Tavium, an ancient Galatian city, was the capital of the Trocmi tribe. It thrived under Roman rule, tavium was known for its strategic location.
General Information About Tavium
Tavium-Taouion is an ancient settlement that was the capital of the Trocmi tribe of the Galatians. It is located in the village of Büyüknefes, approximately 30 km west of Yozgat city center.
It is at the eastern end of the historical Galatia region.
Tavium was approximately 180 km away from Ankara, the capital of the Tectosages, another Galatian tribe in Anatolia, and 340 km away from Pessinus, the capital of the Tolistobogi. Pessinus and Tavium were located at about two or three points in Galatia. In ancient times, Tavium was considered the least important of the three capital cities of Galatia.
The settlement is located approximately 20 km southwest of the Hittite capital Hattusa. The ancient settlement was at a crossroads where roads connecting important trade centers such as Ankara, Hattusa, Amasya, Komana, Sivas and Kayseri intersected. It was a fortified settlement and was in a strategically important position.
Tavium, an important regional city throughout history, was granted city status by Rome between 20-21 BC. The city maintained its political, social and economic importance throughout the Roman Imperial Period.
Tavium Ancient City and Other Settlements in the Region
History of the Tavium
Archaeological studies in the region were initiated by Karl Strobel and Christoph Gerber on behalf of the University of Heidelberg in Austria in 1997. Archaeological data show that the first traces of settlement in the region date back to the 4th millennium BC. The remains discovered in Büyükkale and Kücükkale during the Bronze Age and later indicate that the city was a densely populated area during the Iron Age.
The first known name of the city is thought to be Tavnia, a Karum city, mentioned in the texts found in Kaneş during the Assyrian Trade Colonies period. In Hittite texts, the settlement is mentioned as Tawiniya. Strabo stated the name of the settlement as Taouion, and Pliny as Tavium. The city was called Tauia/Tabia during the Byzantine period. The continuity in the name of the city is also supported by archaeological data. According to archaeological data, the region has been inhabited continuously since the Chalcolithic Age.
Strabo described Tavium as the most important settlement in the east of Galatia. He stated that the city, which he described as one of the three defensive towers of the Trocmis, was fortified and was the main trade center of the people living in the east of Galatia. Strabo also mentioned a sacred area in Tavium with a giant bronze statue of Zeus inside, and that this sacred area was also a refuge area where people took refuge.
It is thought that Tavium was an important cult center during the Hittite period. The city continued to be a religious center throughout the Roman Period. The religious importance of the city can also be seen from the coins of the period. The front of the coins minted in Tavium usually features the depiction of Zeus. The depictions of Zeus are in portrait form or sitting on his throne. Again, there is a model of a temple with six columns on the back of the coins. Based on this information, it is possible to make an estimation about the appearance of the famous Zeus statue and temple in Tavium.
Tavium Coins Depicting Zeus; Temple (Left) and Zeus in Seated Position (Right), Source: Arslan 2006, Turan 2007
Other gods worshipped in Tavium are also depicted on these coins. These gods are: Apollon, Dioskouroi, Artemis, Athena, Aphrodite, Asklepios with his daughter Hygieia and his son Telesphoros, Nike, Demeter, Tykhe, Nemesis and the River God Halys.
Tavium Coins Depicting Zeus; Temple (Left) and Zeus in Seated Position (Right), Source: Arslan 2006, Turan 2007
Geography of Tavium
Tavium Ancient City Important Areas
Tavium is located 30 km west of Yozgat province. It is within the basin of the Delice River (Cappadox).
It was established in an area with an average elevation of 1100 meters, which is turned into an island by Kaleözü and Nefes streams. These two streams have relatively high flow rates throughout the year. This provides natural protection to the land. Apart from this, there are other water sources in the region. The city is therefore rich in water.
However, the continentality in the region is high. The annual average rainfall is 554.7 mm, and the distribution of rainfall over the months of the year is irregular. The rainiest month in the region is December, and the driest month is August. The annual average temperature of the region is 8.8 °C. Monthly average temperatures vary between -1.9 °C and 19.7 °C.
The dominant wind in the region is northeast-southwest. In this sense, the ancient theater on Zegrek Tepe seems to be positioned on the land according to the wind regime.
The city is surrounded by large agricultural lands. Ancient sources state that the city was surrounded by forests. These forests were located in the mountainous region between Tavium and Bogazkale and in the mountainous area west of the city. The south of Hattusa is still forested today. The surroundings of Büyüknefes village are barren, contrary to what is stated in ancient sources. The barrenness of the region may have occurred due to the use of trees for fuel and mining considering that the region is very rich in minerals.
Especially copper, lead and zinc deposits are very close to the settlement. It is known that many bronze coins were minted in Tavium during the Roman period.
