Figurins of Kyme East Nekropolis from Habaş rescue excavation (2010-2011)

The figurines examined in this thesis were found 2 km east of the ancient city of Kyme, which was located within the borders of the region that was named Aeolis in ancient times. It was determined that this was a necropolis area during the rescue excavations carried out by Directorate of İzmir Archeology Museum on the parcel numbered 207 in the land belonging to the HABAŞ iron-steel factory, between 2010 and 2011. 145 graves were located in the course of excavations. Some of the uncovered graves were robbed in ancient times and some of them were damaged or destroyed by the effect of risen groundwater. The necropolis area offers a wide range of grave typology. Apart from the graves, structural remains of three buildings that are thought to be used as either houses, workshops or warehouses were detected. Some of the figurines that constitute the subject of this thesis were left as offerings to the deceased in the graves numbered M. 20, M. 21, M. 23, M. 33, M. 72, M. 92, M. 93 and M. 105. The remaining are non-grave findings that were scattered in the area by the risen groundwater and retrieved from the located structural remains. 47 figurines that were found in different contexts, belong to different periods and have different typologies, have been examined within this study. The technical analysis, typological sorting, stylistic characteristics, iconography and the period of the figurines are presented in detail in this study. Every figurine that was detected and published during the archaeological studies in Kyme was analysed in order to be able to look at the examined figurines in this thesis from a wider perspective. Thus, the coroplastic properties of Kyme were tried to be determined. It was observed that in the reviewed related studies the subjects of local production and workshop were not emphasized. Therefore, the workshops of the figurines that are the subject of this study were determined, five new workshops and a figurine belonging to a Myrina based coroplast, named Artemenos were discovered. Three of the discovered workshops were also Myrina based. Given the geographical proximity of the ancient city of Kyme with Myrina, the influence is undeniable. In this study where the figurines from Eastern Necropolis of Kyme (Habaş Rescue Excavation 2010-2011) are examined, it is thought that there was a specialised workshop or multiple workshops in the city that were producing Kourotrophos and Temple Boy type figurines during Archaic and Classical Periods. Although it is thought that production was reduced in the Hellenistic Period due to its proximity to the ancient city of Myrina, the most important evidence of its continuation is the plaque mold of Mother Goddess/Kybele dating to 2nd century. The period of the figurines examined in the study was determined by comparing the stylistic characteristics, their context, iconographic development and similar examples found in different centres. The examined figurines have a wide date range beginning from the second half of 6th century BC to the early 2nd century AD. The period with the most yield is determined to be the Hellenistic Period with 52% of the figurines. This is followed by the Classical Period by 30%. 11% of the figurines show Roman Imperial Period characteristics and 7% of them are dated to the Archaic Period.