A Group of Rhodian Stamped Amphorae and Amphora Stamps from Silifke Museum
Celil S. HARMANDAR
Gökmen ELMALI
LIBRI XII (2026) 67-86
Geliş Tarihi: 24.06.2026 | Kabul Tarihi: 04.07.2026
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.21451963
Elektronik Yayın Tarihi: 21.07.2026
Abstract: This study focuses on a group of stamped Rhodian amphorae housed in the Silifke Museum (Mersin, Türkiye) from archaeological and epigraphic perspectives. During the Hellenistic Period, Rhodes emerged as a dominant commercial power in the Mediterranean, distinguished by a highly standardized and systematically organized stamping practice that remained in use from the late 4th century BCE until the mid 1st century BCE. The research concentrates on the identification and chronological assessment of the eponyms and fabricants recorded on the stamps. By cross-referencing the information gathered from the stamps with established corpora and digital databases, the study establishes a refined chronological framework for the assemblage. The results indicate that a substantial proportion of the amphorae and handles are dated to the 2nd century BCE, corresponding to the peak phase of Rhodian commercial activity. The principal contribution of this paper lies in proposing a new association between an eponym and a fabricant, not recorded in the existing scholarly literature. This new pairing offers valuable insights into the organization of Rhodian workshops and the administrative mechanisms governing amphora production. Furthermore, by presenting a local museum collection to the international scholarly com¬munity, this study contributes to the refinement of the chronological and prosopographical frameworks essential for a more nuanced understanding of the Hellenistic economy.
Keywords: Stamped Rhodian Amphorae, Silifke Museum, Hellenistic Period, Rhodian-Cilician Trade
Öz: Bu çalışma, Silifke Müzesi’nde (Mersin, Türkiye) bulunan bir grup mühürlü Rhodos amphorasına arkeolojik ve epigrafik açılardan odaklanmaktadır. Hellenistik Dönem boyunca Rhodos, MÖ 4. yüzyılın sonlarından MÖ 1. yüzyılın ortalarına kadar kullanımda kalan, oldukça standart ve sistematik bir mühürleme uygulamasıyla öne çıkarak Akdeniz’de egemen bir ticari güç haline gelmiştir. Araştırma, mühürler üzerinde yer alan yönetici/eponym ve üreticilerin tanımlanmasına ve kronolojik olarak değerlendirilmesine yoğunlaşmaktadır. Müzede tespit edilen buluntuların kabul görmüş referans kaynaklar ve dijital veri tabanlarıyla karşılaştırılarak, çalışma içerisinde bu buluntu topluluğu için bir kronolojik çerçeve oluşturulmuştur. Sonuçlar, amphora ve mühürlü kulpların büyük bir bölümünün, Rhodos’un ticari faaliyetlerinin en yoğun evresine denk gelen MÖ 2. yüzyıla tarihlendiğini göstermektedir. Bu makalenin temel katkısı, mevcut akademik literatürde yer almayan, bir yönetici/eponym ile bir üretici arasında yeni bir bağlantının önerilmesidir. Bu yeni bağlantı, Rhodos’ta yer alan amphora üretim atölyelerinin organizasyonu ve amphora üretimini yöneten idari mekanizmalar hakkında değerli bilgiler sunmaktadır. Dahası, bu çalışma yerel bir müze koleksiyonunu uluslararası akademik camiaya sunarak, Hellenistik ekonominin daha detaylı bir şekilde kavranması için elzem olan kronolojik ve prosopografik çerçevelerin geliştirilmesine katkı sağlamaktadır.
Anahtar sözcükler: Mühürlü Rhodos Amphoraları, Silifke Müzesi, Hellenistik Dönem, Rhodos-Kilikia Ticareti
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Kalıcı Bağlantı Adresi: http://www.libridergi.org/2026/lbr-0359
Celil S. HARMANDAR
Dr., INA BRC – Institute of Nautical Archaeology, Bodrum, Türkiye. celilsametharmandar@hotmail.com
Gökmen ELMALI
Dr., Independent Researcher, Ulus Mah. 2111 Sk. Aktaş Apt. Kepez, Antalya, Türkiye. gokmenelmali@windowslive.com