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 THE
ARCHEOLOGICAL MUSEUM OF EPHESUS |
Prehistoric
Finds : In 1995, archaeologists from the Ephesus Museum found two
prehistoric settlements in field surveys. One lies in the eastern part of Ephesus on the
Çukuriçi Höyük, and the other on the road from Selçuk to Kuwadası in the region of
Ortygia (Arvalya) on the Arvalya
Höyük. Both sites lie near to the Marnas and Arvalya rivers, which feed into the south
part of the gulf of Ephesus. Investigations at both locations brought to light pottery
sherds that can be dated to the Neolithic, Chalcolithic, and early Bronze
ages. Obsidian
and silex fragments likewise date to this period. Many of the fragments have hollow
handles. Both ends of these cylindrical handles are usually flat and sharply
truncated. A
few of the fragments have thin vertical handles that were attached to the walls of the
vessels by hand when they were made.
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| Coins
and Other Valuables :
Ancient Lydian sources claim that the Lydians were
the first in western Anatolia to mint coins, and
this is confirmed by early coins of electron, a
mixture of gold and silver. Pieces of electron
without any imprint, which were used before the
invention of coinage, have been discovered in the
ruins of the foundations of the temple of Artemis.
They were used as objects of exchange. On many of
the more developed early coins, there is a lion's
paw or a lion head in profile on the obverse, and
rectangular indentations (quadratum
incusum)
on the reverse. The lion motifs on the early
electron coins from Ephesus indicate the influence
of the Lydian kingdom at that time. On later coins,
the symbol of the priestesses of Artemis, the bee (melissa)
appears on the obverse in place of the lion motifs,
and the reverse bears the holy animal of Artemis,
the goddess of Ephesus, the deer. |
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In 288
B.C., Ephesus fell under the control of Lysimachos, one of
the generals of Alexander the Great, who gave the city the
name of his wife, Arsinoe. During this period, coins were
minted with the name of Arsinoe for a short time, on which
the head of Arsinoe appeared instead of the bee. The
reverse remained unchanged. During the Roman period, coins
were minted continuously in Ephesus until the reign of the
emperor Gallienus (253-268
A.D.).
According to the particular conditions of any given era,
the obverse of the coins would bear the heads of the
emperor or empress, and the reverse would be decorated
with various motifs, such as the Temple of Artemis,
important buildings, goddesses such as Artemis or Tyche,
and river gods such as Kaistros or Marnas.
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 THE
HALL OF TOMBS |
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Since a formal excavation of the necropolis of
Ephesus has not been done yet, most of the burial
remains that are exhibited here were incidental
findings. On the left as one enters the hall,
ceramics from the Mycenaean Tomb are displayed.
These were discovered during the construction of the
parking area near the castle. In the painting,
Myceneans are bringing presents to the tomb in a
ceremony. On the right, remains from the Grotto of
the Seven Sleepers can be seen. |
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The Clazomenain
sarcophagus made of clay, in the middle of the hall,
was found in the Commercial Agora area. It is
classified as Clazomenain because many of this type
of sarcophagus have been found in excavations at
Clazomenai near Izmir. Many Kybele statuettes have
been found in Ephesus. Before Artemis was worshipped
in Ephesus, there was a center for Kybele worship.
Kybele had great influence in Anatolia as the 'mother
goddess'. During Roman times, this cult center was
moved to the area of the Grotto of the Seven
Sleepers. The tambourine and the lions seen on the
Kybele statuettes are the symbols of the goddess. In
the painting, the cult center of Kybele in Anatolia
is shown. The oldest of these is the one in Hacılar,
near Konya, whose remains date back to 7000 B.C. |
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The
ödemiş Grave Tumulus :
This is a collection of important finds acquired in1992 by
the Ephesus Museum. The treasure contains hundreds of gold leaves from diadems, gold
bracelets, earrings, and similar pieces of jewelry, golden eye and mouth closures, bronze
bowls, various pieces of bronze furniture that probably belong to dining couches,
ungentaria, and other terracotta vessels. Since these finds, which date to the first
century, show outstanding workmanship and show the lates style of that era, they probably
belonged to the grave of a young princess. The exact findspot is not known. It seems to be
a grave tumulus near Ödemiw, in the area of Pantagomae. Among the most interesting finds
in this treasure are the golden earrings in the form of cornucopiae (horns of plenty) with sphinx figures, and
bronze medical instruments. |
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Byzantine Artifacts
Amulet (Stone)
: This oval amulet is worked in a dark green,
nearly black stone with red veins. On the front is the inscription O ARX MIX (the archangel Michael, abbreviated) and a
frontal winged angel. The figure holds a staff in the right hand and a book in the left.
