Cisthene or Kisthene ( grc, Κισθήνη) was a coastal town in
ancient Aeolis
Aeolis (; grc, Αἰολίς, Aiolís), or Aeolia (; grc, Αἰολία, Aiolía, link=no), was an area that comprised the west and northwestern region of Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey), mostly along the coast, and also several offshore isla ...
, opposite Lesbos Island, in western
Mysia
Mysia (UK , US or ; el, Μυσία; lat, Mysia; tr, Misya) was a region in the northwest of ancient Asia Minor (Anatolia, Asian part of modern Turkey). It was located on the south coast of the Sea of Marmara. It was bounded by Bithynia on th ...
; its mines were a source of
copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from la, cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkis ...
. Its location is not certain, but it is generally considered to be near modern
Ayvalık
Ayvalık () is a seaside town on the northwestern Aegean coast of Turkey. It is a district of Balıkesir province. The town centre is connected to Cunda Island by a causeway and is surrounded by the archipelago of Ayvalık Islands, which fac ...
on the northwestern
Aegean coast of
Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula in ...
.
During a survey project, realized by Engin Beksaç in 1997, it was possible for Prof. Beksaç to identify the place of Kisthene as Kızçiftlik on the Plains of Gömeç, near Ayvalık (ancient Greek Kydonies-Κυδωνιές). The site is near the sea and faces towards the Peninsula of Pryha. And by the cooperation of Kızçiftlik, it has been partially uncovered. Much archaeological data, from the
Early Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second prin ...
up to the
Late-Byzantine
The Byzantine Empire was ruled by the Palaiologos dynasty in the period between 1261 and 1453, from the restoration of Byzantine rule to Constantinople by the usurper Michael VIII Palaiologos following its recapture from the Latin Empire, founded ...
Period, have identified by Prof. Beksaç on the surface. According to the information, provided by
Strabo, the ruins, identified by Prof. Beksaç, are related to Kisthene.
The site is tentatively located by modern scholars near
Gömeç.
See also
*
Roman metallurgy
References
External links
Coins of Kisthene
Former populated places in Turkey
Populated places in ancient Mysia
Populated places in ancient Aeolis
History of Balıkesir Province
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