A Lagynos from Ayaklıkırı in the District of Tire (Aydın Province)

Abstract

Structural remains have been discovered in connection with the necropolis area, the tumuli, and the settlements of antiquity in the environs of Ayaklıkırı, Hasançavuşlar, Kurşak, Kumtepe, and Darmara to the west of the administrative center of Tire district. The lagynos (inventory no. 779) in the Tire Museum was found in the village of Ayaklıkırı and presented as a gift to the museum. The earliest of the specimens of the white ground ceramics common in B.C. 2nd century that have been found at Pergamum derive from the first half of the 2nd century B.C. while those of Ephesus are dated to ca. B.C. 200. The shards belonging to vessels at Ephesus with this kind of decoration are attributed to ca. B.C. 200. No specimen bearing a dating earlier than the beginning of the B.C. 2nd century has been recovered at any of the other centers. The earliest example of white ground ceramics is a water jug (hydria) recovered at Metropolis and dated by a coin ascertained to derive from the second quarter of B.C. 3rd century. Certain elements of the decoration of the lagynos exhibit a parallel with that on the body of an urn of pyxis form recovered at Metropolis and that on two shards of a lagynos at Samos, a Pergamum import. The Pergamum imports have occurred as finds as various centers. The lagynos form originates in eastern Greece. At least two places where it was manufactured in the Mediterranean are known. One of these produced a great number of forms such as kraters and pyxides of high quality with bases. The area in which this form was disseminated suggests that the place of manufacture was at Pergamum or in the vicinity. Shards of a lagynos similar in form and decoration may be frequently encountered in Pergamum. This kind of white ground ceramics was also exported to Olbia from Pergamum. The form of the lagynos find from Abaklıkırı in Tire displays late characteristics and, based on the features of the decoration and on dated specimens with similar decoration, it should be dated to the first half of B.C. 2nd century. For comparative examples displaying a strong Pergamum influence, notice should be taken of this center. Pergamum is believed to have been a production center of white ground ceramics. Furthermore, Pergamum at this time was both a leading administrative and artistic center of Western Anatolia. The lagynos under study also bears significance since this region is still unexploited.