Smintheus (Çanakkale)

The temple of Apollo at Smintheus (Gülpınar), near the south-west corner of the Troad, has been investigated since 1980 by Coşkun Özgünel of Ankara University. Excavation and restoration work has centred on the temple, as well as the Roman street and propylon, but has also included work on other nearby monuments and in the necropolis. The settlement associated with the sanctuary was named Khrysa and it seems to be located some 500 m from the Smintheion.

2008

Investigations in the area around the Smintheion sanctuary began in 2004, and over the last two years the project has been clearing the water reservoirs to the southwest of the sanctuary. By the end of the 2007 season, five reservoirs had been excavated. In 2008 two more were identified and a limestone well excavated.

The well was found 1 m from the eastern edge of Reservoir 3. It resembles a well found in 2007 between Reservoirs 1 and 2, and at 3 m in diameter is larger than the 2007 example although it is only 1.2 m deep. The second excavated structure was 0.30 m from Reservoir 3 and 0.10 m higher. The corner of a wall was preserved to 1 m in height. It was built of stone rubble in limestone mortar, while the floor was of tile and pottery fragments in plaster. The third structure was to the south of Reservoirs 3 and 4, and parallel to Reservoir 3. Rectangular in shape and 4 m wide, it was again built with rubble walls.

One aim of the 2008 season was to determine how the water from the reservoirs was used. Terracotta water pipes were found on and beside the sanctuary road and in previous years it was hypothesised that they were supplying water to a nympheum and gardens. Now it is established that a bath building of Roman date was situated immediately to the west of the reservoir area.

Little remains of this bath building and it is very ruinous but excavations were undertaken this year. One wall of the caldarium contains a niche with evidence of a half vault above it, and there was an apsed area (pool) 6.1 m wide and 2.45 m deep. A 2.8 m wide doorway in the north part of the caldarium led to the tepidarium. The tepidarium was 12.6 m long and had niched walls built in opus incertum, with a floor of brick or tiles set in mortar. Pieces of marble show the walls were originally covered with marble slabs. Hypocaust footings are preserved to a height of 1.35 m. The finds include hypocaust tiles and roof tiles (tegulae mammaiae).

The plan of this building is unusual for the Troad and suggests a date for its erection during the early part of the Roman Empire. Pottery of the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD was found, as well as examples from the 5th and 6th centuries. In the top layer were Byzantine sherds of the 11th century. The same level that produced the 2nd and 3rd century pottery also contained many horns, undoubtedly associated with the animal sacrifices to Apollo at this sanctuary.

A program of restoration for the bath building was begun.

2007

Excavations continued this year and two additional cisterns/water reservoirs were found. One room had a stone floor and the finds included fishing tools, grain and grinding stones, and items with textile impressions.

Other finds included an in situ votive with inscription that mentions Smintheion and Isopythia.

2006

Clearing of the temple area continued and focused this year on the so-called cistern. This structure was used during the Roman and Byzantine periods and appears to have been a water reservoir, since both inflow and outflow pipes were found. The building rests on a podium and contained vaulted spaces. The central vault was restored by the excavation. The exterior walls are of good masonry, but the interior walls are of rubble. Some walls bear mortar that had been prepared to receive marble revetment. The reservoir was filled with rubble and abandoned in the 16th or 17th century AD. It was later covered over for farming land. Among the pottery were vessels to take water from the cistern.

The area between the cistern and the temple was cleared and many blocks from the temple were found. The floor of the naos has been restored in concrete and imitations of the Ionic capitals have been made in plaster.

Website

A report on the 2008 season is at
http://www.ttk.org.tr/index.php?Page=Sayfa&No=302