Gözden Kaçmış Bir Anıt: Sidon Kraliyet Nekropolü'ndeki Bezemesiz Lahdin Dijital Arkeolojisi ve Yapay Zeka Destekli Rekonstrüksiyonu
Abstract
Sayda Kral Nekropolü, 19. yüzyılın sonlarında Osman Hamdi Bey ve Yervant Voskan yönetiminde gerçekleştirilen kazılarla ortaya çıkarılmış olup, Doğu Akdeniz’in en önemli arkeolojik keşifleri arasında yer almaktadır. Zengin bezemeleriyle dikkat çeken İskender Lahdi, Likya Lahdi ve Ağlayan Kadınlar Lahdi, Fenike mezar sanatı açısından belirleyici örnekler hâline gelmiş ve İstanbul’a nakledilmeleri Osmanlı müzeciliğinin kurumsal gelişiminde merkezi bir rol oynamıştır. Ancak bu seçkin grup içinde, aynı arkeolojik bağlamda bulunmasına rağmen başkente taşınmayan sade ve bezemesiz bir lahit bulunmaktadır. Bu çalışma, söz konusu lahdi yalnızca “ikincil” bir eser olarak değil, arkeolojik seçki süreçlerini, küratöryel karar alma mekanizmalarını ve kurumsal anlatıların oluşumunu anlamaya yönelik önemli bir örnek olarak ele almaktadır. Arşiv belgeleri, kazı raporları ve güncel akademik literatürden yararlanılarak dijital arkeoloji yöntemleri, özellikle yapay zekâ destekli rekonstrüksiyon uygulanarak eserin kuramsal bir görselleştirmesi yapılmıştır. Bu dijital yaklaşım, yalnızca teknik bir ikame olarak değil, arkeolojik temsile ilişkin etik ve ideolojik boyutları değerlendirme aracı olarak kullanılmaktadır. Çalışma, dijital miras uygulamalarının mütevazı eserlerin görünürlüğünü ve yorumlanmasını yeniden çerçeveleyerek kültürel miras söylemine daha kapsayıcı, eleştirel ve dengeli katkılar sağlayabileceğini ortaya koymaktadır.
Keywords
Dijital Arkeoloji Yapay Zekâ Destekli Rekonstrüksiyon Müzecilik Çalışmaları Osmanlı Arkeolojisi Kültürel Miras Görselleştirme
References
- Galeazzi, F., & Di Giuseppantonio Di Franco, P. (2017). Theorising 3D Visualisation Systems in Archaeology: Towards more effective design, evaluations and life cycles. https://doi.org/10.11141/ia.44.5
- Cameron, F., & Kenderdine, S. (2008). Theorizing digital cultural heritage: a critical discourse.
- Caple, C. (2006). Objects: reluctant witnesses to the past. Routledge.
- Dallas, C. (2007, October). An agency-oriented approach to digital curation theory and practice. In International cultural heritage informatics meeting (ICHIM07): proceedings (Vol. 30, p. 2007). Toronto: Archives & Museum Informatics. Published September.
- Gillings, M. (2012). Landscape phenomenology, GIS and the role of affordance. Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory, 19(4), 601-611.
- Grigoriadis, I. N. (2023). Developing Archaeology and Museology in the Ottoman Empire, Turkey, and Greece: Théodore Macridy, an Ottoman Greek ‘Liminal Scientist’. European Journal of Archaeology, 26(2), 209-225.
- Hamdi, O., Reinach, T., & Chantre, E. (1892). Une nécropole royale à Sidon: fouilles de Hamdy Bey. E. Leroux.
- Harrison, R. (2012). Heritage: critical approaches. Routledge.
- Hooper-Greenhill, E. (2020). Museums and the interpretation of visual culture. Routledge.
- Perry, S., & Beale, N. (2015). The social web and archaeology’s restructuring: Impact, exploitation, disciplinary change. Open Archaeology, 1(1). https://doi.org/10.1515/opar-2015-0009
- Meskell, L. (2011). The nature of heritage: The new South Africa. John Wiley & Sons.
- Pearce, S. (2013). On collecting: An investigation into collecting in the European tradition. Routledge.
