Authors

  • Ergun Lafli (Dokuz Eylul University, Izmir)
  • Chris Lightfoot (The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York)
  • Max Ritter (Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz)

This paper presents a brief assessment of 21 Byzantine coins recovered from Hadrianoupolis in southwestern Paphlagonia during archaeological fieldwork between 2005 and 2008. One of the coins is silver, the rest are bronze or copper alloy. Chronologically speaking, one group belongs to the Early and the other to the Middle Byzantine Period. Although the number of specimens collected is small, these coins provide important information about the circulation of Byzantine coins in one of the most rural areas of northern Anatolia.

Keywords: Byzantine coins; Hadrianoupolis; Paphlagonia; Honorias; North-Central Anatolia; Asia Minor; 6th-7th century.

Paphlagonia, Honorias and Hadrianoupolis in the Byzantine Period

During the Byzantine period, Paphlagonia and Honorias were provinces located in north-central Anatolia, on the Black Sea coast, between Bithynia and Pontus. Paphlagonia emerged as a separate province in the 4th century AD (Hierocles, Synecdemus c. 33). In the 7th century it was attached to the Opsikion theca, then to the Boukellarion theca. Later, it was separated again and became a thema in its own right. This military-civilian province of the Byzantine Empire was founded in the region that bears its name and was probably formally organized during the reign of Emperor Michael II, c. 815-819 AD. This thema approximately preserves the boundaries of the late antique province of Paphlagonia. After the Battle of Manzikert (1071), the area fell to the Seljuks, but the coastal areas were soon recaptured by Byzantium.

Paphlagonia's southern neighbor is Honorias. As a province in the Late Roman period, it included parts of Bithynia and Paphlagonia. This province, whose capital was Klaudioupolis (today Bolu), was part of the Pontic Diocese. In the 6th century AD (during the reign of Emperor Justinian I), it merged with Paphlagonia for a while and became a single province under the name "Praetor Paphlagoniae Iustianianeus", but was later separated.

Location and Importance of Hadrianoupolis

Hadrianoupolis is located near the Eskipazar district of today's Karabük province, 3 km from Eskipazar. It is strategically located at the intersection of the roads between Paphlagonia and Galatia and Bithynia, in the interior of the mountainous passes reaching the Black Sea. It was a small but important city in the past, as evidenced by the viticulture (especially wine production) in its vicinity. According to research, the area was densely populated in late antiquity and the Early Byzantine period (5th-7th century).

In ecclesiastic sources, the city is referred to as a diocese of the Metropolis of Claudioupolis. Some of the bishops of Hadrianoupolis (e.g. Theophilos, Plato, Niketas, etc.) participated in different councils. There are also inscriptions of some imperial edicts issued during the reign of Emperor Justinian, which were communicated to the people through the bishop of the city.

Urban Structure

Surveys have revealed that Hadrianoupolis has the remains of at least 25 buildings. These include two baths dating to the Early Byzantine period, two basilicas, a domus complex with mosaics, a possible theatron, and other buildings decorated with wall paintings (frescoes). The city is thought to have covered a relatively large area and was surrounded by a city wall.

Byzantine Coins from Hadrianoupolis

A total of 21 Byzantine coins were collected at Hadrianoupolis during the excavations and surveys between 2005-2008. One of them is silver, the others are bronze/copper alloy. Their chronological distribution is as follows:

    1. century: 3 pieces
    1. century: 10 pieces
    1. century: 1 piece
  • 10th-11th century: 5 pieces
  • Unidentified 2 pcs

The earliest coin belongs to the reign of Emperor Justin I (518-527). The latest dated coin belongs to the reign of Romanos IV (1068-1071). This is interesting as it shows an uninterrupted period of time until the Byzantine domination period before the Battle of Manzikert (1071).

Finding Areas of Coins:

  1. Hamam A

    • The southern part of the city was partially excavated by the local museum in 2003; additional excavations were carried out in 2006-2007.
    • There are thought to be 5 main phases (475-525, 525-575, 575-675, 675-725 and post-725).
    • 10 coins were found in this building. They are mostly dated to the 6th and 7th centuries and also to the 10th-11th century.

  2. Domus (Mosaic Residence)

    • It was used during the Early Byzantine Period and wall paintings and mosaic floors were found inside.
    • Five coins were found here. They date to the 6th-7th century.

  3. Hamam B

    • It is located about 100 m west of Hamam A. Its function is not yet clear.
    • Three coins were found here (dated to about the middle of the 7th century).

  4. Basilica A

    • Only 1 coin (Leo III, 8th century) was found. It is important because it shows that the church was used at least until the first half of the 8th century.

  5. Unidentified building near the Domus (No. 4)

    • 1 coin was found. Dated to the 7th-8th century.

  6. Acropolis of Kimistene

    • It is a settlement area on the mountain ridge west of Eskipazar, which served as a castle / fortress.
    • The surveys here yielded 1 coin (11th century).

