Period I (Roman and Byzantine)

                                                                       domestic structure of Byzantine period

With the arrival of the Romans, the area becomes the base of the XII legion, the fulminata, from the period of Titus up to the VI century a.C. The Roman castrum is built just near a point of crossing of the Euphrates river, which is thus controlled directly by the army. Around the castrum a small village is settled and called Melitene (transformation of the ancient name Melid). This village, because of its favoured position, slowly became a large centre and was upgraded to Municipio under Traianus. The military roads of Dioclezianus's period, guarding the border along the Euphrates, all reached Melitene.

Near Melitene, half way to the modern city of Malatya, Arslantepe was in this period, a small, traditional and provincial, rural village, as most Anatolian villages of that period (village of farmers, with a few government officials and authorities). The Italian excavations have brought to light the small village of Roman period, whereas a cemetery and some rare domestic houses are dated to the Byzantine period.

On the basis of coins and ceramics found, the major Roman occupation is to be dated to a period between the IV and VI centuries aC. Throughout most of the site's surface, these Roman and Byzantine phases are the last. Only to the north are traces of a possibly Ottoman building. Apart from this building, the site of Arslantepe is in this period essentially abandoned and the town of Eski Malatya, next to the Euphrates, is preferred.