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The ancient city of Sagalassos, situated c. 10 km south of Isparta (SW Turkey), is located on the southeastern outskirts of an area affected by a number of large earthquakes (Ms > 6.0) in the last century, and where a number of seismogenic faults are identified. Archaeological relics at Sagalassos show ample evidence that the city experienced severe earthquake damage early in the sixth century AD and in the middle of the seventh century AD. This last seismic catastrophe even seems to have caused the abandonment of the city. It is postulated that the city was situated in the macroseismic epicentre, although the causative fault has not yet been identified. Based on satellite imagery, and both geological and geomorphological field evidence in the region of Sagalassos, NE–SW-trending and ENE–WSW-trending tectonic lines are considered as candidates for the seismogenic faults that caused the devastating earthquakes. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

As water mills are quickly disappearing throughout Turkey, it is becoming very difficult to collect information about this type of ancient technology. By means of an ethno-archaeological study carried out in the territory of ancient Sagalassos (Pisidia), the very limited remains of 15 water mills were recorded. Following the recent introduction of electric mills, water mills have lost their previous importance and today some of the mill houses are used as stables or shelters. Interviews with local people provided some information about the capacity of the mills and about the kind of grain that was ground in them. All the mills under discussion belong to the ‘ordinary’ horizontal-wheeled type of water mill. This type may have originated in or near Turkey during the Hellenistic period. A literary and archaeological study concerning the various types of mills showed that the type found near Sagalassos was best suited to local circumstances. Tax records confirm the presence of water mills in the area during early Ottoman times.

Since 1990, regular archeological excavations are done in the Roman city of Sagalassos (southwestern Turkey) by the Catholic University of Leuven (Belgium). The mineralogy and petrography of the lime mortars at Sagalassos have been studied in detail as part of an investigation of the provenance of mineral raw materials present in the territory of Sagalassos. The samples were analysed with optical microscopy on thin sections followed by XRD analyses to design a suitable repair mortar. The lime used as binder was burnt from local Triassic limestones and prepared by dry slaking. Three main types of aggregates have been identified: limestone from local Mesozoic limestones, crushed ceramics from locally produced coarse wares and volcanic tuff from a nearby volcanic region. To preserve the excavated remains in very harsh climatic winter conditions, experimental mixtures of restoration mortar have been tested for strength and frost resistance using similar raw materials as in ancient times. The proposed mortar for further on-site conservation and restoration consists of a mix of lime with crushed volcanic rock from the region of Isparta. This composition is very similar to the original Roman material and shows a high frost resistance in freeze-thaw testing. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved. ispartof: Cement and concrete research vol:32 issue:9 pages:1457-1463 status: published

Lipid extracts of sherds of archaeological late Roman cooking pots were analysed using high temperature-gas chromatography coupled to a mass spectrometer and liquid chromatography with atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometer detection (LC-APCI-MS). With these advanced techniques the use of beeswax was shown through identification of the constituting alkanes, mono and diesters. The detection of high amounts of saturated triacylglycerols (TAGs) further indicated that animal fat was processed in these pots. Part of the animal fat was characterised as originating from ruminants due to the presence of trans-fatty acids. The distribution of saturated TAGs and the higher concentration of stearic acid compared to palmitic acid in the transesterified lipid extract indicated that this was sheep fat. The results illustrate how complex mixtures can be unravelled and original contents of ancient ceramic vessels can be determined using specialised analytical equipment.

In 1987 a potters' quarter was discovered to the east of the ancient town of Sagalassos (SW Turkey). A wide variety of ceramic products was manufactured locally, including a series of tableware (Sagalassos red slip ware). Following a late Hellenistic antecedent, mass production of this tableware started during the early Augustan period and lasted into the first half of the 7th century ad . This contribution aims at illustrating some of the technological and organizational choices made by the potters when mass production was initialized.

Late Holocene local vegetation succession is reconstructed in twodifferent sites in a small-scale open marsh ecosystem in southwest Turkey.This is done by comparison of the fossil local pollen assemblage zones in twocores with the local pollen data of 40 surface samples from the marsh. Thepollen data are supplemented with sedimentological and archaeological data. Theinsertion of the mean pollen data of the local pollen zones as passive samplesinto the canonical correspondence analysis triplot of the modern samples allowsus to detect modern analogues for the fossil pollen zones. From this numericalcomparative approach it is concluded that the marsh area was relatively dryuntil ca 2500 BP. After 2500 BP the area shifts towards a wet area dominated bySparganium and/or Typha angustifolia. A diversification of the marsh vegetationstarts at ca 2400/2300 BP. The area around one core site seems to have beensituated in an area with slowly flowing source water, whereas the other coresite is likely to have been characterised by damp conditions. The steadilyincreasing dryness of the marsh area starts after ca 680 BP. The drying upappears to be associated with recent agricultural and grazing pressure.

