Northern Anatolia in the Early Bronze Age (original) (raw)
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Using the notion of the appearance of village life as a heuristic device, this paper assesses newly emerging evidence from the earliest levels at Neolithic Barcın Höyük. Occupation here began at or close to the time of the initial appearance of sedentary farming communities in northwest Anatolia (6600 calBC). The question is raised whether the first inhabitants at the site were recent immigrants, local adopters of farming practices, or a mixture thereof.
The period denominated as Early Bronze Age(henceforward EBA) in Anatolia corresponding approximately to the millennial period between3000-2000 B.C. represents a significant period with some major turning points in the history of the mankind. Beside radical changes observed in cultural, social, economical and political structures this period is characterized by a series of events such as the appearance of large, fortified settlements reflecting the central authority, the development of different crafts, innovations and developments in the field of metallurgy, the appearance and wide distribution of different pottery types and long-distance trade activities (Şahoğlu, 2005:339). The increasing need on raw materials and the efforts on gaining ascendancy over trade routes triggered the conflicts between different political entities. If we consider Anatolia as a single landmass, it is not possible to mention a homogenous structure during any period throughout the history. The topographic structures, geographical features and climatic conditions shaped on such features resulted in the formation of distinct regions delineated with natural geographical barriers and the appearance of divergent cultures with different characteristics flourished in such cultural zones. The cultures that evolved in distinct regions of Anatolia in the 3 rd Millennium B.C. not only reflect unique characteristics, but also presented close relations and interactions with the adjacent cultural zones. The impressions of such mutually developing interactions can be observed on all archaeological materials, from architecture to pottery, from burial traditions to the small finds. Although the developments and advancements experienced during this period can be observed throughout Anatolia comprehensively, Western Anatolia has been represented with limited number of centres for many years. Yet the excavations at Troia, started at an early date in 1870s, laid the foundations of Prehistoric Aegean Archaeology, it remained as an isolated centre for many years regarding the Anatolian coast, while this region rather came into prominence with the splendour and monumental remains of the cities of Classical periods. Beside the limited number of researches, the magnificence of the powerful Classical cultures in the region and the notion that the region lacked strong preceding cultures and that its actual potential emerged and advanced through the migrations in the 1 st Millennium B.C. further influenced this view. In spite of this, the excavations and researches conducted at the other side of the Aegean and at the islands continued with an increasing pace. Starting from 1980s, however, the ever increasing number of excavations and studies initiated throughout Western Anatolia, both at the coastline and inland zones, started to reveal the cultural development
the second field season of the Cide archaeological Project (CaP) proved highly successful in several respects. our intensive survey approach allowed us to gain a rich diachronic perspective on human occupation of, and interaction with, selected parts of the Cide landscape. We focused much of our efforts on the exploration of the roman and Byzantine landscapes of Cide, while a geoarchaeological investigation provided us with a better understanding of the geomorphological processes which shape this region and affect its archaeology. owing to discoveries made during both intensive and targeted survey, we have been able to fill many gaps in the region's culture historical sequence. attested now are virtually all major periods from the Epipalaeolithic to the present. in this report we present our most important results.