Seeking Romanization Traces on Priene’s Tomb Structures

The concept of “Romanization” has attracted the attention of many researchers since it first emerged. In recent years, there has been considerable debate about the meaning of the concept. This topic has generally been examined through epigraphic elements, while the impact of the process on archaeological material has been relatively less researched. This article aims to reveal the impact of Romanization on material culture in light of Priene’s Tomb Structures. Because graves and funerary structures not only provide important information about the development of the social structure of a city but also show how different social classes represented themselves. The article examines the differences observed in the construction techniques, architecture, and locations of tomb structures in Priene in the Late Hellenistic and Early Roman Imperial Periods. And finally it is discussed whether these differences were a result of Romanization policies.