Philip Bes & Anneke Keweloh-Kaletta
In September 2019 our small team carried out a first intensive survey in the centre of the Çandarlı Peninsula (see our 2019 blog post). Çandarlı – ancient Pitane – is known as a production centre for terra sigillata/red slip ware (vessels for the serving and consumption of food and beverages) since 1911. In that year, Siegfried Loeschke carried out excavations at the site, the results of which were published in 1912. The main aim of the Pitane survey is indeed to document this local pottery manufacture in detail – for instance, the type of vessels that were made, and how these were manufacture and fired – as well as to understand how the workshops were organised within the local settlement context.
Our team, which is welcoming two new Turkish and one new German member, will be returning to Çandarlı between 14 September and 10 October to continue our research. The aim is to complete the survey of the remaining fields within the archaeological zone. Naturally we are bound to certain measures to keep ourselves and our environment healthy and safe because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021 we will be fully focusing on the study and interpretation of the artefacts that we have collected. During the first week of October we will post an update on this year’s fieldwork at Çandarlı.
