During a preliminary visit in 1995 museum authorities at the Alanya Archaeological Museum brought to our attention the existence of what appear to be the remains of a kiln site on a beach near the mouth of a small river a few kilometers south of the ancient site of Syedra (1). From the highway the site stands behind a farm on a small, annually plowed agricultural terrace directly abutting a campground and restaurant complex to its north. The site and the adjoining campground directly face the beach. The terrace (approximately 67 m. N/S by 43 m. E/W) stands more than a meter above the beach and neighboring agricultural fields to the south and is visibly retained on its south side by the remains of an ancient wall. Remains of ceramic floor tile, set in concrete, are likewise visible amid scattered debris. In July 1996 the field team conducted an intensive survey of the site, gathering a "triaged" collection of its representative ceramic forms. Elements of the team revisited the site twice in 1997 to gather additional context pottery. These collections were analyzed that season by the project pottery specialists, Richard Rothaus and Kathleen Slane, with the extremely preliminary assessment that a kiln site probably existed here. It must be stressed that no surface remains capable of verifying the existence of a kiln structure are visible.
In addition to the limited topographical indicators mentioned above, our conclusion that an ancient kiln stood here is based on the discovery of misfired and vitrified material including three pieces of kiln lining and two rooftiles. Items still usable but overfired gray and metallic and also likely to be products of this site are two shapes of basin rim, several loomweights or heat pads, a stewpot with everted rim, one or two amphora toes and about ten wall fragments of coarse vessels or amphoras. Numerous normally fired vessels in these shapes were also collected, particularly the basin and amphora fragments.
Neither the fabrics nor the shapes are uniform. The basins, the loom weights, and some amphoras seem to share a fine, reddish yellow fabric (5YR 6/6) with abundant, minute white inclusions and many tiny irregular voids; sparse angular or splintery white grains are also present and the surface is micaceous. The biscuit is fired a single color throughout its thickness. Some very thick walled amphoras and some of the Zemer 41 amphoras (see below) are similar, except they seem grittier, have a gray core, and a soapy texture; there are red and black grains among the larger size white inclusions. The latter is the fabric labelled “West Cilicia Zemer 41 fine” in the study collection, and Slane is uncertain whether it is from the same source as the basin fabric (2).
"Syedra Kiln Site" Shapes:
1. Most of the basins are carefully potted, of a shape and fabric common throughout the survey zone. They are identified in the study collection as the West Cilicia concave rim and upturned concave rim basins (3). One basin has a broad everted rim with a groove near its outer edge and a horizontal handle which is round in section. There is also a misfired everted rim stewpot (2nd-3rd century type) among the basins.
2. The loomweights are rounded, with alternating deep concentric grooves and ridges on the front and a flat-surface back. They are relatively thick (2-3 cm.) and appear to exist in different sizes (c. 16, 12, and perhaps 10 cm. in diameter).
3. Five or six amphora bodies are small, poorly made imitations of Agora Vol. 5, M239 with a wall 1-1.5 cm. thick; the join of neck to shoulder is rounded and the body is tapering and wheelridged. These are soapy in texture and have a gray core but may otherwise be the same fabric as 1 and 2. With them are shoulders of regular Zemer 41 amphoras in West Cilicia fine fabric and a rounded rim.
3A. There are 3 handle types: 1) Like Zemer 41 with incised line on top and outside, pinched (and slightly twisted) at angle; vertical height 6.5-8, top 4 cm. These are in both the fine basin fabric and the West Cilicia fine amphora fabric. 2) Small, “square” handles like Agora V, M239 (no white slip) with a groove incised on the outside of the handle only and a pinched angle; vertical height 4.5 (one is only 3.5), top approximately 3.5 cm. 3) Strap handles with 2-3 grooves on the outside; only 1-2 are large enough for amphoras, the rest are probably plainware pitchers (one misfired). One of the larger sherds collected in 1996 has such a handle attached to a neck and shoulder, with wavy-line decoration appearing on the neck above and below the handle attachment (4).
3B. Rims. 1) The rolled rims of Zemer 41 type are on necks 6 and 7 cm. high, and the handle fragments show they belong with types A2 and A1, respectively. Some of these rims and A2 handles are red (2.5YR 5/6) but none is the same fabric as Agora V, M239. 2) There is a large, outward thickened rim with a groove on the neck (possibly at the level of the handle attachment) (5); handles missing; its fabric may not be the same.
3C. Toes. 1) Most are tapering spikes (H. 9.5-11, W. at top 4.5 cm.) with faint spiralling wheel marks. Three of these are misfired and one was deformed while still wet. 2) There is also a misfired cylindrical spike 8 cm. high, and two to three others like it. 3) A short tapering spike (H. 7-8 cm.) with rounded or button end like those from Biçkici (6). There are also 2 mushroom toes represented.
While closing down the 1997 season, Rauh discerned one additional handle type from the Syedra collections possessing the same fabric as the basins: a large bowing handle (oval in section, preserved length 9-10 cm.) that resembles those of Pamphylian amphoras published by V. Grace and K. Slane (7). Based on the similarities with those forms, he has tentatively identified these as Pamphylian and grouped with them the short tapering toes with the rounded ends mentioned above.
After analyzing the materials, Slane remains doubtful whether this site produced anything other than basins and loom weights. The identical fabric of the Pamphylian amphora sherds suggests to Rauh, however, that these need to be considered as possible local production. Context pottery collected with the wasters and amphoras is mostly Hellenistic or early Roman. Hellenistic remains include a plate with upward thickened, grooved rim, a lamp nozzle, and two or three bases. The early Roman fine ware includes one possible Eastern Sigillata B rim (Hayes form 67?), nine or ten Cypriot sigillata, Hayes form P-11, including four or five rims and a foot, two possible Hayes P-12 rims, and two small crater rims (Hayes P-37 and P-40). There is also a table amphora lid, the rim of a late Roman unguentarium and a late Roman cooking pot handle, a tile, a pithos (and its lid), and a waterpipe. None of these pieces is misfired. Collected with the basins were also at least six pieces of “imported” cooking pans resembling Agora V, K89. The predominant phase of the site would appear to have been late Hellenistic and early Roman.
1- See Map 2. GPS reading for the site: 36 deg. 22.770' N. by 32 deg. 11.554' E.
2- The fabric of these amphoras at Syedra is 2.5 YR 5/6 to 6/8 (red), medium fine grained, slightly soft, with some medium to large white and red inclusions, small white inclusions, and very small micaceous inclusions.
3- Apart from the rim the form generally resembles Agora V, K 80. A recent find from Laertes confirms its flat base and wheelridged wall.
4- “Decorated Table Amphora”; study collection inventory no. SKS 8-22, PH: 10.2 cm, est. diam. 12 cm inside surface of neck, Munsell: 5YR 7/8.
5- Study collection inventory no. SKS 4-20; SC Antioch, CA 5-80 appears to be a whiteware version of the same (see below).
6- Rauh now attributes these to the Pamphylian amphora type described below.
7- Pamphylian amphora handles, study collection inventory nos. SKS 13-1 and 13-2, PL 10.2 and 9.6 cm. respectively; Munsell 5YR 6/8. The fabric is soft, soapy, micaceous, with some small white inclusions. The handles are large, oval in section (4.4 cm. wide), and slightly ridged at center. They bow downward from the neck; one or two are coated with a whitish residue probably resulting from “seawater wetslip.”
