A Young Dionysos-Satyr Group from Akkale (Rough Cilicia)

Authors : Ahmet Mörel

Pages : 99-114

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Publication Date : 2020-05-01

Article Type : Research

Abstract :In this article an iconographic interpretation and stylistic dating are proposed of the head and lower body of a marble statue group found at the Akkale Port settlement, situated on the eastern border of the region of East Rough Cilicia. The area in which the settlement is located is remarkable for its location close to the Lamos (Limonlu) river, which forms the natural border of Eastern Rough Cilicia to the east. The harbour settlement of Akkale is an important location within this region, both economically and strategically. During the cleaning and rescue excavations carried out at the ancient settlement by the Directorate of the Mersin Archaeological Museum and the Archaeology Department of Mersin University some interesting finds were made. A marble head and a torso belonging to a young Dionysos-Satyr sculpture group uncovered during these works constitute the main subject of this study. The lower torso of the statue was found in front of the entrance door of the lighthouse in 2017, while the head was found in 2018 in front of the local inn, close to its entrance door. The sculpture group, which can iconographically be identified as a classicistic variant of the Woburn Abbey type commonly encountered during the Hadrianic and Early Antonine Periods, also sheds light on the status of the polytheistic god in the region of Eastern Rough Cilicia during Late Antiquity.
Keywords : Rough Cilicia, Akkale, Roman Sculpture