Oguz Tekin

The articles of this volume offer a rich diversity of perspectives on philanthropy as practiced in Anatolia over some 2500 years. From such an extensive set of investigations, one would expect to compose a coherent synthetic statement on the nature of Anatolian philanthropy as well as some proposals for how to develop further a meaningful program of research on the topic. It turns out that the latter is far easier than the former; although this volume contains twenty original studies, they do not ultimately clarify either the definition of philanthropy or any essential aspect of Anatolia. The reflections below address first what might be called “the problem with philanthropy” and “the ambiguity of Anatolia.” Once these waters are sufficiently muddied, it nonetheless emerges that a program of research on the topic is possible and even promising. The First International Suna and Inan Kiraç Symposium on Mediterranean Civilization - March 26-29, 2019, Antalya

The Corpus Ponderum Antiquorum et Islamicorum (=CPAI) Project aims at publishing the weights in Turkish museums and private collections. The first volume covers 161 weights from a private collection now housed at the Silifke Museum and is organised under three headings as Hellenistic and Roman Imperial period (49 ea.), Byzantine (33 ea.) and Islamic (79 ea.). Most of the examples from the Hellenistic and Roman Imperial periods are square or rectangular plain lead weights. The cutting board shaped lead weight of Roman Imperial period is a very interesting example with its unit inscribed as litra and a caduceus depiction on it. Byzantine weights in the collection vary from two-uncia to one-nomisma. Most of the Islamic weights are the dirhams from the Ottoman period but there are also a few dirhams from the pre-Ottoman period. Islamic weights are mostly decorated with bird's eye motif.