Smuggling of Ancient Artifacts and the Background of the First Official Archaeological Excavation in Samsun During the Late Ottoman Period

Ali Emre İşlek; Michael Deniz Yılmaz

Article Details

Smuggling of Ancient Artifacts and the Background of the First Official Archaeological Excavation in Samsun During the Late Ottoman Period

Authors:

Ali Emre İşlek | Michael Deniz Yılmaz

Publisher:

Ankara Yildirim Beyazit University

Main Topics:

Arkeoloji Bilimi | Osmanlı Arkeolojisi | Arkeoloji (Diğer) | Yakınçağ Osmanlı Tarihi

Journal:

Külliye Vol.6 Issue 1, pp.99-120

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

3/2025

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001343513

pISSN:

2717-7351

Keywords:

Abstract:

 During the late Ottoman Period when the Ottoman State was facing political and financial difficulties individuals from other nations such as wanderers, researchers, diplomats and even missionaries engaged in activities to enrich the museums in their states with the ancient artifacts from the ancient settlements within the vast area under the Ottoman State. The Black Sea settlements including Samsun has taken its share from such activities. The first developments related to ancient artifacts began in the 1870s and increased in the following years. With Samsun being integrated into the international seafaring in Black Sea, Samsun became a hub for smuggling ancient artifacts which were discovered by illegal excavations in various places. With the increase of the search and trade of ancient artifacts, complaints were made and with the increasing complaints Müze-i Hümayun director Halil Edhem Bey in order to investigate the complaints and to determine precautions visited Samsun in 1906. Following Halil Edhem Beys visit, within the same year Theodor Macridy Bey was tasked to excavate in the vicinity of Akalan Village, which became the first official excavation in Samsun. In this work, information gained from Ottoman archives, memoirs and research publications were used with the developments constituting the topic in order to present a historical background for the developlments related to ancient artifact smuggling in Samsun and its vicinity, as well as to draw attention to the circumstances in which first offical archaeological excavations were begun.

 During the late Ottoman Period when the Ottoman State was facing political and financial difficulties individuals from other nations such as wanderers, researchers, diplomats and even missionaries engaged in activities to enrich the museums in their states with the ancient artifacts from the ancient settlements within the vast area under the Ottoman State. The Black Sea settlements including Samsun has taken its share from such activities. The first developments related to ancient artifacts began in the 1870s and increased in the following years. With Samsun being integrated into the international seafaring in Black Sea, Samsun became a hub for smuggling ancient artifacts which were discovered by illegal excavations in various places. With the increase of the search and trade of ancient artifacts, complaints were made and with the increasing complaints Müze-i Hümayun director Halil Edhem Bey in order to investigate the complaints and to determine precautions visited Samsun in 1906. Following Halil Edhem Beys visit, within the same year Theodor Macridy Bey was tasked to excavate in the vicinity of Akalan Village, which became the first official excavation in Samsun. In this work, information gained from Ottoman archives, memoirs and research publications were used with the developments constituting the topic in order to present a historical background for the developlments related to ancient artifact smuggling in Samsun and its vicinity, as well as to draw attention to the circumstances in which first offical archaeological excavations were begun.

 During the late Ottoman Period when the Ottoman State was facing political and financial difficulties individuals from other nations such as wanderers, researchers, diplomats and even missionaries engaged in activities to enrich the museums in their states with the ancient artifacts from the ancient settlements within the vast area under the Ottoman State. The Black Sea settlements including Samsun has taken its share from such activities. The first developments related to ancient artifacts began in the 1870s and increased in the following years. With Samsun being integrated into the international seafaring in Black Sea, Samsun became a hub for smuggling ancient artifacts which were discovered by illegal excavations in various places. With the increase of the search and trade of ancient artifacts, complaints were made and with the increasing complaints Müze-i Hümayun director Halil Edhem Bey in order to investigate the complaints and to determine precautions visited Samsun in 1906. Following Halil Edhem Beys visit, within the same year Theodor Macridy Bey was tasked to excavate in the vicinity of Akalan Village, which became the first official excavation in Samsun. In this work, information gained from Ottoman archives, memoirs and research publications were used with the developments constituting the topic in order to present a historical background for the developlments related to ancient artifact smuggling in Samsun and its vicinity, as well as to draw attention to the circumstances in which first offical archaeological excavations were begun.