On the reverse is an engraved figure of a seven-eyed monster.
Amulet (Ivory)
: This four-armed amulet is decorated on both
sides. The front bears a star surrounded by borders of dots, lines, and meander motifs.
The back is decorated by a pattern of straight lines in a decorative border.
Cross (Bronze)
: The cross bears a standing figure of Peter
in relief holding an incense burner in his right hand and a bird in his left, with the
features of the face and folds of the garment indicated by incisions. A halo encircles his
head. The inscription IIET (St. Peter)
is legible on the top of the cross. The ring at the top is for a cord or
chain.
Relief Plaques (Silver)
: The square plaques show a saint with halo in
relief, and a rider mounted on a horse, who kills a snake on the ground with the long
spear in his hand.
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| THE
HALL OF THE FOUNTAINS |
In this gallery, sculptures
from the monumental fountains of Ephesus are exhibited.
The statue of Aphrodite with her ideal proportions
reflects the ideals of beauty even today. On the left, the
Polyphemos statue group belongs to the Fountain of Pollio.
On the right are the remains from the Fountain of Trajan.
Among these, the naked Dionysus statuette and the
grapevine - shaped columns are the most important remains
of the hall. Also on the right are the statues of the
Nymph and Triton from the Fountain of Lacaenus Bassus.
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Statuette
of Athena :
This standing figure of the goddess Athena shows her with characteristic pose, attire, and
attributes. Her raised left hand is carrying a spear, and her right hand, which she holds
relaxed and slightly behind her at her side, rests on her shield; both shield and spear
are missing. The spear shown here is a restoration. Her head, turned right, gazes down at
her shield. Her hair lies in waves and protrudes from under a tall Corinthian helmet. Her
face bears the calm expression of divinity. The peplos (dress) she wears is belted under
her breasta.
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Torso of
Aphrodite :
This statue is missing the head, right arm, left arm below the elbow, and legs below the
knees. The garment, which exposes the upper body, is gathered under the left arm and
drapes down around the body and down the left leg. A snake bracelet encircles the left
arm, and amonğ the folds of the garment on the right is a fragment of a finger probably
belonging to the child Eros. The statue is a copy of a famous statue of Aphrodite and Eros
from the Hellenistic period.
Statue of Aphrodite
:
This statue, of coarse-grained white marble, is missing the back of the head, right and
left forearms, the left foot, an part of the right. The pose is frontal; she stands on a
low base, the right leg bearing the weight, and the upper body leaning to the right. The
head is turned slightly to the left, and looks forward. The hair is drawn back in fine
waves, framing the forehead in a triangle. The chiton exposes the right shoulder, falls
over the bust in copious V- shaped folds, and is fastened under the bust with a band. Over
this, the himation drapes from the waist and is gathered up in the left arm, falling to
the ground in long folds.
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| THE HALL OF ARTEMIS
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The Hall of Artemis The
most important remains in this gallery are the statues
from the Artemis cult of Ephesus. They were found in the
Prytaneion. The lion reliefs on the arms of both of the
Artemis statues reflect the influence of Kybele. The arms
of the statues are extended forward, as if showering
blessings on her followers. The bull, griffon, panther and
bee on her skirt indicate her dominion over nature. The
bee was also the symbol of the city. The zodiac on the
breast of the beautiful Artemis shows also the goddess'
rule over the heavens. In the excavations of the
Artemision, many offerings made out of gold, silver and
ivory were found. Some of these are exhibited in this hall.
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Statue
of Artemis Ephesia :
This statue of medium-grained white marble, known as the "Great Artemis," was unearthed during
excavations at the Prytaneion in Ephesus. It is Roman-period version of the cult statue of
the Temple of Artemis. The statue shows characteristics that reflect the mother goddess so
prevalent in various guises throughout Anatolia in prehistoric times. The statue, whose
face and posture express divinity, is frontally presented, with its legs close together, a
typically archaic pose. The arms, which are missing at the elbow, would hav been
outstretched as though dispensing the gift of fertility. The goddess wears a three-tiered
headdress (polos),
the top tier of which represents various
temples of Ephesus, indicating Artemis's
sovereignty over the city. Animal figures inhabit the lower two
tiers. The neck and decolletage display a
necklace of precious stones, and another of alternating pearls and grape
clusters.
