Labraunda

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THE SITE How and Why to go there? Introduction Ancient authors about Labraunda The rediscovery of Labraunda The excavations The layout of the sanctuary A tour of the ruins The remains inside the Sanctuary Entrance area Andron B and C Terraces and the East Stoa Temple Terrace The remains outside the sanctuary Built Tomb Open-air Cult area Akropolis Stadion Sacred Way Spring Houses Tombs Other Fortresses Tetraconch Bath Bibliography Early Travellers Final Reports Preliminary Reports Papers, notes and other studies Preliminary Excavation Reports 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 Website MapHow_and_Why_eng.htmlHow_and_Why_eng.htmlIntroduction_eng.htmlAncient_authors_about_Labraunda_eng.htmlAncient_authors_about_Labraunda_eng.htmlAncient_authors_about_Labraunda_eng.htmlRediscovery_of_Labraundra_eng.htmlRediscovery_of_Labraundra_eng.htmlExcavations_eng.htmlThe_layout_of_the_sanctuary_eng.htmlThe_layout_of_the_sanctuary_eng.htmlTour_of_the_ruins_eng.htmlTour_of_the_ruins_eng.htmlEntrance_area_eng.htmlAndron_B_C_Terraces_and_East_stoa_eng.htmlAndron_B_C_Terraces_and_East_stoa_eng.htmlAndron_B_C_Terraces_and_East_stoa_eng.htmlTemple_Terrace_eng.htmlBuilt_tomb_eng.htmlOpen_air_cult_area_eng.htmlOpen_air_cult_area_eng.htmlAkropolis_eng.htmlStadion_eng.htmlSacred_Way_eng.htmlSpring_houses_eng.htmlTombs_eng.htmlOther_Fortresses_eng.htmlTetraconch_bath_eng.htmlBibliography_early_travellers_eng.htmlBibliography_final_reports_eng.htmlBibliography_preliminary_reports_eng.htmlBibliography_preliminary_reports_eng.htmlbibliography_other_eng.htmlbibliography_other_eng.htmlReport_2004_eng.htmlReport_2006_eng.htmlReport_2007_eng.htmlReport_2008_eng.htmlReport_2009_eng.htmlWebsite_map_eng.htmlshapeimage_3_link_0shapeimage_3_link_1shapeimage_3_link_2shapeimage_3_link_3shapeimage_3_link_4shapeimage_3_link_5shapeimage_3_link_6shapeimage_3_link_7shapeimage_3_link_8shapeimage_3_link_9shapeimage_3_link_10shapeimage_3_link_11shapeimage_3_link_12shapeimage_3_link_13shapeimage_3_link_14shapeimage_3_link_15shapeimage_3_link_16shapeimage_3_link_17shapeimage_3_link_18shapeimage_3_link_19shapeimage_3_link_20shapeimage_3_link_21shapeimage_3_link_22shapeimage_3_link_23shapeimage_3_link_24shapeimage_3_link_25shapeimage_3_link_26shapeimage_3_link_27shapeimage_3_link_28shapeimage_3_link_29shapeimage_3_link_30shapeimage_3_link_31shapeimage_3_link_32shapeimage_3_link_33shapeimage_3_link_34shapeimage_3_link_35shapeimage_3_link_36shapeimage_3_link_37shapeimage_3_link_38shapeimage_3_link_39shapeimage_3_link_40
 

The 2005 Season

The 2005 Team

Preliminary Reports

Welcome_to_Labraunda.html

Campaign period: June 27 to July 15, 2005.


Participants: Docent Lars Karlsson, project director, Uppsala University; master student Jesper Blid; Lovisa Strand, M.A.; archaeologist Göksan Keskin, Stockholm; Ph.D. student Kadir Baran, Ankara University and conservator Despina Ignatiadou, Thessaloniki Museum



Lars Karlsson

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    Documentation of ancient remains in the vicinity of the site

    In 2004 we initiated a project of mapping and plotting the ancient remains around the sanctuary on a digital plan together with the company ARI of Milas and its director Turgay Kinaci. During this year we were able to finish the project with the registration of 52 sarcophagus tombs cut into the cliffs around Labraunda. The tombs consist of a rectangular coffin cut into a compact piece of rock with a level upper side. Halfway down the coffin there is a ledge for a stone cover, which seals the lower burial and makes it possible for another burial to be put on top. The sarcophagus is then covered by a large roof-shaped lid which (frequently) has six bosses for lifting on its sides.

A rock-cut sarcophagus.

The lids are always found moved from their original positions and the tombs have been looted. We have also discovered six chamber tombs which are not single burials of sarcophagus type but contain a room with benches cut along the sides for the placement of the dead. This type is otherwise less common in Labraunda. All the tombs are clearly located near or in view of the ancient Holy Road. A new discovery this year was the continuation of the Holy Road east of the sanctuary towards the ancient city of Alinda. A number of tombs were also discovered along this road. The tombs were measured and in several cases drawn. The work of drawing the tombs will continue in the coming seasons.


