Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Archaologischer Anzeiger, cilt.1, ss.1-24, 2005 (Scopus)
The as yet unpublished kouros in Mersin is the easternmost marble kouros in the Mediterranean region; he extends the previously known area of distribution of Archaic Greek sculpture far eastwards and widens the range of variation by the unusual position of his arms. In the light of this important new find we consider the development of Cilicia in the Iron Age: Hellenisation begins there in the mid 7th century BC according to the testimony of the ceramics, and this tallies with the historical records of Greek colonial settlements. To answer the question of the ethnicity of the Cilician towns, it is necessary to refer to ceramic finds and to such other evidence as allows one to make inferences about customs. In this respect, the dedication of a kouros plays an important role since, except for this case, the custom of dedicating statues cannot proven in Cilicia at this time. Features like male nudity and the complex character of kouros dedication as established by H. Kyrieleis suggest that he may be considered an indication of the permanent presence of Greeks or of an indigenous population that was distinctly Greek-influenced.