar examples. In addition, the Priapos statuette of the Anasyromenos type and rare statuettes such as Hermaphrodite also testify to the rich artistic world of the city. Key Words: Arykanda Ancient City, Lycia Region, Hellenistic Period, Roman Period, Sculpture, Bronze.