Byzantine glazed pottery from Tyana Ancient City excavation (2002-2021)

The city of Tyana, one of the prominent cities in the history of the Cappadocia region, was the region's capital twice at different times. Archaeological data reveal the earliest known phase of life in the city, starting from the first half of the 2nd millennium BC and bringing it to the present day. Different names know the city names in different periods. It was named Tuwana / Tuhana / Tukhana during the Assyrian Trade Colonies, Tuwanuwa during the Hittite and Late Hittite periods, Dana during the Persian and Hellenistic periods, Tyana during the Roman and Byzantine periods, Kilisehisar during the Seljuk, Principalities and Ottoman periods, and Kemerhisar during the Republican period. As a result of the successive settlements of civilizations, the settlement area is 8 m. a high mound was formed. As a result of the excavations in the city, an essential group of ceramic finds together with the architectural remains of different civilizations, the city stands out as a bishopric center during the Byzantine period. It is located on the way to the cross. Most of the ceramic finds unearthed during the excavations consist of Byzantine-period ceramics. The glazed ceramic finds of the Byzantine Period, which were unearthed during the studies, constitute the subject of our study. 180 of the aforementioned ceramic finds were examined in terms of material, form, and decoration techniques using scientific methods, and their catalogs were prepared according to ceramic groups. Since the Turkish period settlement started in the city after the Byzantine period and houses were built on the ruins in the Ottoman period, stratigraphy cannot be followed, making it difficult to date the ceramics through layer data. For this reason, the related ceramics were dated by considering their paste, form, and decoration features. In this context, Byzantine glazed ceramics from the Tyana excavation are dated between the 10th and 14th centuries. It reveals that the ancient city of Tyana is essential in terms of trade due to its geographical location and its location on the Cilician gateway.