| Abstract
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The well-preserved remains of settlements in the rural countryside of southeastern Isauria provide evidence for the prosperity and intensive exploitation of marginal lands during late antiquity. The territory studied in this thesis lies in the hinterland of Seleucia ad Calycadnum, the capital of Isauria in southern Asia Minor. The limestone hills rising above narrow coastal plains were semi-arid, devoid of water sources, and suitable only for dry farming and animal husbandry. However, epigraphic, textual, and archaeological evidence indicate a process of economic growth and building activity between the fourth and seventh centuries, with a peak in the fifth and sixth. In this period, rural landscapes acquired a tightly interconnected network of farmsteads, hamlets, inhabited caves, and villages. These remains display a sophisticated tradition of limestone masonry and constructional technology. The skills of Isaurian builders were also well known beyond the borders of the province in the fifth and sixth centuries. The construction of durable expensive structures attests to the creation of a substantial economic surplus by combining agricultural and pastoral strategies. These are investigated by the study of the remains of presses, mills, threshing floors, surface pottery, and the rich epigraphic evidence from coastal settlements about crafts and trades. The rural countryside and its settlements do not appear in the textual record. Therefore, the documentation and study of the material remains are essential for the understanding of the character and transformation of this rural landscape. This thesis uses the archaeological evidence gathered during five seasons of reconnaissance survey. It focuses on two large villages, Işikkale and Karakabakli, distinguished by the density of the habitat, urban features, and their proximity to harbors and urban centers. Through the exploration of the economic, religious, social, and artistic practices and traditions, this thesis reconstructs the economic, architectural, and settlement geography of a rural territory at the end of antiquity. The results of this research contribute to our understanding of the material culture of a very little known region and period of Asia Minor.
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