Lydian Art: Diversity and Cultural Interaction on an Anatolian Kingdom R
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Lydian Art: Diversity and Cultural Interaction on an Anatolian Kingdom R. Gül Gürtekin-Demir Doç. Dr., Ege Üniversitesi, Edebiyat Fakültesi, Arkeoloji Bölümü, Bornova-‹zmir. [email protected] LYDIA SANATI: B‹R ANADOLU KRALLI⁄INDA ÇEfi‹TL‹L‹K VE KÜLTÜREL ETK‹LEfi‹M Özet Lydia Krall›¤› tarih boyunca zenginli¤i, bereketli topraklar› ve ayn› zamanda güçlü krallar› ile öne ç›k- m›fl yerli bir Anadolu kültürüdür. Lidya bölgesi co¤rafi konumundan dolay› hem bat›daki ‹onial› kom- flular›ndan gelecek Yunan etkilerine, hem de do¤udaki komflular›ndan gelecek Phryg ve Ön Asya et- kilerine aç›k bir noktada yer almaktad›r. Lydia kültürüne ait önemli arkeolojik veriler en iyi Sardis’te uzun y›llard›r düzenli olarak sürdürülen kaz›larda, ayn› zamanda Lydia’n›n do¤usunda ve kuzeybat›- s›nda yer alan baz› tümülüslerdeki kaçak kaz›lar sonucunda ele geçmifltir. Lydia kültürünün karakte- ristik izleri özellikle Mermnadlar sülalesinin hüküm sürdü¤ü y›llarda iyi gözlenmektedir: bu dönem Gyges’in bafla geçti¤i MÖ yedinci yüzy›l›n ikinci çeyre¤inden Kroisos’un MÖ alt›nc› yüzy›l›n ortas›n- da, Persler taraf›ndan yenilmesine kadar sürmektedir. Tümülüs buluntular›n›n ve Sardis’teki di¤er ar- kelolojik buluntular›n da gösterdi¤i üzere, Lydia’n›n kültürel etkisi Akhamenid döneminin özellikle erken safhas›nda da varl›¤›n› göstermektedir. Gerek yedinci ve alt›nc› yüzy›llardaki, gerekse de erken beflinci yüzy›l Lydia sanat eserleri incelendi¤inde çok kültürlü bir etkileflimin varl›¤› gözlenmektedir: Lydia özelliklerinin haricinde, Yunan, Persli, Phryg ve ortak Anadolu kültürlerine ait etkilerin bir ara- da harmanland›¤› dikkati çekmektedir. Bu durum, Lydia sanat›n›n kat› ve geleneksel olmas›ndan zi- yade, eklektik bir yap›da oldu¤ununa ve yeniliklere aç›k oldu¤una iflaret etmektedir. Bu inceleme bu kültürel birlikteli¤in temel olarak dikkati çekti¤i metal ve fildifli eserler, terracotta heykelcikler, mima- ri terrakottalar, duvar resimleri ve seramikler üzerindeki tasvirlerden yola ç›karak bir analiz yapmay› hedeflemektedir. Anahtar Kelimeler: Lydia, Sardis, Anadolu, Akhamenid, Kültürel Etkileflim. Abstract Lydian Kingdom is one of the important Anatolian cultures renowned for its prosperity, fertile lands and mighty kings. The Lydian region is geographically located in an area where it can receive Greek influences from her Ionian neighbors, and Phrygian along with other Near Eastern influences from her eastern neighbor. Important archaeological evidence for the Lydian culture comes from the Sardis excavations as well as from the illegally excavated tumuli in the eastern and northeastern parts of Lydia. Traces of characteristic Lydian elements may be observed on the remains belonging to the period of the Mermnad rule, during the reigns between Gyges, ca. second quarter of the sev- enth century and the mid-sixth century BC, when the Persians destroyed Croesus’ Kingdom. The Lydian cultural influence continued especially during the early period of the Achaemenid rule, which may be observed on the remains from the tumuli and other archaeological remains at Sardis. There seems to be an infusion of cultural interaction that combines elements of the Lydian, Greek, Persian, and Phrygian cultures as well as of other local Anatolian traits. This may be an indication that Lydian art is more eclectic and open to new ideas rather than being strictly conservative. This study aims to analyze the depictions on metal and ivory artifacts, terracotta statuettes, architectural terracottas, wall paintings and pottery where the cultural cooperation is basically observed. Key Words: Lydia, Sardis, Anatolia, Akhaemenid, Cultural Interaction. 87 ARKEOLOJ‹ VE SANAT | 143: MAYIS-A⁄USTOS 2013 he region of Lydia is located between Ionia to the west and Phrygia to the east. Caria and Mysia frame the southern and T the northern territories respectively. Lydia was a central regi- on of western Anatolia and it owes the Lydian history. Having attemped to ste- fertile lands to her prominent physical al the tripod from the Delphinion, He- features such as the series of river val- racles was remanded as a slave to Omp- leys (Hermus and Cayster rivers at the hale for a year.3 Omphale soon freed central area, Meander on the south and Heracles, married him and had a son Caikos on the north). The highest mo- named Tylon. Later, the dynasty shifted untain range is the centrally located from Atyads to Heraclids (or Tylonids). Tmolus ranges; Mesogis mountain ran- Having last for 22 generations the ges run on the south. Croesus set up a dynasty leaves its place to the Merm- boundary stone in Cydrara.1 This point nads whose first king Gyges was a trus- borders Caria to the south and Phrygia ted commander of Kandaules, the last to the east. As one of the native peop- Heraclid king. Herodotus tells that ha- les of Anatolia, Lydians were distinguis- ving seen Kandaules’ wife naked (upon hed by her language, which is a Palaic Kandaules’ pressure on