A reconnaissance survey carried out within the territory of Sagalassos yielded vast amounts of unknown ceramic wares, tentatively dated to the Archaic, Classical, and Hellenistic periods. An archaeometric programme including geochemical analysis and applied multivariate statistics was applied in order to grasp the diversity of the wares and consequently identify variability in production. Within the chemical spectrum, it becomes clear that at least two large production groups exist, with a substantial ‘internal’ distribution of wares. Elemental evidence supports the hypothesis of a local production of ceramics related to the geographical situation of the sites.

At the Classical-Hellenistic settlement at Düzen Tepe (SW Turkey), magnetite particles were observed in the majority of the excavation contexts and a considerable amount of metal production waste and metal objects was found in a wide variety of archaeological contexts. In order to find out the origin of the magnetite ore and to determine whether or not the ores, production waste and objects all originated from local metal production activities, a series of archaeological and archaeometric studies were executed. A petrographic study of production waste samples and X-ray fluorescence analysis of production waste and a magnetite ore sample indicated that indeed magnetite was used in the process from which the waste samples resulted. Several inherent characteristics of the magnetite sample used in this study, are likely reflected in the production waste samples. Through a combination of geomagnetic survey and archaeological test soundings a couple of areas probably related to iron production activities could be determined. One location was identified as an area for ore preparation. Although mutual links could not be determined for all three find categories related to metal production (ore, production waste and objects), the study yielded sufficient arguments to assume that metal was produced locally, local magnetite sources were exploited for that reason and at least part of the metal finds from the excavations resulted from that local production.

The lipid fraction of residues in ancient oil lamps found at the archaeological site of Sagalassos (south-west Turkey) was analysed by gas chromatography (GC) coupled to mass spectrometry (MS). The identification of plant sterols and long chain alcohols suggested that a vegetable oil was used in these lamps. The lipid sample was also analysed with reversed-phase liquid chromatography (LC) coupled to MS with atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI). The identification of TAG’s detected with LC–APCI–MS showed that predominantly olive oil was used as a fuel for the antique oil lamps. The presence of large quantities of multiply unsaturated triacylglycerol (TAG) and traces of saturated TAG indicated that also other oils and animal fat were added. Summarizing, the analysis of TAG’s with LC–APCI–MS in lipid extracts of ancient ceramics proved to be a valuable method to reconstitute the original contents.

The Late Hellenistic period saw the intensification of pottery mass-production processes, of which Eastern Sigillata may be considered the pearl in the crown. Reddish tableware had a long tradition in the Levant and its evolution culminated around 150 B.C., in the region between Tarsos and Laodikeia, with the production of Eastern Sigillata A (ESA). More or less simultaneously, but independently, the manufacturing of Eastern Sigillata C (ESC) was initiated at Pergamon. Within a couple of decades the new range of tableware would establish itself in both regions of production, and other pottery production centres picked up the trend with, for instance, the production of Eastern Sigillata D (ESD) in SW Cyprus and the Late Hellenistic predecessor of Sagalassos red slip ware (SRSW) at Pisidian Sagalassos. No doubt, many more regional centres followed suit.The new tableware only gradually made its way, starting to replace other common Late Hellenistic types of fine ware. Only by the end of the Hellenistic period did sigillata become common on most Eastern tables. ESA was clearly in a league of its own, predominating through out the E Mediterranean and beyond. ESD was mainly restricted to Cyprus and the Levant, whereas ESC and Late Hellenistic SRSW remained of regional importance. More research is needed to evaluate the supra-regional demand for ESA in a social context, how this demand may have formed part of wider-ranging commercial activities of Levantine merchants in the E Mediterranean, how the geo-political shifts orchestrated by Rome may have influenced the exchange patterns, and how the other types of Eastern Sigillata and Late Hellenistic tablewares fit into this pattern and relate to prototypes in precious metal, For instance, the island emporion of Delos, handed over to Athens in 167 B.C. and especially favoured by the Romans after the destruction of Corinth in 146 B.C., may have been of crucial importance in establishing the distribution pattern of early ESA. Delos catered to the needs of Italy, which had grown powerful and rich in the 2nd c. B.C., by funnelling large numbers of slaves and a wide variety of luxury products, mainly from the Near East, to Rome. Levantine merchants contributed greatly to the success of Delos by controlling the supply mechanisms. As a result, ESA may have grown into a desirable surrogate for Eastern precious metal plate and thus acquired an esteemed position in the tableware market (cf. Cic, ad Att. 115 [VI.1] 13, dated 50 B.C., on vasa Rhosica).

