Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Oxford Journal of Archaeology, cilt.24, sa.4, ss.339-361, 2005 (Scopus)
The monumental Early Bronze Age settlement at Liman Tepe (Levels VI-IV) (predecessor of the classical site of Klazomenai), on the southern shore of the Gulf of Izmir, is a good indication of the emergence of settlements with centralised organisation on the west coast of Anatolia. Similar developments can also be followed in Troy at the northernmost limit of the western coastline, on the islands of the north and east Aegean, and at the inland site of Küllüoba in north-west Anatolia. Over a much wider geographical area, extending from south-eastern Anatolia via central and western Anatolia, the islands of the east Aegean, the Cyclades, and mainland Greece, a distinctive set of cultural features emerged at the end of Early Bronze Age II. An explanation of the cultural changes taking place along the west Anatolian coastline at this time should thus be sought in the perspective of this wider sphere. These features can be summarised as follows: organised settlement structures indicating the presence of a central authority; monumental fortification systems; large settlements with citadels and lower towns; first introduction of wheel-made pottery (mass production); first appearance of certain new pottery shapes such as depas, tankard, two-handled cup, wheel-made plate, incised pyxis, cutaway-spouted jug and 'Syrian bottles'; first examples of tin bronzes. These cultural changes, appearing suddenly in a wide geographical range at approximately the same time, can only be explained by the presence of wide international contacts. The character and the nature of these relations are becoming clearer as recent excavations yield new information. This paper aims to shed new light on the nature of the Anatolian Trade Network (ATN) period in the light of new archaeological data from Liman Tepe and Bakla Tepe located on the west Anatolian coastline. The importance of the Izmir region as a bridge between the land trade routes of Anatolia and the sea trade routes of the Aegean and various effects of this unique location on the region's cultural development are discussed. © Blackwell Publishing Ltd. 2005.