LATE BRONZE AGE OF ISTANBUL

lIstanbul is situated at the crossroads of two continents and major sea lanes between the Black Sea basin and the Aegean. How-ever, until the excavations of Bathonea on the shores of the Küçükçekmece Lagoon Lake started in 2009 no evidence for human existence had been recovered from the 2nd millennium BC.Materials:Two Hittite type iron figurines, one lead figurine and a number of Hittites ceramics fragments belonging to fourteen distinct pitchers had been recovered in the excavations of İstanbul Küçükçekmece Lake Basin Bathonea excavation’s from the sectors 8-24. III. level of sectors are ∇+9.50- ∇+9.06 m. Additionally, a well-known Cyprus White Slip II ceramic piece from 2. Millennium BC, two Mycenaean ceramic fragments and further Balkan ceramics from the same era were also recovered from the same context .Besides architecture, a crate shaped warehouse and some walls were found. The architectural traces were came from under 30 cm of sea sand.Goals and Methods:In order to answer the questions of how these artefacts might have reached the region, it is necessary to examine the relations of the Hittites with West Anatolia, as recorded in their texts, and to compare the findings with the archaeological material of West Anatolia.It is obvious that the Hittites were closely interested in Western and Northwestern Anatolia since the early years of the Kingdom. The most remarkable information about the Hittites’expansion to the Northwest Aegean and Marmara region is recorded in the Tuthalia I/II text, declaring war with the Aššuwan Confederacy. In the aftermath of this event, Hittites seem to have established close relations with Troia and annexed the region to the south of Marmara, declaring the king of Masa Land as vassal. The Hittites may also have passed into Thrace over the sea from this region.
Author(s): Aydingun, Sengul (Kocaeli University)

Видео LATE BRONZE AGE OF ISTANBUL канала European Association of Archaeologists