Several excavations have been conducted by the ÖAW-ÖAI in the recent past in the ancient Lycian city of Limyra within the framework of the FWF-project ’Urban development of Limyra in the Hellenistic period’ (Project No. P29027). Although the main research focus was set on the changes of the urban landscape between the Hellenistic and Early Imperial periods, the revealed archaeological features including the find material represents a much broader chronological spectrum. The over 2500 discovered metal artifacts reflect various aspects of the city’s life from the Archaic/Late Hellenistic until the Ottoman period. Objects of military, utilitarian or ‘merely’ decorative function as well as industrial waste material bear witness to the transformations the city undergone through the centuries.
The poster presentation shall provide a general overview of the studied find material with special attention to the clearly dominating find group, the post-antique metal artifacts. Various weapons (lance-, spear- and arrowheads) might be connected to the military conflicts between the Byzantine Empire and the Arab Caliphate. Additionally, over 30 kg of slags deriving from primary iron, copper and lime production, show increased industrial activities in the West city area – which was more exposed to attacks from the East – in the Early-/Mid-Byzantine period.

Nonetheless, several tools (e.g. knifes, chisels, spindle and fishing hooks) and other items (e.g. weights, scales (fig.), casket fittings) grant an insight into the post-antique everyday life of the city. Moreover, a surprisingly great amount of jewelry and dress accessories (e.g. belt buckles, rings, earrings) highlight the social and religious background of the citizens of Limyra.

© David Zs. Schwarcz
e-mail: dave.schwarcz@gmail.com

This article should be cited like this: D.Zs. Schwarcz, To the last nail. The metal finds from the excavations in Limyra between 2011 and 2019, Forum Archaeologiae 94/III/2020 (http://farch.net).