Objectives of the 2021 excavation work

The 2021 campaign focused on two main objectives: firstly, the investigation of Field 414 acquired in 2020 in the southeastern part of the urban area, and secondly, the continuation of excavations in the area of the basilica on the southern slope of Keber Tepe.

The discovery of a monumental temple from Roman times

In the summer of 2021, the first exploratory trenches—based on the results of geophysical surveys—were dug in the new field. Initially, each trench was 15 meters long and 2 meters wide but was later extended north and south due to the findings.

The central finding of the excavations was the discovery of a monumental temple in the eastern part of the field. Crucial for its identification were findings beneath various fill layers, particularly the southern half of an apse whose diameter could be reconstructed as 12 meters.

For its construction, the existing bedrock first had to be excavated to a depth of up to 2.5 meters, creating a correspondingly high vertical rock face against which the apse abuts to the west. Only a single layer of the apse wall remains preserved, standing 0.7 meters high. To the west, the exposed apse terminates in a wide pillar with a half or three-quarter column.

In front of the pillar, a 1.5 m wide passage opens southward from the apse. This likely provided access to an adjacent room, though it has not yet been excavated. Instead, 5 m further south, a double-row wall, 1.7 m wide, was identified. It runs parallel to the apse in the west, anchored to the worked bedrock, and extends eastward. So far, it has been traced for a length of 4 m. However, the continuation of this wall was detected 22 m further east. There, the bedrock lies just a few centimeters below the modern surface, but two parallel east-west trenches have been dug 3 m deep into the rock. These trenches can be interpreted as foundation trenches. Due to the particularly clay-rich, soft limestone in this area, it appears to have been necessary to set substantial foundations into the bedrock.

The overall structure – a monumental rectangular building terminating in the west with a wide apse containing small side chambers – and the dating of the structure to the Roman imperial period, confirmed by numerous decorative elements, leaves no interpretation other than that of a temple.

The verified east-west running wall is the southern cella wall, indicating that the structure has a total width of approximately 30 meters. An internal colonnade is expected, aligning with the half-columns that terminate the apse to the east. Additionally, the second foundation trench running parallel to the cella wall’s foundation trench suggests that the cella was surrounded by columns on its sides. The central and unusual feature of the temple is the apse, where the cult image or images must have been placed. It was likely separated from the main cella space by an arched structure, as indicated by a rectangular pillar with a profiled base uncovered north of the half-column marking the end of the apse.

The exploration of this new temple undoubtedly remains in its early stages. Despite severe damage from prolonged reuse and stone robbing, the currently uncovered remnants still convey a strong impression of its monumentality today. Furthermore, numerous capital and architrave fragments of considerable size already allow for a very precise reconstruction of the sanctuary’s structure.

Furthermore, it appears that the Doliche temple, as suggested, differs from the typical temple structures of the eastern Mediterranean region due to its unconventional interior design with a large apse. Who was worshipped in this newly discovered sanctuary remains unclear so far. However, it seems possible that it could have been a facility dedicated to the Roman imperial cult.

The excavations on the southern slope – The slope church and the adjacent late antique structures

In2021, the excavation of the early Christian basilica on the southern slope of Keber Tepe remained a focal point of the work. Two additional trenches were opened to uncover further sections of the central nave. Most notably, the team succeeded in almost completely excavating the bema, an elevated platform where the clergy sat during worship services.

The bema has a rectangular shape, measuring 6.5 meters long and 5 meters wide. The floor is decorated with a mosaic featuring a complex geometric pattern, distinguished by the use of particularly small tesserae. This emphasizes the prominent significance of this area within the church. However, large portions of the bema have been destroyed by old looting excavations. This made it possible, for the first time, to uncover extensive sections of the older, deeper-lying mosaic in the nave. As expected, the preservation state of the older mosaic is very good. Like the mosaic above it, it is adorned with a complex repeating pattern of meanders and geometric ornaments.

However, it was revealed that the entire floor of the nave was decorated with colorful geometric patterns. Approximately along the central axis of the church, a simple stripe marks the transition to a plain white mosaic. This finding is surprising and currently unexplained. There appear to be no parallel findings from other churches in the region.

The buildings adjacent to the church in the east, which had been discovered between 2018 and 2020, were further investigated. Below largely artifact-free fill layers, the continuation of a mosaic floor with large white tesserae – first discovered in 2018 – was uncovered, covering a large room.

As now revealed, it is directly attached to the church and shares a wall with the southern apse-side chamber. Due to the sloping terrain, the western end of the room is lost, but it must be assumed that it extended as far as the portico in front of the southern aisle. In total, the room has now been uncovered over an area of 70 square meters. However, its function cannot yet be determined. It is, nevertheless, part of an extensive and representative building complex that was likely added to the east side of the church in the 6th century AD. As far as can currently be discerned, a large trapezoidal courtyard, immediately adjoining the church’s apse, forms the center of the complex. Further sections of this courtyard have been uncovered in an additional trench measuring 5 x 2 meters. The courtyard is paved with large, roughly rectangular limestone slabs.

Summary and Perspectives

Even in 2021, it was possible to gain important new insights into the development of Doliche between the Roman Imperial period and Late Antiquity. The most significant result was the discovery of a new monumental temple. By continuing excavations next year, it will be possible to better reconstruct its floor plan and structure. The study of this building will make an important contribution to understanding the development of sacred architecture in southeastern Anatolia. Additionally, the fundamental importance of the work in Doliche for the religious and cultural history of the entire region becomes particularly clear here.

During excavations at the Dolichene Basilica, an important architectural element of the early Christian basilica—the bema in the central nave—was uncovered on the southern slope. This confirmed that the structure is among the largest and most significant churches in the region. Since studies on late antique church buildings in the area are largely lacking, this discovery is also of great scientific interest.