Gyges), Gyges Anatolian subgroup of Indo-European. was forced by the queen to kill the king Lydian alphabetic system seems to be and marry her.4 Plutarch, on the other derived from the Greek. hand records that Kandaules was killed When compared to the limited infor- by a Carian named Arselis.5 mation and archaeological evidence for During the Mermnad reign the Lydians the early Lydians, both the archaeologi- had close relations with Greeks and cal and epigraphic data as well as the Anatolians. Although placed on the in- ancient literary sources provide us broa- ner part of Anatolia, the Lydian King- der information concerning the Lydian dom had strong interest on the domi- Kingdom and Lydia during the Merm- nation of coastal area of western Asia nad Dynasity, i.e., between the early se- Minor during the seventh and the sixth venth century BC and the sack of the centuries BC. Gyges controlled the Tro- Lydian capital, Sardis by Persians in the as region and the Thebe plain,6 formed mid-sixth century BC. The archaeologi- alliances with Assyria and Egypt and at- cal evidence of earlier periods is diffi- tacked several Ionian cities. The threats cult to formulate under a certain cultu- re. The historical data considering the were continued over the Ionian cities earlier times are often mythological. by his successors, Ardys, Sadyattes, Al- 7 Ancient testimony records that the yattes and Croesus. The Lydians reac- Lydian Kingdom was ruled by two hed their most extensive control during dynasties prior to the Mermnads. The the reigns of Alyattes and Croesus first were the descendants of Atys who when they controlled all the regions to had two sons, Lydus and Tyrrhenus. Ac- the west of the Halys River (modern K›- cording to Herodotus, following a seve- z›l›rmak River), excepting Lycia and Cili- re famine in Lydia, the Lydians were di- cia.8 Croesus, son of Alyattes, was the vided into two groups.2 One group of last and the most powerful king of Lydians, leaded by Tyrrhenus left Asia Lydia and the Lydian Kingdom. After Minor and went to central Italy and la- two unsuccessful battles Croesus and ter became the ancestors of Etruscans, his kingdom was defeated by the Persi- and the other group stayed in Lydia un- ans, who also reached Lydia from the der the reign of Lydus. The last ruler for east like Medes and the Cimmerians. the Atyad dynasty seems to be Ompha- Lydia than became the first seat of a 88 le, who plays a mythological role in the Persian satrapal capital in Anatolia. LYDIAN ART: DIVERSITY AND CULTURAL INTERACTION ON AN ANATOLIAN KINGDOM | R. Gül Gürtekin-Demir Ancient literary sources inform us abo- Figure 1: Silver oinochoe from, ut the wealth of Lydian Kings and their Toptepe Tumulus prestigious offerings to the Delphi (Cahill 2010, 528, Orackle center as well as the Lydian lu- no. 162). xurious habits.9 The luxurious lifestyle of Lydians seems to have served as one of the principal oriental role models for the Greeks living in the western Asia Minor:10 Sappho, Alkaios, Alkman, Hip- ponax and Xenophanes mentions some elements of the luxuries of the Lydians: purple garments, elegant hairstyles, ha- ving false curls, wearing jewelry and scarlet, decorated leather slippers and headbands and all kinds of fragrances, incense and exquisite scents. Lydians were also famous with transparent, flesh-colored linen fabric used for gar- ments called sandykes, and a type of 14 cloth with gold sewing. The good qua- city walls. The invention of coinage is lity and the colors of the Lydian carpets attributed to the Lydians. The earliest were also among the oriental interests solid gold coins were known as “Croe- of Greeks. In this manner of having the sids”, named after the first King who Lydian habits, as the ancient sources in- had them minted. The kingdom pro- form, the Greeks displayed the features bably manipulated the amounts of sil- of an elite and luxurious lifestyle. We ver and gold in the coins.15 With the ex- can see the reflection of this lifestyle in ception of coinage, works in precious the wide distribution of lydions, the un- metal is almost exclusively known from guent flasks of Lydian origin.11 The the remains of the illegally excavated lydion shape, frequently made of clay tumuli near Uflak, Güre in eastern Lydi- and rarely in metal, was the only shape a near the Phrygian borders and in K›r- invented by the Lydian potters, extensi- ka¤aç, Harta in north western Lydia. vely used and imitated in and out of “The Lydian Treasure” includes presti- Anatolia. The shape was internationally gious items of grave assemblages of eli- known not for the sake of its shape but tes of the second half of the sixth cen- for the fame of its content, some kind tury BC, from the early Achaemenid pe- of scented cream or perfume, which riod.16 Among the burial offerings are may have been baccaris.12 silver and bronze pitchers, bowls, lad- les, incense burners, clothing orna- The major source of wealth of the Lydi- ments, jewelry, punches and molds, as ans came from the rich gold and elec- well as wooden and ivory objects.