An overview of Byzantine Period settlements around Comana Pontica in north-central Turkey


Erciyas B., Sokmen E.

BYZANTINE AND MODERN GREEK STUDIES, vol.34, no.2, pp.119-141, 2010 (AHCI) identifier identifier

Abstract

The sanctuary of Comana Pontica in north-central Anatolia, dedicated to a local Anatolian deity, Ma, was a significant part of the Hellenistic kingdom of the Mithradatids which continued to be of some importance under the Roman emperors. During the Byzantine period, as a result of the introduction of, and adaptation to, Christianity in the region, significant changes in settlement pattern/organization at and in the vicinity of Comana took place. This article illustrates these changes through the architectural and archaeological material discovered during surveys and offers a preliminary interpretation of the settlement patterns around Comana in the Byzantine period.