Project

Archaeology

Lost and Found in an Altered Landscape: Uncovering Ancient Sites in the Eastern Pergamon Micro-Region – A Survey Report

Bernhard Ludwig

The Archaeological Survey in the Pergamon Micro-Region often takes us to places where history and present collide. This was especially true during this year’s survey. As part of the TransPergMicro project, the survey team explored the eastern lower plain of the Bakırçay river (ancient Kaikos) and the southern Madra Dağı Mountains around ancient Parthenion – an ancient landscape that has been affected by massive land consolidation, the construction of dams and quarrying activities in recent decades. Nevertheless, we were able to make many new discoveries and after 6 weeks of fieldwork we can tell a story of transformation and rediscovery. Here are first glimpses of our newly uncovered sites and preliminary results.

 Archaeology

Pergamon’u yeni yürüyüş rehberiyle keşfedin

multiple authors

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.

 Archaeology

New article explores Holocene geomorphodynamics in a long-term settled mountain catchment in the Pergamon Micro-Region

Bernhard Ludwig

The article, titled „Mid- to Late Holocene geomorphodynamics in a long-term settled mountain catchment in the Pergamon micro-region, western Turkey,“ investigates the impact of climate change and human activity on the rural settlement patterns and geomorphodynamics in the Tekkedere valley during the last 6000 years. It is the first detailed study to address this issue using alluvial sediments from a long-term settled valley in the hinterland of Pergamon, a major ancient city in western Turkey.

 Architectural History

The Largest Theater in Ancient Asia Minor Rediscovered

multiple authors

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.

 Archaeology

Küçük Asya’daki En Büyük Tiyatro Yeniden Keşfedildi

multiple authors

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.

 Archaeology

3rd annual TransPergMicro meeting in Berlin (Jan, 13 and 14, 2023)

Bernhard Ludwig

The thematic focus of this year’s meeting is on modelling.
Besides two keynote lectures from external guests, members of TransPergMicro will present their latest ideas and results on modelling, covering different ways of modelling and various resources.
In two breakout sessions, we will discuss general aspects of modelling in an interdisciplinary group of researchers, including different interpretations of the term modelling and the next steps of modelling in the Pergamon Micro-Region.

 Architectural History

Architectural investigations on the Eastern Baths of Pergamon

Léa Geisler

During the 2022 field campaign, investigations were carried out for the first time on the Eastern Baths on the upper terrace of the Great Gymnasium of Pergamon. The architectural research of the bath complex is being carried out as part of a PhD thesis at the Department of Historical Building Research and Monument Preservation at the Technical University of Berlin and is part of the DFG-funded TransPergMicro project.

 Archaeology

Unbekanntes Pergamon: Neue Erkenntnisse zur spätantiken und frühbyzantinischen Stadt

multiple authors

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

 Project

Conference Announcement

Bernhard Ludwig

The Istanbul Department of the German Archaeological Institute (DAI) and the Department of Settlement Archaeology of the Middle East Technical University (METU) are organising a conference on “Archaeo-Informatics: Challenges in Digital Archaeology”. The event, to be held von 23.-25. November 2022 will focus on Digital Documentation and Documentation Standards in Archaeology, Digital Data Analysis and Archiving, and Digital Data Publication.

 Archaeology

Ancient quarries in the vicinity of Pergamon

multiple authors

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.