 Osmanlı Devletinin siyasi ve mali zorluklarla yüzleştiği son dönemlerinde diğer devletlere mensup gezgin, araştırmacı, diplomat ve hatta misyoner gibi kişilerin Osmanlı Devleti egemenliğindeki çok geniş bir alanda bulunan eski yerleşim yerlerindeki eski eserleri ülkelerindeki müzelere kazandırmak amacıyla faaliyetlerde bulunmuşlardır. Bu faaliyetlerden Karadeniz kıyı kentleri ve bu çalışmanın konusunu teşkil eden Samsun da nasibini almıştır. Eski eser konusunda ilk gelişmeler 1870li senelerde başlamış ve yıllar içinde artan bir ivmeyle devam etmiştir. Samsun, 19. yüzyılda Karadenizdeki uluslararası taşımacılığa entegre olmasıyla başka bölgelerde kaçak kazılarla bulunan eski eserlerin çeşitli yerlere gönderilmesinde de bir merkez konumuna gelmiştir. Eski eserlerin aranmasına ve ticaretine dair bu gelişmeler, beraberinde şikayetleri de getirmiş ve artan şikayetleri yerinde incelemek ve alınabilecek tedbirleri belirlemek amacıyla Müze-i Hümayun müdürü Halil Edhem Bey 1906 senesinde Samsuna gelmiştir. Halil Edhem Beyin Samsun ziyareti sonrasında Theodor Makridi Bey aynı sene içinde görevlendirilerek Akalan Köyü civarında gerçekleştirdiği kazı ile Samsunda, Osmanlı Dönemindeki ilk ruhsatlı kazı gerçekleştirilmiştir. Bu çalışmada, Osmanlı arşivleri, hatırat ve araştırma yayınlarından elde edilen bilgiler ile konuyu teşkil eden gelişmeler çerçevesinde Samsun ve çevresinde eski eser kaçakçılığına dair hangi gelişmelerin yaşandığına dair bir tarihsel arka plan sunmak ve ilk ruhsatlı arkeolojik kazıların hangi şartlar dahilinde başladığına dikkat çekmek amaçlanmaktadır.

Article Details

Smuggling of Ancient Artifacts and the Background of the First Official Archaeological Excavation in Samsun During the Late Ottoman Period

Authors:

Ali Emre İşlek | Michael Deniz Yılmaz

Publisher:

Ankara Yildirim Beyazit University

Main Topics:

Arkeoloji Bilimi | Osmanlı Arkeolojisi | Arkeoloji (Diğer) | Yakınçağ Osmanlı Tarihi

Journal:

Külliye Vol.6 Issue 1, pp.99-120

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

3/2025

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001343513

pISSN:

2717-7351

Samsun

Ancient Artifacts

Illegal Excavation

Halil Edhem Bey

Theodor Macridy BeySamsun

Asar-ı Atika

Kaçak Kazı

Halil Edhem Bey

Theodor Makridi Bey

Issues

Article Details

Authors: Ali Emre İşlek | Michael Deniz Yılmaz

Publisher: Ankara Yildirim Beyazit University

Main Topics: Arkeoloji Bilimi | Osmanlı Arkeolojisi | Arkeoloji (Diğer) | Yakınçağ Osmanlı Tarihi

Journal: Külliye Vol.6 Issue 1, pp.99-120

Document Type: Article

Publication Date: 3/2025

Document Language: Turkish

Document ID (Org No.): 2001343513

pISSN: 2717-7351

Issues

Authors:

Ali Emre İşlek | Michael Deniz Yılmaz

Publisher:

Ankara Yildirim Beyazit University

Main Topics:

Arkeoloji Bilimi | Osmanlı Arkeolojisi | Arkeoloji (Diğer) | Yakınçağ Osmanlı Tarihi

Journal:

Külliye Vol.6 Issue 1, pp.99-120

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

3/2025

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001343513

pISSN:

2717-7351