In a
corona on either side of the face, and on the panels of the tight garment that covers the
lower body, are animal figures such as lions, bulls, goats, griffins,
deer, and sphinxes. Bees, the emblem of Ephesus, also appear both in these panels, and alternating with
rosettes on the belt. The broken protrusions on either side of the skirt are probably
fragments of supports. The most prominent part of the statue is of course the chest, which
bears numerous egg-like objects formerly thought to be the goddess's breasts , symbolizing
fertility and motherhood, leading people to call the Artemis Ephesia "the goddess of many breasts." It now
seems likely that these objects represent another symbol of fertility, the testicles of
sacrificial bulls. The shape is actually more similar to testicles, and since bulls were
often offered to Artemis, this view seems likely.
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Figurine of Aphrodite
:
This figurine of light red clay stands on a square base, the left leg bearing the weight,
the right leg bent slightl behind. The head turns gently to the left. The hair is gathered
at the neck, and she holds the long locks in her upraised hands. The upper body is
unclothed, and the garment is knotted at the hips, its hem falling to the ground in a
central zig-zag line.
Relief of Erotes
:
Marble Inv. no. 1917 Ephesus: Terrace Houses I Height: 41 cm; width 40 cm. 1 st century
A.D. This relief, of medium-grained white marble and broken at all four corners, portrays
two winged Erotes, nude except for the capes bound around their shoulders. The Eros on the
left plays a lyre, and the one on the right listens thoughtfully while leaning on an
overturned torch. Both have the chubby bodies of small children, and the details of the
hair and faces have been beautifully worked.
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| THE HALL
OF THE EMPERORS CULT |
On
the left, the original friezes from the Temple of Hadrian
are displayed, the ones in Ephesus being replicas. The
head of the Emperor Domitian is the most interesting piece
of the hall. A sacrifice is pictured on the narrow side of
the altar of the Temple of Domitian, and on the long side,
reliefs of weapons. Near the far end of the room, the
statues of Emperor Augustus and his wife, Livia, are seen.
They were damaged during the early Christian period, with
crosses being carved on their foreheads. The relief blocks
beside these statues are from the friezes of the Monument
of Parth.
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Bust of Marcus Aurelius
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The bust of Marcus Aurelius (161-180
A.D.), of
fine-grained white marble, stands on a base with two tiers, the
bottom one cylindrical, and the top adorned with volutes. The head turns slightly to the
right and gazes traight ahead. The hair and the beard lie in long, thick
curls, revealing
the tips of the earlobes, and the mustache and the beard on the chin are long and
straight. The two deep lines on the forehead give the face a troubled
expression. The
eyebrows are worked in fine lines, the almondshaped eyes are large with the lids and
pupils indicated, the nose is fine and arched, the lips thin and closed. The emperor wears
a paludamentum (military cape)
that falls in deep Vshaped folds on the chest, and is clasped on the left shoulder with a
brooch. Its fringed border is visible on the shoulders. The back of the bust is
unworked.
Bust of Julia Paula :
This bust of fine-grained imported white marble portrays Julia Paula, the wife of the
emperor Elagabulus(217-222 A.D.). It stands on a high
pedestal, the lower part of which is round and profiled, the upper part of which has volutes and decorations of plant
motifs. The young
woman looks slightly upward, her head turned slightly to the right. The hair stands in
straight waves, shorter at the forehead and longer near the ears, and is braided in
back.
The ears are fully exposed. The oval face has arched eyebrows indicated by short
lines, heart- shaped pupils, a fine but slightly worn nose, and lips closed in a gentle
smile. She
is clad in a chiton and himation. The himation is knotted at the chest over the
chiton,
which leaves the neck exposed. The workmanship of face and garments is
excellent.
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| THE HALL
OF HILLSIDE HOUSES
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Many household
items were found in the excavations of the houses on the
southern side of Curetes Street. Household furniture,
marble and bronze fountainheads in the form of Eros and
the Dolphin, tables and tripods, oil lamps, and ceramic
vessels were found as well as portraits of emperors, busts
of scholars like Menander and Socrates, toys and flutes
made from eagle feathers. These items are displayed in the
first hall of the museum. The most important pieces are
the bronze Eros, the Dolphin fountainhead, the busts of
Menander and Emperor Marcus Aurelius, and the famous Eros
head by Lysippos. The Socrates fresco in the Socrates Room
is one of the most highly coveted pieces of ancient art in
the world.
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Socrates Fresco
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This is one of only a few fresco portraits of Socrates found throughout the world. Two
such fresco panels were found in the course of the Terrace House excavations. Of these,
one was left in its original location, and the other brought to the museum for exhibition.
The fresco in the museum is against a dark red background known as "Pompeii
Red," and is bounded by a floral border. |
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