LIMESTONE QUARRY OF SINOPE IN THE LIGHT OF ARCHAEOMETRIC ANALYSES

Authors : Nazli Yıldırım, Ramazan Burak Ateş

Pages : 1-12

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Publication Date : 2025-06-30

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :Sinope, an important trade city in the Black Sea region, owed its prosperity to its strategic geopolitical location in Ancient Periods. Many monumental structures with different functions were built in the city. Spolia and various ancient architectural fragments discovered through scientific excavations and surveys suggest the presence of significant quarries in the region. Macro-analyses of these fragments indicate that a limestone type with a granular-texture was predominantly used. However, until now, no detailed analysis or archaeometric studies have been conducted to examine the chemical properties of this limestone. This study aimed to determine the chemical properties of this limestone and where it may have been obtained through archaeometric methods. Samples were collected from architectural fragments, such as column shafts and geison blocks, exhibited in the garden of the Sinop Archaeology Museum, as well as from the natural rock formation known as ‘Sayarkası’, located 65 km west of Sinop, which was likely used as a quarry in antiquity. ED-XRF and PSA analysis were conducted to determine the chemical compositions of these samples. The results revealed that the chemical compositions of the column shaft and geison block samples closely matched those of the Sayarkası samples. These findings suggest that the stone used in Sinope’s construction activities was sourced from the Sayarkası Quarry (Stephane), highlighting the strong trade relations between Sinope and Stephane.
Keywords : Black Sea, Sinope, Stephane, limestone, quarry, XRF, PSA

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