11. Araştırma Sonuçları Toplantısı - Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığı

site lies within 1.5 km of the Black Sea coast and a narrow, steep sidedvalley links it with the coastal headland of Araklı Burnu. Recent studiesof the classical and medieval topography have suggested that Buzlucamay be the site of Hyssos Liman (harbour)/ Susurmaina an importantRoman and early Byzantine military centre, fırst recorded by Arrian inthe early second century AD and connected with the anehorage at modemAraklı and the mouth of the Kara Dere (Hyssos river) (Bryer andWinfield 1985: 326-7). The recent publication of a local history ofSürmene (Bilgin 1990, 31-5) records for the fırst time a rectangular enclosureat Araklı Kalesi of typical Roman form. This is situated in thevalley of the Kara Dere, the classical Hyssos, just south of the modemtown of Arakh and is a more likely candidate for the auxiliary fort ofHyssos Limen recorded by Arrian and attested in the Notitia Dignitatum(Or. XXXVIII 34).The principle access to the site at Buzluca is from the south, wherethe spur narrows to a width of only 100 m. Overall the enclosureis trapezoidalin shape broadening to the north, with a maximum length northsouthof 220 m and east-west of 200 m, and a total internal area of 4.2hect. the north side is very irregular with a deep re-entrant midwayalong its length. The ground falls very steeply to the east and north, butwith a distinct shoulder to the west. There is a gentle slope across the sitefrom south to north. The slopes and plateau are covered by hazelnut orchards,with small Cıearings on level ground for the cultivation of maizeand beans.The main structural featute is the curtain wall and its associated towersand other buildings. Stretches of curtain survive on all four sides upto 40 m in length. To the west, north, and east the wall formed a terracecut in to the hillside rarely exeecding Im in width. To the south the outerface is mainly obscured by hill wash and wall core only survives on theinner, north, face. Along the 100 m length of the south curtain are fourwell preserved structures aligned west to east. The best preserved is thesouth-east angle tower. On its north exterior face is a fine chamfered corniceat the same level as the surviving floor inside the tower. Traces ofthis comice may be seen around all four sides of the exterior, at thesouth-west angle the comice was masked and preserved by the curtainwall with an unweathered profile. This indicates that the tower did notproject in front of the curtain wall and that it was structurally earlier thanthe curtain. At the east end of theinterior of the tower are the remains ofan inscribed apse, there was a door to the west. Below the level of thecomice the mortared rubble walls are faced with uncoursed basalt rubble74