Malatya Kırklar Mezarlığı Mezar – Mezar Taşlarında Bezeme

Abstract

312 inventory tomb-tombstones pieces were determined during the 2011-2012 excavations at the Kirklar Cemetery in Malatya. Including 14 decorated pieces, which doesn’t give any clues for the tomb or tombstone type, this number increases to 326, and the ornaments on these pieces are studied. There are four types of ornaments floral, geometric, with objects and with figures. The floral ornaments appear on 30 samples. There are two main and three sub types of it. They are composed of the repetitive units of rumi, palmette, and lotuses in vertical and horizontal axes. Two of them are dated to 14th century. The remaining others might have been made in 14th-15th centuries. Geometric decoration has 17 main, 5 sub types. 18 out of 111 samples with dates are from 14th century. The 25 samples decorated with an object have oil lamp and candlestick motifs. 4 of the samples are from 14th century, and one has the date of 1436. We date the others to 14th- 15th centuries. No samples with figures were found during the excavation. The 3 samples formerly published are lost today, and on one of them there are fish, Capricorn, and bull figures which are associated with zodiac signs, while one has a human face. The third one is a human statue.