- Shanks, M., & Tilley, C. (2016). Re-constructing archaeology: theory and practice. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203973462
- Shelton, A. (2013). Critical museology: A manifesto. Museum Worlds, 1(1), 7-23. https://doi.org/10.3167/armw.2013.010102
- Smith, L. (2006). Uses of heritage. Routledge.
A Missed Monument: Digital Archaeology and AI-Assisted Reconstruction of the Unadorned Sarcophagus from Sidon’s Royal Necropolis
Abstract
The Royal Necropolis of Sidon, excavated in the late 19th century under the direction of Osman Hamdi Bey and Yervant Voskan, is among the most significant archaeological discoveries in the eastern Mediterranean. The richly adorned Alexander, Lycian, and Sarcophagus of the Mourning Women have become defining examples of Phoenician funerary art, and their transportation to Istanbul played a central role in shaping the institutional development of Ottoman museology. However, within this celebrated ensemble lies a notable absence: a plain, undecorated sarcophagus uncovered in the same archaeological context but excluded from the selection transported to the capital. This study examines the sarcophagus not merely as a “secondary” object, but as a key example for understanding broader processes of archaeological selection, curatorial decision-making, and the shaping of institutional narratives. Drawing on archival documents, excavation reports, and contemporary scholarship, the research applies digital archaeology methods, including AI-assisted reconstruction, to generate a theoretical visualization of the object. Rather than serving solely as a technical substitute, this digital approach facilitates deeper reflection on the ethical and ideological dimensions of archaeological representation. In doing so, the study illustrates how digital heritage practices can reframe the visibility and interpretation of modest artifacts, contributing to more inclusive, critical, and balanced representations within the wider field of cultural heritage discourse.
Keywords
Digital Archaeology AI-Assisted Reconstruction Museum Studies Ottoman Archaeology Cultural Heritage Visualization
References
- Galeazzi, F., & Di Giuseppantonio Di Franco, P. (2017). Theorising 3D Visualisation Systems in Archaeology: Towards more effective design, evaluations and life cycles. https://doi.org/10.11141/ia.44.5
- Cameron, F., & Kenderdine, S. (2008). Theorizing digital cultural heritage: a critical discourse.
- Caple, C. (2006). Objects: reluctant witnesses to the past. Routledge.
- Dallas, C. (2007, October). An agency-oriented approach to digital curation theory and practice. In International cultural heritage informatics meeting (ICHIM07): proceedings (Vol. 30, p. 2007). Toronto: Archives & Museum Informatics. Published September.
- Gillings, M. (2012). Landscape phenomenology, GIS and the role of affordance. Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory, 19(4), 601-611.
- Grigoriadis, I. N. (2023). Developing Archaeology and Museology in the Ottoman Empire, Turkey, and Greece: Théodore Macridy, an Ottoman Greek ‘Liminal Scientist’. European Journal of Archaeology, 26(2), 209-225.
- Hamdi, O., Reinach, T., & Chantre, E. (1892). Une nécropole royale à Sidon: fouilles de Hamdy Bey. E. Leroux.
- Harrison, R. (2012). Heritage: critical approaches. Routledge.
- Hooper-Greenhill, E. (2020). Museums and the interpretation of visual culture. Routledge.
- Perry, S., & Beale, N. (2015). The social web and archaeology’s restructuring: Impact, exploitation, disciplinary change. Open Archaeology, 1(1). https://doi.org/10.1515/opar-2015-0009
- Meskell, L. (2011). The nature of heritage: The new South Africa. John Wiley & Sons.
- Pearce, S. (2013). On collecting: An investigation into collecting in the European tradition. Routledge.
- Shanks, M., & Tilley, C. (2016). Re-constructing archaeology: theory and practice. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203973462
- Shelton, A. (2013). Critical museology: A manifesto. Museum Worlds, 1(1), 7-23. https://doi.org/10.3167/armw.2013.010102
- Smith, L. (2006). Uses of heritage. Routledge.
Details
| Primary Language | English |
|---|---|
| Subjects | Research, Science and Technology Policy |
| Journal Section | Research Article |
| Authors | |
| Submission Date | August 17, 2025 |
| Acceptance Date | September 19, 2025 |
| Publication Date | December 25, 2025 |
| Published in Issue | Year 2025 Volume: 4 Issue: 2 |
ISSN: 2980-1540
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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