In the same areas, i.e. along the Holy Roads to Mylasa and Alinda, were discovered 32 spring houses. These were clearly built at the time as the construction of the roads as they are clearly connected with the road. The spring houses consist of a facade of ashlar blocks which cover a collection basin for the water gushing forth behind. It is remarkable that so many of these old springs still hold water.

A spring house.

Stone plan of the Akropolis.

    The fortress on the acropolis behind Labraunda was plotted onto the plan with a total station in 2004. This year work was finished on the detailed stone plan of the fortress. There are nine exterior towers and two towers in the inner fort. The fortress was thus fortified by an inner fort where traces of barracks for soldiers still can been.

The area is completely unexcavated, but has been cleaned from disturbing bushes and vegetation.

   In front of the the sanctuary, on the slopes towards Mylasa, we discovered and plotted five free-standing towers onto the digital plan. The free-standing towers are from the west: Burgaz Tepe Kule, Tepehisar Kule, Ucalan Tepesi Kule, Kepez Tepe Kule and Harap Kule. It is very interesting to study how these free-standing towers worked together with the acropolis fortress to defend the sanctuary from intruders and invading armies. All the towers are placed on small hilltops and it is obvious that there was a clear view between these towers. The towers could all be seen from the arcopolis fortress and were thus in contact with the general command located at the acropolis fortress.



Continued research and excavation inside the area of the ancient sanctuary

   This year work was concentrated on two buildings inside the sanctuary: The East Stoa and the Byzantine Church . The East Stoa was excavated in 1989-1992. It was realized that the stoa was not a nomal stoa but rather a banquetting stoa, i.e. it was used for dining in connection with the yearly celebrations in honour of Zeus Labraundos. This fact was clear from the way the doors to the back rooms were placed: by pushing the opening for the door to the right a complete banquetting couch could be located to the left of the door. This is a typical trait in ancient dining rooms.

East Stoa pottery.

The fact that the stoa is a building for ritual dining makes a study of the pottery found there even more interesting. What did the participants eat, what cups or plates did they use? Lovisa Strand, M.A. is looking into the problem. During 2005 we started the cleaning and photographing of the pottery. It is a slow process which will continue for a couple of years. After the pottery had been cleaned it was put back into new pottery boxes made in plastic with a lid. The glass found was also inventoried and studied by Despina Ignatiadou from Thessaloniki.

The Byzantine church was excavated in 1953-60 but it was not studied. It will now become the subject of a doctorial dissertation by Jesper Blid, M.A. We started in 2005 to clean the walls and floors before taking new measurements and writing of a new description of the building.


Excavation of the Byzantine Church apse.

Windows panes from the apse.

In the apse we came across a burial, which was excavated. It was probably an ossuary, a secondary burial for a hermit monk or local saint. The ossuary did not contain any bones (except for a couple of small fragments), but it contained some pieces of glass cups and window panes and a bronze coin (from Constantine ?). Below this floor level there were many fragments of Phrygian Pavonazzetto marble from Afyon. These marble fragments may come from an earlier revetment for the apse wall. Further studies in this area will make us better understand the history of the building. The pottery and glass from this building were also studied and put into new plastic pottery boxes with lids.

Increasing the accessibility of the site for visitors.

Information sign of the Andron B.

   This year we were able to erect the nine new information signs which have taken two years for us to prepare. The signs have texts in Turkish and English and consist of a general plan. Seven smaller signs have been placed at seven different buildings (the Propylon, Andron A, Andron B, Oikoi, the Temple , the North Stoa, the Byzantine church.

One copy of the general plan was placed at the entrance in the parking place for a first introduction to the site for the visitor. A second copy of the general plan was placed in the centre of the sanctuary and a third copy of the general plan was put next to the sphinx from Labraunda in the Bodrum Museum of Underwater Archaeology.

New metal grilles in depot.

    The three rooms in the Subterranean building which we use as the depot were furnished with heavy metal doors and window grilles. This was done on the order of the Museum in Milas for increased safety. This order included the transfer to Labraunda of the ten Labraunda pottery boxes from the Izmir Museum containing material from the excavations of 1948 to 1960.

               

The monumental staircase restored.

   The heavy winter rains had destroyed the upper part of the grand staircase. This summer we were able to restore the side wall of the staircase as well as replace the steps in this area for the increased safety of the visitors to Labraunda. The staircase is now very stable and clean and welcoming to the visitor who has traveled the long distance up to the sanctuary from Milas. Finally the site was cleaned from disturbing vegetation and attractively arranged. Labraunda is now a very nice place to visit!