Tavium Region Mining Map, Tavium Region Mining Map
Tavium City Settlement and Findings in the City
At first glance, there are no monumental structures visible in Tavium, and there are not enough visible remains to allow the reconstruction of the city plan. Over time, most of the city's ruins were used as quarry stones in surrounding settlements, especially in Yozgat..
However, surface research has shown that Tavium spread over a large area, especially during the Roman and Byzantine periods. The size of the city is thought to be 150 hectares, 1.5 km from north to south and 1 km from east to west. This shows that the population of the city was approximately 15-20,000 during the Roman times.
The city consisted of regions called the northern city, southern city, central city, Zegrek hill, Büyükkale and Küçükkale. In addition, many necropolis areas and tumuli were unearthed around the city.
The oldest settlement in Tavium is the mound called Büyükkale, located in the south of the city. Next to Büyükkale, there is a second mound called Küçükkale.
Tavium Büyükkale and Küçükkale Mounds, Source: Müller (2003)
In the Hellenistic Period, it can be said that the city covered a large part of the terrace to the north of the two mounds, where the orchards are located today. This place is generally called the Middle City.
The city center of the Roman period is Zegrek Tepe. Traces of old cult structures from the Hittite period have been found here. The ancient theater is also located in this region. It is thought that the city reached its largest size in the Early Byzantine Period and was abandoned in the Late Byzantine Period.
Büyükkale - (Large mound)
Büyükkale is the larger settlement height located to the west of the twin mounds next to each other. At the southern end, the rocks rise quite high from the ground. There is a water channel in this area, but the upper part has partially disappeared. This water channel is connected to a tunnel with stairs leading down from the rock. This structure is similar to the Hellenistic castles in Pontus and Paphlagonia. There is also a similar water channel in the castle of Deotirous in Karalar.
Ceramics dating back to the Chalcolithic period were found here. It is thought that this mound, which has a cultural layer 27 meters thick, was once surrounded by walls.
Due to the erosion experienced on the steep slopes of Büyükkale, many stone blocks have accumulated in the valley of the Kaleözü stream. In the upper part of the eastern slope, monumental building stones measuring approximately 4 x 1.2 x 1.2 m were unearthed and it is thought that these building stones are the sign of a large structure (perhaps a temple foundation).
Middle City - MittelStadt
The Middle City is the part between Zegrek Hill and Kaleözü Stream.
Some old Hittite pottery pieces found here indicate that the region may have had an ancient settlement history. However, the remains found in this section are largely dated to 200 and 100 BC. The dating results show that Hellenistic ceramics are quite common, especially in the slope area of Orta Şehir.
Many ceramic pieces classified as Galatian have been found in this region. In general, it is thought that the ceramic production techniques had a strong local character. It has been observed that these ceramics, especially the brightly fired ones, are of significantly lower quality compared to Hellenistic ceramics from Greece and the Aegean coast, and that this situation persisted until the Roman period. It is known that the Trocmi tribe of the Galatians controlled the city during this period.
Tavium Settlement Areas, Source: Ministry of Culture of Türkiye, 2001
Zegrek Hill
Zegrek Tepe is a flat hill formed of basalt. There is an ancient theater in the southeast direction. It is thought that the hill was used as a cult area in the Hittite Period and that the cult tradition is very old.
Late-period ceramics are generally dominant at Zegrek Tepe. Both brightly fired ceramics from the Roman period and Byzantine period remains have been found here.
Küçükkale (Small mound)
Among the surface finds of Küçükkale, which is smaller and to the east, are numerous marble fragments and ceramics from the Galatian period. Painted Hellenistic ceramics specific to the Kızılırmak region have also been found in large numbers in this area. Older, probably early Bronze Age ceramics have only been identified on the northeastern slope.
Tavium Important Remains
One of the most important findings in the city are the city roads. The Roman era road has a north-south axis. The ancient road can be seen in places, especially in the eastern part of the city. Traces of the older Bronze Age road that extends to Hattusa can still be seen in the field.
SWater structures are also among the important findings of the city. Remains of clay water pipes from the Roman period were found in the city. There is a source of water in the city center today. There are possible nymphaeum ruins around the source.
There is no information about the monumental structures since most of the architectural elements were used as spolia in the surrounding settlements. However, inferences about the structures and sculptures can be made through inscriptions or coins.
Architectural blocks belonging to monumental structures can be seen today in the gardens of Büyüknefes village or as spolia (reused material) on the walls of houses, mosques, etc. or in cemeteries. Most of the architectural remains are in the nature of ruins and have been largely destroyed by weather conditions or human intervention.
In addition, in the neighboring village of Saglık Village, almost completely preserved ancient building blocks were unearthed from the ruins of the old mosque. In addition, Gündogdu and Bahçecik Villages are also among the places where architectural works are found. Gündogdu and Bahçecik are quite close to Tavium (3-4 km away), while Saglık Village is located approximately 10 km away.
Kaynakça
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