{"id":2499,"date":"2025-05-12T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-05-12T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dainst.blog\/transpergmikro\/?p=2499"},"modified":"2025-05-09T08:25:26","modified_gmt":"2025-05-09T06:25:26","slug":"the-tale-of-pergamons-forgotten-amphitheater","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dainst.blog\/transpergmikro\/the-tale-of-pergamons-forgotten-amphitheater\/","title":{"rendered":"From Ambition to Ruin: Interdisciplinary Research tells the Tale of Pergamon\u2019s Forgotten Amphitheater"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Fig. 1 Reconstruction of the Pergamon Amphitheater with the ancient city hill in the background. (Note: The amphitheater was deliberately modeled in plain white without textures to avoid confusion; this does not represent its original appearance.)<\/sup><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n

Hidden beneath centuries of history, the Pergamon Amphitheater tells a story of ambition, innovation, and inevitable decline. Once a symbol of Roman grandeur with a capacity of 15,000 spectators, this remarkable structure has now resurfaced in the light of modern archaeological research, revealing secrets long buried under the dust of time.<\/p>\n

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Scientific Research and Methods<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Pergamon Amphitheater (Fig. 1) stands as one of the four known amphitheaters in Anatolia, alongside those in Kyzikos (Bal\u0131kesir-Erdek-Balk\u0131z), Anazarbos (Adana-Kozan-Dilekkaya), and Mastaura (Ayd\u0131n-Nazilli between Bozkurt and Eycelli). Between 2019 and 2021, detailed fieldwork was conducted by the Pergamon Excavation of the German Archaeological Institute (DAI) and a team from Berlin Technical University as part of a subproject of \u2018TransPergMicro\u2019 (The Transformation of the Pergamon Micro-Region between the Hellenistic and the Roman Imperial Period). With the recently finished PhD-project of the author, new information about this remarkable structure is now available and tells a complex story of ambition and decay.<\/p>\n

A team of experts conducted architectural documentation and archaeological excavations at the Pergamon Amphitheater, supported by specialists in physical geography, anthropology, numismatics, epigraphy, and geophysics, resulting in a comprehensive interdisciplinary research project. All architectural remains were precisely recorded using a photogrammetry-based system, leading to the creation of an accurate three-dimensional model of the amphitheater (Fig. 2-3). The results of these studies, along with all other research findings, are intended to be published collectively in a comprehensive future publication.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Fig. 2 An example of an architectural section drawing drafted as part of the documentation work conducted within the scope of historical building research.<\/sup><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Fig. 3 Rendered visuals from the three-dimensional model of the amphitheater. (Note: The amphitheater was deliberately modeled in plain white without textures to avoid confusion; this does not represent its original appearance.)<\/sup><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n

The ceramics recovered from the site, studied by Patricia K\u00f6gler, date from the 3rd<\/sup> century BC to the 4th<\/sup> century AD and indicate particularly intensive use of the site during the 2nd<\/sup> and 3rd<\/sup> centuries AD. These ceramic finds demonstrate that the area was already inhabited during the Hellenistic period and experienced significant activity during the Roman Imperial period. Additionally, several bronze coins discovered during the excavations, analyzed by J\u00e9r\u00e9mie Chameroy, suggest that the amphitheater remained in use from the early Imperial period at least until the late 4th<\/sup> century AD. Moreover, bones belonging to a donkey (Equus asinus L.<\/em>), recovered from a trench in the arena and preliminarily examined by Wolf-R\u00fcdiger Teegen, provide insights into the possible uses of the structure after it had lost its original function.<\/p>\n

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Construction Process and Structural Features<\/strong><\/p>\n

Research revealed that the Pergamon Amphitheater was built through a construction program consisting of eight phases. This finding has provided crucial insights into the social and ecological interactions between the monument and its surroundings during its construction. Furthermore, a volumetric analysis of the building materials offered an important understanding of the environmental impact of constructing such a monumental structure (Fig. 4).<\/p>\n

With an arena diameter of approximately 38 m and an overall amphitheater diameter of around 133 m, the structure could accommodate approximately 15,000 spectators. It was built in the 2nd<\/sup> century AD and likely remained in active use until the early 4th<\/sup> century AD. After this period, the amphitheater gradually lost its original function and underwent systematic dismantling. Its construction materials were removed for reuse in other buildings, and the site subsequently entered a prolonged period of natural degradation that continues to the present day.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Fig. 4 Construction phases of the Pergamon Amphitheater.<\/sup><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n

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Architectural Characteristics and Location<\/strong><\/p>\n

Unlike most known amphitheaters, the Pergamon Amphitheater features a perfectly circular plan. The primary reason for this unique geometric shape lies in the site\u2019s strategic location, where two slopes could be utilized most efficiently. Factors such as saving building materials and reducing construction costs further supported this design choice (Fig. 5).<\/p>\n

