10. Arkeometri Sonuçları Toplantısı - Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığı

Anemurium (Eski Anamur) is located on the eastem flank of CapeAnamur, the southemmost point of Asia Minor, about 7 kilometres southwestof the modern town of Anamur (Fig. 1). The site extends alorıg anopen stretch of shore ıunning northwards from the Cape for about 1.4 km(Figs. 2-4). This shore has undergone a number of major changes at variousperiods in its history since Roman times, some of which can be identifiedby noting the relationship between structures believed at one timeto have been adjacent to the sea and the present shore-line. The presenceof ancient buildings now largely concealed by sand-dunes also indicatesa considerable build-up of beach in the intervening centuries. More recentchanges are documented by measuring the distance to the sea fromcertain fixed reterence points in the ancient city (Fig. 2). These rneasurementsare based on ınaps, archaeological plans and aerial photographs ofvarying date (Fig. 2). Data from these sources have been supplementedby measurements taken in the field in February and July 1993.Archaeological Evidelice for the Ancient Shore-line ofAnemuriumThe importance of Anemurium as a coasting station for ships passingbetween Cyprus and the Turkish mainland is well documented in sailingmanuals from Pseudo-Skylax tPeriplus 102) in the fourth century Re. tothe Portolans of the Middle Ages (Russell, 1987, p. 15, n.Z). The site provideda relatively secure anehorage on the eası side of Cape Anamur, especiallyfrom the southwest wind that blows fiercely here almost dailyfor several hours during the sailing season. Though none of the sourcesmentions a harbour at Anemuriurn, some sort of harbour is implied bothby (Tacitus, Aıııı 12.55) and the tradition dating from the fifth centurythat the Apostle Barnabas set sail from Anemurium for Cyprus at the endof his journey along the Isaurian coast (Russel, 1987, p. 19).Material evidence for the city's waterfront facilities are visible at anumber of places along the present beach. Careful scrutiny of these remainsmakes it possible to reach some conclusions about the shore's corıfigurationat the time when these structures were in use. From this it isclear that the expanse of gravel beach and sand-dunes that exists today isa relatively recent phenomenon, daıing from sometime after the finalabandonment of the mediaeval setıIement on the Cape, probably aroundthe end of the thirteenth century. That the city's seashore presented a verydifferent appearance in arıtiquity is evidem from the massiye sea-frontwall, considerable lengths of which can be seen extending northwardsfrom the promoııtory cliff for a distance of 400 metres along the shore.Much of it is lost to view beneath the beach gravel and sand-dunes that136