Public and Sacred Spaces and their Transformation at Doliche in the Roman Imperial Period and Late Antiquity

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Michael Blömer
• Subject Area: Classical, Roman, Christian and Islamic Archaeology ; Ancient History
• Term: since 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 534006808

The aim of the project is to comprehensively investigate a newly discovered temple of the Roman Imperial period and its reuse in later periods, as well as an administrative building that also housed the city archive. The context-oriented exploration and publication of these two structures and the associated finds not only make an important contribution to our knowledge of the history, topography, and religion of the city of Doliche in the Roman Imperial period, but also provide an opportunity to reassess the design and, above all, the use of public and sacred spaces in northern Syria at that time. Despite the fact that in antiquity the region was one of the most urbanized areas of the Near East, the cities of ancient northern Syria have been insufficiently studied. Particularly lacking is information about urban development and urban culture in the areas of Commagene and Cyrrhestice, which are now part of south-eastern Turkey. Above all, the opportunity to uncover and investigate a large intra-urban sanctuary is of great scientific relevance, as no urban sanctuaries from cities in northern Syria have been archaeologically explored thus far. Another focus is on examining the reuse of the sanctuary in Late antiquity and in the Byzantine period when it was situated on the outskirts of the urban nucleus. Here, the analysis of material culture related to everyday life, such as ceramics, glass, and small finds, takes centre stage in order to understand how changing political and economic conditions affected the people in Doliche. The new project will conlcude the archaeological investigations conducted in the city centre of ancient Doliche since 2017 and make two important ancient buildings and the associated finds accessible. This will increase our knowledge about urbanism and urban life in ancient North Syria significantly.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants