Church building and wine making east of ankara regional aspects of central anatolia in the early byzantine period

Abstract

This paper reports early Byzantine carvings and inscriptions that were found in a survey of the eastern vicinity of Ankara/Ancyra in Galatia. Some fluted column capitals can be attributed to liturgical furnishings of early Christian churches. Some weights for wine presses are likewise decorated with Christian symbols and inscriptions. A cluster of finds from Kalecik/Malos echoes the fourth-century Life of St Theodotus of Ancyra. The symbol of a coiled snake refers to an ancient healing tradition that was originally associated with Asklepios and the Egyptian goddess Isis, but appears to have continued in Christian times. Overall, the finds confirm the area’s ancient reputation for wine making and show that healing cures were also provided. The formal repertoire and style of the carvings differ from other parts of the early Byzantine empire and lend distinction to central Anatolia as an early Christian Kunstlandschaft in its own right.