MİLYAS THROUGH ARCHAEOLOGICAL FINDS

In contemporary studies of the Antiquity, Milyas is usually identified as the “Lycian Highlands” or “Northern Lycia”. The Teke Peninsula was indeed also perceived in the Iron Age, -as though being a successor of the former land of Lukka, or as was the case with it being a Roman Province later- as Lycia as a whole; not piecewise, such as Lycia in the southern and western shores alone, as Solymos in the East, as Milyas in the Elmalı Plateau, and finally as the common Kabalian homeland in the Seki and Dirmil highlands. In this complicated picture, it is thus not possible to precisely define the borders of Milyas, which are also drawn variably by ancient literary sources; insomuch as there even being sources including part of Milyas in the borders of Phrygia. In the mythological tradition learned from Herodotos, Milyas is a land whose inhabitants are called the “Solym”. When Sarpedon came from Crete, the land becomes “Trmmis”; later changing into Lycia when Lykos the Athenian settled there. The equivalence of Milyas and Lycia is also reflected in the science of Epigraphy, wherein the literary language named Lycian-B is identified as “Milyan”; also fortifying this argument is the existence of the saddle roofed sarcophagi in Milyas, besides the tumuli being a common tomb type of the two regions. In this regard, the archaeological texture of Kabalis is not much different from that of Milyas, as opposed to Solymos which is different. While being separated by the Kragos mountain range, Milyas and Kabalis lived through similar cultures, as demonstrated by the prevalence of Lydian style pottery. The scientific data presented above doesn’t satisfy a thorough scrutiny of the subject as proof for the equivalence of Milyas and Lycia. Lycian-B is found on two tomb inscriptions alone, one being from Xanthos, the other from Antiphellos; neither say anything about Milyas. Both the wooden architecture inspired houserock tombs, and saddle roofed sarcophagi are much less numerous than in Lycia, and exist only in the southern regions of Milyas closer to Lycia. The Tumuli have manifested under different influences in the two regions; those in Lycia bear Carian influence, whereas those in Milyas have Lydian influence; there is also Lycian influence in Milyas, as observed in the mounds being formed of small fieldstones locally called “çağıl” (lit: pebble). Clearly, a Milyan tumulus type is created from three cultures: Lydia, Lycia and –through the Tumulus D in Elmalı- Phrygia; Ionic influence should also be added to this as observed on the wall frescoes of the tomb chambers. Persian influence is often limited to the dressing of the dynasts. The existence of the Tumulus in neighboring Pisidia, brought even closer by Arian’s naming “Pisidian Milyas”; and, while not being traditional, the rarity of rock tombs excluding the border cities of Termessos and Etenna, both coincide with Milyas; Pisidian style sarcophagi bearing shields and tabulae being present in Milyas, as in Solymos is definitive in artistic relations regarding tombs. Being among the most important settlements in Milyas, the dead-cult related outdoor rock sanctuaries of Dereboğaz are, through the similarity in the manner of worship observed in the types of structures, significant enough to provide evidence for a likewise similarity between the mentalities of the peoples. Because, stepped altars, niches, rock basins and stelae exist both in Lycia and Pisidia. The posthumous deification of the dynasts and noblemen interred in temple styled tombs is also common in these three regions. Cults of the Twelve Gods and Kakasbos are present both in Lycia and Milyas; depiction of hunt, battle and feast scenes is also a common concept. Strabon’s narration about the inhabitants of Kibyra noting that “they spoke Pisidian, Solymian and Lydian” was likely also valid for the neighbouring Milyas, with Lycian in addition to the aforementioned, and all were probably related through the Luwian people. The prehistoric periods of the peoples of the Teke Peninsula also carry traces of a common culture. There is even a similarity in “the interim of 1700-700 BC”, which has started being filled in Lycia recently. Through derivations from my research, I as well came to know that: There exists a Milyas, which had strong relations with Lycia and Pisidia, the two neighbouring cultures and kinfolks on the Teke Peninsula, was open to influences from Lydia, the Phryg and the Ion, but was also distinct from them; and which was especially not “Northern Lycia” or the “Lycian Highlands” –as opposed to what’s presently prevalent.