Komana Archaeological Research Project began in 2004 with the objective of identifying the location and urban fabric of the
Classical site of Komana in central Black Sea region in Turkey, ancient Pontus. The site was a major cult center for the
Kingdom of the Mithradatids during the Hellenistic Period and continued its independence through most of the Roman era.
It was a sanctuary for the Anatolian goddess Ma, a trade center for the surrounding regions, and possibly a bank for the Kingdom.
Its festivals, busy market, sacred prostitutes and fertile lands must have attracted people from all around Anatolia.
The site was first identified by 19th century travellers and was located on a mound named Hamamtepe near river Iris (Yeşilırmak)
9 km northeast of modern city of Tokat.
The research project employed various methods of investigation including extensive survey during which sites within a
few kilometer radius of the mound previously identified as Komana were recorded, pottery was collected in an unsystematic fashion,
inscriptions were identified and geophysical prospection was conducted. With this web site the project aims at sharing the
information collected during the fieldwork and make it available to a larger audience.
The project has been funded by the Middle East Technical University and TÜBİTAK (The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey).
The information on this web site is for personal or educational use only and publication,
reproduction and re-distribution is prohibited without the permission of the authors.
