Colorful discovery in ancient city of Andriake
ANTALYA
During the excavations carried out in the ancient city of Andriake, the port neighborhood of the ancient city of Myra in Antalya's Demre district, interior decoration panels made with the Millefiori (thousand flowers) technique have been unearthed.
Digs have been ongoing since 2009 in Myra and its port Andriake, one of the most important metropolises of Lycia when it was the capital from the Classical Age to the Roman and Byzantine periods.
This year, colored panels, made with a special glass processing technique, were found in the region as part of the "Myra and Andriake Heritage for the Future Project," carried out by the Culture and Tourism Ministry.
Speaking to the state-run Anadolu Agency, Nevzat Çevik, an academic from the Akdeniz University's Archaeology Department and the head of the Myra-Andriake excavations, said that the work is in its 15th year and has continued throughout the year.
Stating that many findings and artifacts were found during the excavations carried out in the customs area of the port, Çevik said, “This year, the surprise was the glass plates that we call 'Millefiori,' which means 'thousand flowers.' We found the flat glass plates, measuring approximately 10 square centimeters, in the area in front of the agora, in space number 42. It started with a few pieces, but then it took weeks of work. Now we have a giant puzzle consisting of hundreds or even thousands of small pieces. Dozens of our friends have been trying to put the pieces together for three months. We have currently completed 20-30 plates nearly 100 percent. We also have plates with certain parts completed.”
Çevik, who mentioned that examples of the plates are not encountered very often, added, “This is the first time we have witnessed the use of glass in this technique, which we do not know of in Türkiye except for one or two pieces in the literature. This is a very important thing. This is a very luxurious wall covering material. These are works that consist of different flowers and patterns, each plate is different. Since they are hand-made, the same ones are not produced again. Therefore, each plate is an original work.”
Çevik stated that bird, camel and saint figures made with the "Opus Sectile" technique, in which stone and marble materials of various colors are cut and laid on the walls and floors to create a pattern, are also seen. He emphasized that this represents a magnificent decoration, with saint figures in this technique being found for the first time in Türkiye.
Stating that they estimated that the building where the plates were found was the administrative center of the port, he said, "This technique has been in production since the 1st century A.D. It is difficult to give an exact date to the glass, but other materials found next to it guide us. There are many coins, ceramics and various materials found together in the same layer. According to these findings, we think it dates back to the fifth and sixth centuries A.D. We are continuing our literature research."