The excavations carried out in Kadıkalesi on the south coast of Kuşadası have provided rich archaeological data to Byzantine glass research after twenty years. The finds also shed light on vessels likely to have been transported through the port of Anaia and thus, an important commercial production center of the Middle Ages. Among the glasses, those with original forms and top-class workmanship are in the majority. In addition to these, there are also medium quality ones for daily life with their blurred colors.
It is very difficult to distinguish the mixed materials of the Medieval Ages production from the glass that belongs to the use of the building among the glasses scattered all over the castle, including the church. However, the fragments from the bema and the church’s baptistery in recent years are at a level that refreshes our knowledge on this subject. As the earthquake debris in front of the monumental church’s bema was removed, findings of the windows and lighting of the church were found. Similarly, another few glass finds that may be associated with the space came just below the topmost building layer while excavating the Early Christian Baptistery, which had been opened in recent years to the northwest of the church. Many glasses in the castle are the result of mass production to order.
The archaeological data has shown that Kadıkalesi’s magnificent church housed glass workshops after an earthquake thought to have occurred in the mid-thirteenth century. Therefore, glass production in Kadıkalesi/Anaia existed in a process that continued from the mid-thirteenth century to the early fourteenth century. The glasses that we assume were used in the castle, on the other hand, are distinguished from the others by their physical qualities as well as their structural content. These glasses differ in terms of color as well as being simpler in production, fuzzy and matte appearance. However, the aspect that gives the biggest clue about whether the glasses were for production or use are the places where they were found and other finds that were found in these areas. As a matter of fact, the glass fragments found during excavations were often found with metal parts such as chains, hangers, or layers of mortar.
Kadıkalesi glasses are examined under three headings: commercial, daily life and grave finds. In terms of numerical value, most of the finds are produced with glass. Apart from the mass-produced glass, mostly glass artifacts for individual use were found from the burials removed from many areas of the church. Glass finds are again divided into three groups in terms of their functions: lighting, daily use, and ornamental objects. Among these groups, the fragments of window glass and oil lamps were found, which were mostly used for lighting. Afterwards, glass pieces for daily use and ornamental purposes such as bracelets, glasses, bottles, goblets, and bowls come respectively. In this article, it is aimed to introduce and evaluate the mentioned Byzantine glass finds, which can be usage devices from the eleventh to the thirteenth centuries, with examples from the last four excavation seasons of the Kuşadası, Kadıkalesi/Anaia Excavation.
Kuşadası’nın güney sahilindeki Kadıkalesi’nde sürdürülen kazılar yirmi yılın ardından Bizans cam araştırmalarına zengin arkeolojik veriler sunmuştur. Buluntular, aynı zamanda Anaia limanı aracılığıyla taşınmış olması muhtemel kaplara ve dolayısıyla Orta Çağ’ın önemli bir ticari üretim merkezine de ışık tutmaktadır. Camların arasında özgün formlu ve üst sınıf işçilikli olanlar çoğunluktadır. Bunların yanı sıra flu renkleri ile orta kaliteye sahip günlük yaşama dair olanlar da mevcuttur. Kilise dâhil olmak üzere, kalenin her yerine dağılmış halde saptanan camların içerisinden Geç Orta Çağ üretiminin karışık malzemeleri ile yapının kullanıma ait olan camları ayırt etmek oldukça güçtür. Ancak son yıllarda bemadan ve kilisenin vaftizhanesinden gelen parçalar bu konudaki bilgilerimizi yenileyecek düzeydedir. Anıtsal kilisenin bemasının önündeki deprem yıkıntısı kaldırıldıkça, yapının pencere camlarına ve aydınlatmasına ait diğer objelerine rastlanılmıştır. Benzer şekilde, kalenin mekânlarıyla ilişkili olabilecek az sayıdaki bir başka cam buluntu, kilisenin kuzeybatısında son yıllarda açılan Erken Hristiyan Vaftizhanesi’nin, en üstteki yapı katmanının hemen altında tespit edilmiştir. Kadıkalesi camları ticarete yönelik, günlük yaşama ait ve mezar buluntuları olmak üzere üç ayrı başlık şeklinde incelenmektedir. Camlar işlevlerine göre ise aydınlatma, günlük kullanım ve süs objeleri olarak yine üç gruba ayrılır. Bu yazımızda ise Kuşadası, Kadıkalesi/Anaia Kazısı’nın son dört kazı sezonundaki cam parçalarına ait örnekler ile 11-13. yüzyıl yapının kullanım gereçleri olabilecek bahsi geçen Bizans camları tanıtılıp değerlendirilecektir.
Primary Language | Turkish |
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Subjects | Art History, Theory and Criticism (Other) |
Journal Section | RESEARCH |
Authors | |
Publication Date | December 20, 2021 |
Published in Issue | Year 2021 |