The Lantern-Roofed Tombs in Thrace and Anatolia: Some Evidence ...

lantern-roofed burial chamber. The Plovdiv tomb comes from the end of the
4th or first decade of the 3rd century B.C.
However, while in Thrace only three monuments displaying such
technique are known, this kind of roofing seems to be widely used in
Anatolia. The tumular tomb at Belevi near Ephesos, first noted in 1827,
dates to the 6th century B.C. and provides the earliest example of lantern
roofing in the ancient world known so far. 12 The funerary monument is
situated in the southern half of a big tumulus surrounded with krepis and
consists of long dromos, rectangular antechamber, a second rectangular
lantern-roofed antechamber and rectangular burial chamber. The finds from
the mound clearly indicate that the Archaic monumental tomb was
presumably a heroon and was used for secondary ritual activities during
extended period – until the Early Hellenistic Age. Actually, in Anatolia, the
lantern-roofed tombs became widespread only during the Late Classical and
Hellenistic Age and the architects who built these funerary monuments were
presumably inspired from some early remarkable constructions, such as the
tumular tomb at Belevi.
Hellenistic lantern-roofed tombs were discovered in several parts of
Anatolia. The closest region to Thrace appears to be Bithynia where four
funerary monuments of this type are known, thus forming the most
significant regional group of lantern-roofed tombs in Anatolia. Two of them
are located on the southern shore of Propontis. The tomb at Mudanya
(ancient Myrleia) was unearthed in 1926 during digging of Alçakbayir
tumulus, about 30 m in height. 13 The monument consists of long dromos and
rectangular lantern-roofed burial chamber. It dates to the second half of the
4th century B.C. Another tomb was accidentally uncovered in Küçük Çukur
locality near Gemlik (ancient Kios) in a tumulus, which was destroyed
3