In our latest blog post, we undertake an investigation of the long-forgotten ‚Karkassos aqueduct‘ remains east of Pergamon. Their re-discovery in 2023 prompted fresh questions and ideas about the way humans (including administrations) exploit and manage water in both ancient and modern times.
Discover the latest TransPergMicro research presented at the 2024 Landscape Archaeology Conference. We’re excited to highlight Joris Starke’s award-winning poster on the Araplı alluvial fan’s development during the Roman Imperial period. Additionally, delve into Robert Busch’s agro-ecological modeling and Fabian Becker’s analysis of the ‚3rd century crisis‘ in Pergamon. Also featured is Moritz Nykamp’s poster on Göbekli Tepe’s landscape evolution.
Die Überreste der Westthermen in Pergamon wurden 1906-07 freigelegt. 2022 setzten Studierende der TU Berlin im Rahmen des TransPergMikro-Projektes den Bau erneut in den Fokus. Die umfassende Baudokumentation enthüllte bislang unbeachtete Bereiche und lieferte neue Erkenntnisse über Bauphasen und Nutzung, die zur Klärung urbaner Strukturen beitragen.
The Selinos River, now known as Bergama Çayı, plays a significant role in shaping the urban landscape of the city. This was highlighted at the annual TransPergMicro workshop, where the relationship between urban development, changes in natural space, and the river’s dynamics were analysed and discussed. The initial findings, presented in this blog post, will be incorporated into a TransPergMicro sub-project.
In exploring sedimentary profiles obtained by vibra-coring in the Bakırçay plain, our interdisciplinary fieldwork investigates the development of alluvial fans in the Pergamon micro-region. We aim to uncover the intricate interplay between sediment dynamics and historical settlement patterns. At the same time, our study of ‚chocolate bars‘ provides insights into ancient pottery production and highlights the relationship between human activity and the landscape in the Pergamon Micro-Region.
The developing landscape of Bergama unfolds along the Bergama Çayı, where the recent construction of a river embankment by the DSİ revealed ancient structures. Excavations from 2021 to 2023 under the direction of Bergama Müzesi uncovered an 1 km² wide area. In collaboration with DSİ, the İzmir State Monuments Authority and the Pergamon Excavation Project, the ongoing conservation work is contributing to a master’s thesis focusing on detailed documentation, with an emphasis on construction phases and techniques. This study explores the historical layers of the site to uncover ancient urban development and the interactions between human and nature during the Roman Imperial period.
The Sultan Tepe site, discovered in 2009 and revisited in 2019 and 2020, near Pergamon reveals intriguing findings. The non-invasive survey suggests a complex history: a potential villa with a courtyard, a sanctuary, or even a mansio. Geophysical data points to a 175 x 100 m structure, possibly a villa. Pottery spans late Hellenistic to Byzantine periods. Despite uncertainties, this interdisciplinary approach offers valuable insights into the region’s historical development. The full study will be in ‚Istanbuler Mitteilungen.‘
The Pergamon Excavation of the German Archaeological Institute has created a tourist map that not only guides visitors through ancient ruins but also suggests circular routes covering the entire modern city of Bergama. This encourages people to take individual tours and experience Bergama’s rich cultural heritage, from ancient times to more recent periods like Byzantine and Ottoman eras.
Alman Arkeoloji Enstitüsü tarafından yürütülen Bergama Kazısı, ziyaretçilere sadece antik kalıntılar arasında rehberlik etmekle kalmayan, aynı zamanda modern Bergama kentinin tamamını kapsayan rotalar öneren bir turistik harita oluşturdu. Bu haritanın, insanları bireysel rotaları deneyimlemeye ve Bergama’nın antik çağlardan Bizans ve Osmanlı dönemleri gibi daha yakın dönemlere kadar uzanan zengin kültürel mirasını deneyimlemeye teşvik etmesi amaçlanıyor.
The Theater in the lower city of Pergamon was part of a group of large buildings erected during the Roman Imperial period. It was partly excavated in the mid-20th century, but a complete study of its architecture was still pending. Recently, a Turkish-German team conducted systematic investigations, resulting in new insights into the building’s construction phases. Moreover, the research revealed that it is the largest ancient theater in Asia Minor, reflecting the competition between the cities of Ephesus, Smyrna and Pergamon. Its ground plan has been integrated into the Pergamon Digital Map, which will soon be released in version 1.2.
Pergamon aşağı kentte yer alan Tiyatro, Roma İmparatorluk Dönemi’nde inşa edilmiş büyük bir yapı grubunun parçasıdır. 20. yüzyılın ortalarında kısmen kazılmış olmasına karşın yapının mimarisine ilişkin kapsamlı bir çalışma gerçekleştirilmemişti. Yakın bir zaman önce, Türk ve Alman üyelerden oluşan ekipçe yürütülen sistematik araştırmalar sonucunda, Tiyatro’nun inşaat aşamalarına ilişkin yeni bilgiler de elde edilmiştir. Bu çalışma ayrıca, Tiyatro’nun Küçük Asya’daki en büyük antik tiyatro olduğunu ortaya koymuştur. Bu durum Efes, Smyrna ve Bergama şehirleri arasındaki rekabetin ortaya çıkan bir yansımasıdır. Yapıya ait oluşturulan yeni plan, 1.2 sürümünde yayınlanacak olan Pergamon Dijital Haritası’na entegre edilmiştir.
Burials within settlements have a long tradition in the ancient Near East. In the aceramic Neolithic, burials inside houses were common, as Nevali Çori (10th/9th millenium BCE), Çatalhöyük (mostly 7th millenium BCE), and other settlements from eastern Anatolia and the Levant demonstrate. During the Neolithic, first cemeteries outside settlements were forming.
Die Siedlungsgeschichte und städtebauliche Entwicklung Pergamons sind durch mehrere Phasen der Ausdehnung, aber auch der Schrumpfung der Stadt gekennzeichnet, die im Laufe der Zeit ihren Charakter wiederholt verändert hat. Nach einer etwa 250-jährigen Geschichte als befestigte hellenistische Residenzstadt veränderte Pergamon erst in der römischen Kaiserzeit grundsätzlich sein Antlitz. Im Verlauf des 1. Jh. n. Chr. dehnte sich die Stadt über den alten Befestigungsring hinaus auf dem Schwemmfächer des Selinus aus
When you walk through the ruins of the ancient city of Pergamon today or look at the 3D reconstruction of the ancient city hill, you inevitably ask yourself where the many building stones for the countless streets, houses and monumental buildings came from. Where the stones were quarried and by what routes were they transported to the city and up the steep city hill? Similar questions are also being asked in our current TransPergMicro project. In interdisciplinary groups we investigate the building economy between the Hellenistic and Roman Imperial periods.
Field work of the Physical Geography team of Freie Universität Berlin and Ege Üniversitesi İzmir in October 2022
