Milas Ahmet Çavuş Mahallesi’nden çıkan mozaikler

Abstract

A rescue excavation was conducted by Milas Museum in Ahmet Çavuş District in Milas after some remains of walls and mosaics in between on the floor has been discovered within a substructure dig in an open field. Excavatons were conducted on a 54 X 38.42 m area. Mosaics were found in north, south and eastern parts of the area. Mosaics continue to under the streets to the east and north. Houses and piles of soil made it difficult to assess the situation to the South of the area. Six rooms were discovered in the area holding opus tessellatum and opus vermiculatum mosaics with floral and geometric motifs. In addition to that, during the excavations ceramics from a wide time period has been discovered at the site; starting from geometric Period till the end of Middle Ages. While the walls and ceramics indicate at least a few different periods for the structure, mosaics on the other hand are all made in same time period considering technique, style and composition. Dark blue is used for all the outlines, red, yellow, pink, light blue and white tesserae for the background is used for the compositions. Seeing no wall in the structure is aid upon the mosaic we can say that the additions to the building were finished before the mosaics were in place. One exception is a stone block we see on the Medusa’s head in location nr. VI. On three of the mosaics floral decorations are used for borders while geometric decorations are used for the compositions. Wave, saw- tooth, swastika, guilloche, peltae, leaves inside intersecting circles, circles, triangles, zigzag, checkers and Solomon’s knot motifs are used for the decorations. We see that these motifs are also used in architectural decoration since earlier periods. These motifs are used on many examples in Early Christian Period churches, baths, houses and graves; they all repeat each other without any regional differences. Some compositions however evolve in Early Christian Period and used in certain regions. The composition in the second panel from location nr. II is an example to this. It is thought to be originated from Cos island and used only in southeastern Karia and Twelve Islands in V. century buildings. This composition consisting of geometric motifs used before is arranged in a different manner that we don’t see in earlier periods. The example in Milas is one of the few we know. Another interesting composition is the medallion with the Medusa’s head in room nr. VI. It seems Medusa’s head similar to earlier examples was used here. Use of such mythological subjects and figures in Early Christian Period shows the influence of Ancient Art to Late Antiquity art. On dating these mosaics, instead of the structural features of the building, mosaics themselves give better clues. Similar compositions of the mosaic in room nr. II can be seen on the mosaics dated to V. century buildings. Scenes, motifs and figures from Antiquity are also used from III. century to VI. century on Christian Art. Compositions of geometric motifs are also used on Early Byzantium mosaics dated to V.-VI. century. In the light of all the data we have so far, six fragments of mosaics found in Milas should be dated to from V. century to the beginning of VI. century