Klazomenai Urla Buried Quarters
Klazomenai · Klazomenai Old Town Buried · Urla-Klazomenai
Submycenaean to Classical (1100–386 BCE)·Ionian Greek (Klazomenai)·🇹🇷 İzmir Province, Urla District, Urla isthmus, Turkey
About
About Klazomenai Urla Buried Quarters
Klazomenai Urla Buried Quarters is the 4 ha Early Iron–Archaic lower town buried under 2 m alluvium east of Karantina Island, excavated by Güven Bakır (1979–). Protogeometric to Classical sequence: 11th c. apsidal houses, 7th c. olive oil press complex with stone lever mills (earliest in Anatolia), black-figure sarcophagi workshop (Klazomenian sarcophagi) and 6th c. city wall with pottery kilns producing the famed Klazomenai amphorae.
Why it mattersImportant to ancient industrial archaeology — earliest large-scale olive processing facility and Klazomenian sarcophagi export ware type-site.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Scale of oil export to Black Sea trade?
Theories
- 01Bakır: Klazomenai as early agricultural intensification model before Athenian domination
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c.1100 BCE (Submycenaean)
- Period
- Submycenaean to Classical (1100–386 BCE)
- Culture
- Ionian Greek (Klazomenai)
- Builders
- Ionian colonists and local Aeolians
- Purpose
- Ionian League port and olive-oil production center; later surrender to Persia
- Abandoned
- 386 BCE (Peace of Antalcidas to Persia); later Liman Tepe shift to Karantina
- Rediscovered
- 1979 Bakır–Ege University after Urla cheram salvage
- Excavation
- Excavation ongoing
c.650 BCE
Olive press complex (3 lever mills) built
c.545 BCE
Persian siege despite earlier Lydian alliance
On the ground
Structures & features
38.3600° N · 26.7700° E · 18 m · 3 mapped features
Klazomenai Olive Press Complex
workshopThree stone lever mills with olive crushing basins
38.3607° N · 26.7705° EKlazomenai Sarcophagus Workshop
workshopBlack-figure terracotta sarcophagus atelier
38.3594° N · 26.7708° EKlazomenai Archaic City Wall
fortification6th c. mudbrick wall with pottery-kiln barrio
38.3610° N · 26.7694° E