Reassessing the Sarcophagus Collection of the Çanakkale Troy Museum: New Discoveries and Revisions

This article presents the inscribed sarcophagi housed at the Çanakkale Troy Museum in Turkey, focusing on the typological and iconographical features and inscriptions of the sarcophagi. The research encompasses eight inscribed sarcophagi, mostly fragmentary, from the Troad, but with one also from Madytos in Thrace, all dating to the Roman imperial period. The present findings indicate that sarcophagi from Proconnesos were the most preferred products in the Troad, along with the products of Assos. Furthermore, a sarcophagus from northern Troad became significant as a result of its distinctive design, which included the use of a mirror as a pendant and a separately standing unguentarium, decorative elements that are exceedingly rare in sarcophagus design. Revised readings with several additions and corrections are given for four previously published sarcophagus inscriptions as the result of three-dimensional scanning conducted on the sarcophagi. The inscriptions attested to the first appearance of some names in the region, such as Nerva, Miltiades, and Thales. Furthermore, two fragmentary sarcophagus inscriptions in Latin from the northern Troad demonstrate a prominent practice that not only the sarcophagus but also its surroundings were owned by the sarcophagus proprietor.