Funerary stelai from the Hellenistic and Roman Emperial Period in the Efes Museum

The grave stelai examined in this study have been acquired by Efes Museum which is located in Selçuk, İzmir, by purchase, donation and gifts. Seventy nine (79) stelai were identified during the research carried out in the museum within this context. Many of the stelai were retrieved from Ephesos and the vacinity of Selçuk. Moreover, the artefacts submitted to Efes Museum which were recovered form Torbalı, Kuşadası – Kirazlı Köyü, Acarlar Köyü and the Aydın region are also included in this study. These stelai were found in different areas show diverse characteristics in terms of era and typology and are examined in detail in this study. The previously published literature of the Anatolian grave stelai, primarily Ephesos were searched as to give more detail regarding the Hellenistic and Roman Imperial Era grave stelai of Efes Museum which is the subject of this study and to obtain information on the customs, typology and chronology of Ephesian grave stelai. The lack of detailed research regarding the iconography and figure types and the undetermined state of the custom of grave stelai of Ephesos has steered the focus of our study on these subjects. Accordingly, the stelai with scenes of funerary banquet/symposium/symposion, farewell, horseman/rider, genre (daily life), stelai with gladiators and painted/engraved stelai were detected among the Ephesian grave stelai. Alongside of these scenes the figüre types and the typology of the stelai are presented in detail. Furthermore the local and influenced style of the Ephesian grave stelai through the comparisons with stelai from Attica, Smyrna, Lydian Region and Byzantion. The stelai examined in this study, were determined to have a wide range in chronology as beginning from the middle 4th century BC to 3rd century AD. The highest rate of stelai production in Ephesos was determined to be between the second half of 2nd century BC and early 1st century BC. Furthermore the research indicates that most of the stelai in this period have local characteristics. KEYWORDS: Archaeology, Anatolia, Ionia, Ephesos, Funerary Stelai.