New Contribution to Western Anatolian Funerary Architecture: Classical Period Rock-Cut-Built Chamber Tomb from Tisna

This paper presents preliminary observations and interpretations of a monumental tomb discovered in 2021 at Tisna, an ancient city within the boundaries of the Aeolis. The tomb was found in the lower area of a huge rock mass to the North of the acropolis of Sarıkale Tepe, which is the main area of Tisna settlement. The monumental tomb, which reflects a type unknown in the region until today, reflects a typology hitherto undocumented in Anatolia, which is novel both because it is carved into the rock mass and because it is partially constructed of stone blocks. The tomb is even more striking for its painted burial chamber. Various archaeological artefacts have been found in and around the tomb, making it the most magnificent of the Aeolian tombs to date. Although the earliest finds date from the Geometric Period, the material continuity up to the Byzantine Period is evident. Coins recovered inside and in the surroindings of the tomb date to between the late 5th and early 4th century bc. In addition, the construction technique used in the walls, as well as other architectural features of the burial chamber, also correspond to the characteristics of the Classical Period. The strong link of Tisna to the Achaemenid Empire, which is also seen in the city’s coinage, suggests that this tomb may have belonged to a nobleman or a wider family group.