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Rough Cilicia:
Reconstruction of an Ancient Roman Temple in Southern Turkey
Synopsis:
Antiocheia ad Kragum, a Roman city in western Rough Cilicia, is located near the modern city of Gazipasa on the south coast of turkey. The city was constructed primarily on sloping ground that descends from the Taurus range down to the sea.
The temple mound consisted of a heap of collapsed marble blocks. The GOAL of this project is to reconstruct the Temple, most likely partially, with as much authentic material as possible.
A preliminary rendering of the temple’s architecture.
The project started in Summer 2005 and is in progress.
The interdisciplinary team is formed of an Architectural Engineering faculty and students, and art history/ archeology faculty and students. My collaborators on the project are Drs. Michael Hoff (University of Nebraska-Lincoln) and Rhys Townsend (Clark University)
Summer 2005
In the first phase of the project, which took place in summer of 2005, a team of students assisted us in surveying and documenting all of the remaining marble blocks (a total of 270 stones) at the archeological site.
Our 2005 research team in front of the exposed 270 ancient marble blocks
Front row, L to R: Brian, Brooke, Anna, Lisa (UNL)
Back row, L to R: Neel, Dr. Erdogmus, Dr. Hoff, Jason (UNL)
We cleared the heavy vegetation from the site; identified, photographed and catalogued each block. We then prepared measured drawings of each block with survey points noted on them. During the 2005 academic year, the research team continued to work on the project, carrying out tasks such as preparing a site map from the field surveying, documenting the progress from the field observations, and studying the material samples for material characteristics.
Summer 2007
There were no activities in the summer of 2006, due to discontinued funding. In the Fall of 2006, the team was awarded a National Science Foundation Grant (Award Number: 0623660). The project resumed in July 2007.
Our 2007 research team:
Front row, L to R: Shana, Dr. Erdogmus, Dr. Hoff (UNL);
Back Row, L to R: Emma (UNL), Dr. Townsend (Clark University), Mary (UNL), Travis (UNL)
Blocks are surveyed, measured, and catalogued. A state plan is created.
State plan of blocks based on the found and catalogues blocks (Courtesy of Prof. Michael Hoff, UNL).
We also started moving the blocks from the mound and placing them on the adjacent block field (Figure 4).
Block field A status at the end of 2007 season
Various blocks are found on site, such as column drums, bases and capitals; pediments, etc... These are drawn into a site plan as shown in Figure 3.
An emperor's image is carved on one of the stones, yet it is not in a condition to reveal to which emperor the Temple was dedicated to.
Summer 2008– coming up soon…
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