Coin Catalog (Summary)

  1. Justin I (518-527): Copper alloy half follis, Constantinople mint.
  2. Justinian I (527-565): Follis (dating: 547/548), Constantinople.
  3. Justinian I (527-565): Follis, Constantinople.
    4.-10. Heraclius (610-641): Most follis or half-follis; mainly from the Constantinople mint.
  4. Constans II (641-668): Follis, Constantinople.
  5. Constantine IV (668-685): Deanummium, Constantinople.
  6. Justinian II (685-695) or recent history: Very worn, little distinctive information.
  7. Leo III (717-741): Silver millennium, Constantinople.
    15.-17. Anonymous folles (10th-11th century): The "Christ depicted" types, which became especially common during the reigns of Basil I and Basil II, are referred to as Class A2 and Class B.
  8. Constantine X and Eudocia (1059-1067): Follis, depicting the emperor and empress.
  9. Romanos IV (1068-1071): Follis, Constantinople mint.
    20.-21. Unidentified: Very worn or overprinted. No precise dating can be made.

Significance and Evaluation of Hadrianoupolis Finds

Despite the small number of coins, these Byzantine coins from Hadrianoupolis allow some important conclusions to be drawn:

  1. 6th-7th Century Vitality

    • Coins from the domus and the baths suggest that there was intense economic or military activity in the city in the 6th and 7th centuries. The abundant ceramic and glass finds dating to the same period also confirm this.

  2. Continuity in the 8th Century

    • The discovery of a coin from the first half of the 8th century in Basilica A indicates that the city remained active, at least in the religious sphere, until these dates.

  3. Gap (8th-9th century) and Middle Byzantine Period

    • After the 660s, there is a drastic decline in coinage, but in the late 10th - early 11th centuries there is a renewed circulation (especially of anonymous folles).
    • The 8th-9th centuries saw a general coinage contraction, a common phenomenon across much of Anatolia. This may be related to Arab incursions and changes in the administrative/military structure of the empire.
      1. From the mid-century onwards, outposts or fortifications were established in high places such as Kimistene, suggesting that settlement was dispersed but partial.

  4. Mint and Balance of Need

    • The fact that all of the coins are from the Constantinople mint reveals that this region (Honorias/Paphlagonia) had a coin circulation fed almost entirely by the capital's mint.

  5. Regional Comparisons

    • Other excavation sites in Paphlagonia, such as Pompeiopolis and Tion (Tios), yielded similar coin finds. Generally, there is a strong coin circulation in the 7th century, followed by a lull in the 8th-9th century.

In conclusion, Hadrianoupolis was an important center in Late Antiquity and the Early Byzantine Period, but was largely abandoned by the mid-8th century and showed limited signs of revival in the Middle Byzantine Period (10th-11th century). This situation is similar to the rest of Paphlagonia.

PROMINENT VALUES ABOUT AMASRA

The article analyzes the Byzantine coins found in Hadrianoupolis and its environs. Amasra Museumand all of them are preserved in Amasra today. On this occasion, we can summarize the prominent values of Amasra and its museum as follows:

Protection of Archaeological Assets

    • The 21 Byzantine coins collected in and around Hadrianoupolis between 2005-2008 are kept and exhibited in the Amasra Museum. This shows that Amasra is a center where important artifacts found in the nearby geography (Bartın, Karabük, Kastamonu, etc.) are preserved and presented to the scientific world.

Historical Continuity of Black Sea Coastal Cities

    • Amasra has a deep-rooted historical past from Antiquity to Byzantium and the Ottoman Empire. The fact that coins from the region (Paphlagonia and Honorias) have been brought to the Amasra Museum shows that the city continues to be an important coastal-administrative center throughout history (as a museum and cultural center).

The Importance of Museum Collections

    • The collections in the Amasra Museum are of great importance as they bring together finds from excavations and surveys in the surrounding area. As mentioned in the article, the collection of Byzantine coins dating between the 6th and 11th centuries makes Amasra valuable for both academic research and tourism.

Regional Historical and Cultural Tourism

    • The preservation of artifacts or coins from inland settlements such as Hadrianoupolis in coastal centers such as Amasra is also of interest for Black Sea tourism. These coins show visitors to Amasra not only the local history but also the historical richness of the hinterland.

Continuity and Cooperation in Work

    • The artifacts mentioned in the article are the result of scientific studies supported by Dokuz Eylül University and other international institutions. This cooperation supports the national and international recognition of Amasra.

Conclusion

Coin finds from the Byzantine ruins at Hadrianoupolis reveal how intensively the countryside of southwestern Paphlagonia was inhabited between the 6th and 7th centuries, and that this occupation was largely interrupted in the 8th century. In the late 10th and early 11th centuries, a limited revival is noted. All these coins are preserved today in the Amasra Museum. This clearly shows how Amasra was an important center for regional history and archaeology. Not only does Amasra represent a focal point where Byzantine coins are preserved and made available to researchers, it is also a city of high value for cultural-historical tourism on the Black Sea coast.

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