Moreover, according to an observation by Felix Pirson published already in 2017 (Pirson 2017), the ancient stadium or circus, the theater structure and the Roman Imperial residences located on Musalla Mezarl\u0131k Hill could have formed an ensemble with the amphitheater, deliberately reminiscent of the center of Imperial Rome surrounding the Palatine Hill. This architectural ensemble suggests that Pergamon was engaging in a form of emulation of Roman urban models.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Fig. 5 Digital archaeological map of Pergamon showing the location of the amphitheater.<\/sup><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n

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The Possibility of Naumachie<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

One of the most intriguing aspects of the Pergamon Amphitheater is the possibility that it may have hosted Naumachie<\/em> (staged naval battles). Preliminary research, carried out as part of the investigations by the physical geography team in 2019 and 2021 (Becker et al. 2024) revealed that large and sudden water movements occurred in the amphitheater. However, it remains unclear whether these geomorphodynamic events happened while the structure was still in use or after it was abandoned, making it difficult to precisely determine the timing of the major river-induced water movements at the arena level. Due to limited excavations during the project \u2013 restricted by the pandemic, other external factors, and the presence of an active stream running through the arena \u2013 more detailed investigations could not be conducted, and thus the possibility of naumachie<\/em> has not yet been definitively confirmed.<\/p>\n

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Team Members and Researchers Supporting the Fieldwork<\/strong><\/p>\n

Thekla Schulz-Brize, Felix Pirson, Turgut Saner, Heinz-J\u00fcrgen Beste Mehmet Ali Akdemir, Onur Akku\u015f, Polat Akku\u015f, Havva Aslan, Adnan Ate\u015f, Fabian Becker, Marco Blechschmidt, Ali Can\u0131ben, Fatih Cambaz, J\u00e9r\u00e9mie Chameroy, Ay\u015fe \u00c7elebi, Fikri Dere, Camillo Dimai, Felix Ehmer, Emre Ek\u015fili, Ercan Erkul und sein Team, Nazan \u00c7isem Erg\u00fcn, Peter Gebhardt, L\u00e9a Geisler, \u0130lknur G\u00fcl, G\u00f6khan G\u00fcnay, Adriana G\u00fcnzel, Patricia K\u00f6gler, Paula Michalski, Sara Monz, Jana Schander, Joshua Simonis, \u0130brahim Susamc\u0131o\u011flu, Kemal \u015eamdan, \u0130layda \u015eahin, Mirko St\u00f6we, Wolf-R\u00fcdiger Teegen, Tutku Topal, Murat Tozan, Ayb\u00fcke Tu\u011flu, Sebahattin Tun\u00e7kol, Mehmet T\u00fczel, \u00d6zcan Uysal, Veli Uysal, Yunus Uysal, Victor Walser, Daniel Weisbrich, Selehattin Y\u0131ld\u0131r\u0131m.<\/p>\n

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References<\/strong><\/p>\n

Becker et al. 2024<\/strong><\/p>\n

Becker \u2013 X. Yang \u2013 M. Do\u011fan \u2013 B. Sch\u00fctt, The Socio-Ecological Model of the Pergamon Micro-Region from a Geoarchaeological Perspective. How to integrate geomorphodynamics? in: Micro-Regions as Spaces of Socio-Ecological Interaction, 1st Milestone Workshop of the Project \u00bbThe Transformation of the Pergamon Micro- Region between the Hellenistic and the Roman Imperial Period\u00ab Istanbul 11\u201312 March 2022, Deutsches Arch\u00e4ologisches Institut Tagungen und Kongresse 3 (Istanbul 2024) 133\u2013144.<\/p>\n

Pirson 2017<\/strong><\/p>\n

Pirson, Die Siedlungsgeschichte Pergamons. \u00dcberblick und kritische Revision. Mit einem Appendix von Anneke Keweloh-Kaletta, Istanbuler Mitteilungen 67, 2017, 43\u2013130.<\/p>\n

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Hidden beneath centuries of history, the Pergamon Amphitheater tells a story of ambition, innovation, and inevitable decline. Once a symbol of Roman grandeur with a capacity of 15,000 spectators, this remarkable structure has now resurfaced in the light of modern archaeological research, revealing secrets long buried under the dust of time.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":2494,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15,19,17,1],"tags":[26,42,40,65,25,44,39],"class_list":["post-2499","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-archaologie-eng","category-bauforschung-eng","category-geographie-eng","category-projekt-eng","tag-amphitheater","tag-building-archaeology","tag-dfg","tag-dissertation","tag-pergamon","tag-transpergmicro","tag-transpergmikro"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dainst.blog\/transpergmikro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2499"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dainst.blog\/transpergmikro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dainst.blog\/transpergmikro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dainst.blog\/transpergmikro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/25"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dainst.blog\/transpergmikro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2499"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.dainst.blog\/transpergmikro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2499\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2509,"href":"https:\/\/www.dainst.blog\/transpergmikro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2499\/revisions\/2509"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dainst.blog\/transpergmikro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2494"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dainst.blog\/transpergmikro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2499"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dainst.blog\/transpergmikro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2499"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dainst.blog\/transpergmikro\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2499"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}