Signing off...

Alas, though, in flying out of Turkey, I am also finishing my travelling for the year. In May, I shall be digging in Corinth with the American School of Classical Studies, then: back to America at the start of June! So now is a good time to bid adieu. I hope you have enjoyed reading about my various movements, - and perhaps even have been impelled to delve a bit deeper into the history of the various sites mentioned.

Temple of Apollo, Corinth

It but remains to thank the American School for organising the Academic Year Program, accepting me as a member this past year, and awarding me a fellowship towards its cost.

Cheramyes kore, Samos

In particular, I want to express my deep gratitude to Margie Miles, the Mellon Professor, who thrashed us round Greece, and put up with our foibles and foolishnesses with unremittingly good grace. She has been quite astoundingly devoted to us, even in the small ways that matter most - such as giving us some idea as we got off the bus at a site how long we might expect to be there. How she did it, I do not know, but it has been a wonderful experience, and it would not have been the same without her hard work and dedication.

Arkadiko

Last but not least, though, I should acknowledge James Rignall Wheeler, in whose honour the fellowship I received was named, together with those who sponsored that fellowship, and continue to support the American School. Without them, the School itself, let alone the Regular Program, or my involvement in it, would not be possible. Why not join them?

The Rethymno carnival...

...complete with mobile souvlaki stand

Lycia Day 9: Antalya Museum, and Termessus

Our last day! and we finally made it to a museum - finally not just in terms of our overall trip itinerary, but because we had a slight problem with the bus en route, requiring us to decamp into taxis for the final part. On the bright side, at least it happened in Antalya (map), not, oh..., Arycanda, or one of the other remote sites we have visited. I am, though, still a tad befuddled at the route the driver took to reach the museum; we fixed the price in advance, so there was no financial advantage, but I know my way round Antalya well enough to be pretty sure I could have walked more quickly...

Traditional dress

Once there, though, the museum boasts a very fine collection of sculpture, especially from Perge.

Emperor Priest, Perge (2nd AD)

The sarcophagus collection was also very extensive. My favourite was perhaps the so-called 'Heracles Sarcophagus', with each section illustrating one of his many labours.

'The Heracles Sarcophagus'

Afterwards, we started the long drive back to Marmaris, stopping en route at Termessus (map), a site so remote even Alexander could not/decided not to storm it.

One way of discouraging visitors

Despite the location, the remains were very extensive. My favourite was perhaps the bouleuterium/odeum, with its striking pilasters shewing up nicely in the late morning sun.

The bouleuterium/odeum

Not all the buildings were quite so easy to identify...

really?

Without, alas, solving this puzzle, we returned down the hill that Alexander never climbed, and set off for Marmaris. Or the others did. I decided not to share in the five hour return, but hopped off on the main road, and caught the next dolmuş back to Antalya before flying out from there. Much more civilised. I even had time for a relaxed lunch at the Otogar. Do not laugh: it was the best güveç I had all trip, and the bread was piping hot. Simply delicious! In fact, it was probably the best meal of the trip as a whole.

Güveç and bread

Lycia Day 8: Sagalassus, and Cremna

Despite the title, today we struck off inland to a site where excavation only started in 1990: Sagalassus (map).

in need of weeding!

As such, we broke new ground, bidding adieu to Lycia, and heading off inland into Pisidia, - or so the guidebooks and much modern scholarship would have you believe, liking to think in terms of neat, permanent, unmoving geographical and ethnic units. That Strabo considers it part of Isauria, and Ptolemy places it in Lycia, though, might perhaps suggest the borders were no quite so clear-cut... - though it is true there was no Lycian tomb to be seen, unlike almost passim previously.

Late Hellenistic Fountain House

Getting off that hobby-horse, though... Sagalassus was once again a fine sprawling site with much to explore.

View from the theatre

In Turkey, excavators are also required by law (I think) to engage in anastylosis, rebuilding monuments as they are uncovered. This is occasionally controversial: in its favour, it helps preserve monuments, and is attractive visually and, as a result, financially, as it draws tourist interest and money. Some worry, though, that it diverts scarce resources from the business of excavation, that it can occasionally influence excavation methods and extent in a negative way, as well as encouraging over-restoration. Whatever opinion taken, though, the results can be quite spectacular.

The upper Nymphaeum

Still some work to do in the theatre

According to our schedule, our second 'site' of the day was to be our first museum of the trip, - a fact which again emphasises how little excavation there has been in the region. We drove, though, straight by Burdur museum, where the famous sculpture from the library at Cremna resides. Instead, we visited Cremna (map) itself, and seemed to move back in time two hundred (or for Sagalassus, twenty) years.

Cremna library

I jest, but it was not just that the site was once again almost entirely unexcavated (except, of course, for the library): that has been the norm. Nor the lack of guard or of fences; again, not unusual. It is because we were outnumbered by goats and cows about ten to one.

Cremna

The only other people about were the herdsman and his wife. He very kindly shewed us where the library was, and, even more kindly, made his trust in us apparent by setting aside his gun before he did so. It would have been still kinder if he had put it down, rather than leaving it hanging by the strap from the lowest branch of the nearest tree, but it seemed impolite to comment!

spot the theatre

The view

Lycia Day 7: Chimaera, Olympus, and Phaselis

Among the essential supplies today were roasting spits as we set off to visit Chimaera (map), the location of mysterious unquenchable flames: even if put out with water or earth, they miraculously reignite after a few seconds. The temple (commonly stated as being to Hephaestus/Vulcan because of the flames, though I know of no ancient testimony to this effect) and byzantine church both suggest the phenomenon has been around for a long time.

One of eight I counted

There are now a few theories to explain the flaming, though none has yet gained wide-spread acceptance. In the meantime, it seemed the ideal location for second breakfast as we heard them, and the broader history of the site.


Olympus (map), just down the river from Chimaera, was a true maze of a site, with the ruins set around a river with mountains looming over on every side. The side near the entrance was well-cleared, and boasted some fine sarcophagi.

Olympus

The other side was the more interesting, though, with a Roman theatre and baths set back from the river. The only difficulty, - getting there without tearing my clothes to pieces. Afterwards, the true reason why this site had more visitors than any other so far became clear: the beach.

The beach

Phaselis (map) is also a sea-front site, with no fewer than three harbours in use in antiquity., which are now popular beaches. Around and between the beaches lie the remains of a theatre, various agoras, and more. Most, though, were marching through the site rather determinedly with other goals in mind!

The western harbour in use

The Roman baths from the theatre

all this hubbub...

Lycia Day 6: Arycanda, Limyra, Rhodiapolis

Arycanda (map) was perhaps the most impressive site so far in its sheer extent, as it sprawled across the mountain top. It is well-preserved, no doubt at least in part because of the difficulty of access: there were much easier sites to plunder for their stone! I also counted no fewer than seven bath-houses. It was clearly a city obsessed with cleanliness, - understandably, given it is next to godliness after all, and their location took care of that!

Arycanda

Limyra (map) is a good example of a site that was much easier to reach for reusable stone. Nevertheless, it boasts a fine Roman bridge, which is unusual not just for its length (c 350m over sixteen preserved arches), but also its low profile.

I am not impressed; just let me sleep

It is also the place where Caius Caesar, Augustus' heir apparent, died in AD 4 on his way back from Armenia, where he had been wounded. A fine cenotaph was built here to commemorate him, but the sculpture has all now been removed to the Antalya museum.

Roman roads are so useful...

More interesting for current visitors is the reconstruction of a traditional Lycian house. This brings out nicely the similarities between these and some of the rock-cut tombs so ubiquitous in Lycia: truly, homes for the dead.

Lycian House

Finally, we visited Rhodiapolis (map), a much more obscure site which is perhaps best known for an inscription documenting its inhabitants' complaints at Septimius Severus' taxes (c AD 300). Its city plan did, though, also neatly illustrate the potential benefits available to city benefactors.

Rhodiapolis Theatre and benefactor's tomb