Although the aetiology of bone pathologies in cattle is poorly documented, various deformations in the skeleton have been attributed to draught exploitation in the archaeozoological literature. This paper summarizes the results of an osteological study that was undertaken on the feet of modern draught oxen. This led to the definition of a series of draught-related anomalies. In an attempt to describe the pathologies in a more consistent and quantitative way, a scoring scale for each individual bone pathology was established. The developed method is applied to cattle remains from four Roman and one late medieval site. The distribution of the observed pathological indices (PIs) on the first phalanges is interpreted in terms of the age structure of the cattle populations, and the possible modes of cattle exploitation and meat consumption in various settlement types. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

This paper presents the palaeoecological analysis of a sediment core extracted from the marsh of Gravgaz in the Pisidian Lake District (southwest Turkey). The sediments are Late Holocene, dating back toc . 3300 bp. The research is part of an inter-disciplinary project, aiming to reconstruct the palaeoenvironment of the Sagalassos' territory, and to determine the impact of the former inhabitants of the area on the landscape. The Late Holocene pollen diagram shows four pollen assemblage zones: a phase with dominance of pine forest (zone A:c . 3300–3200 bp; Cal. ∼1640–1520 bc till ∼1520–1430 bc), a deforestation phase (zone B: c. 3200–2300 bp; Cal. ∼1520–1430 bc till ∼410–240 bc) an important cultivation phase (zone C:c . 2300–1300 bp; Cal. ∼410–240 bc tillad 660–770) and a final reforestation phase (zone D: from c. 1300 bp; Cal. ∼ad 660–770, till the present day). The results are complimented with archaeological and sedimentological data.

Pollen spectra of 23 Cundill pollen traps from 23 different sampling sites in Southwest Turkey are compared with the corresponding pollen spectra of moss cushions from the same sites. The Cundill pollen traps represent the modern pollen rain data from one year whereas the moss cushions represent the pollen rain of several years. The comparative study reveals some main differences between the two pollen entrapment media. The one-year entrapment medium (pollen trap) appears to be more sensitive for local (releve area 10x10 m) and regional (100-500 m, or a few kilometres for Olea europaea) vegetation. Pollen spectra of moss cushions are dominated by high pine pollen percentage values and hardly sense fine vegetation structures. The conclusion of this comparative modern pollen study allows to interpret fossil sediment spectra from the Near East in a more critical way. It is concluded that one should preferably sample rapidly deposited sediments for palynological analyses, as the resulting highresolution polle...

Since 1990 archaeological research by the Catholic University of Leuven (Belgium) has been carried out at the ancient site of Sagalassos (Aǧlasun, Burdur province, Southwestern Turkey). At first, research focused on the excavation of the city and the study of the immediate vicinity which provided it with raw materials. The main objective was to obtain a clear picture of the history and development of the city. Since 1993 research has also incorporated a study of the territory of the Roman city, from prehistoric to modern times, in order to understand why the site was selected for settlement, why it developed into a middle-sized town, its economy and subsistence, how it affected and exploited the environment, its decline, and what changes have taken place in the district subsequently. The focus has now shifted towards obtaining a better understanding of the linkages between human and environment systems so that inter-relations between the two can be more readily understood. As a result, a number of environmental topics concerning the territory of the Roman city are presently being studied. This territory extended from Lake Burdur in the West to the Aksu canyon in the East, from the Aǧlasun Daǧlari in the North to Mt. Kestel in the South. Interdisciplinary research revealed that for the early Neolithic and the Roman period there was a slightly warmer climate, a richer vegetation and more fertile soils for agricultural practice.

Anatolia forms a bridge between Europe, Africa and Asia and is influenced by all three continents in terms of climate, vegetation and human civilisation. Unfortunately, well-dated palynological records focussing on the period from the end of the classical Roman period until subrecent times are rare for Anatolia and completely absent for southwest Turkey, resulting in a lacuna in knowledge concerning the interactions of climatic change, human impact, and environmental change in this important region. Two well-dated palaeoecological records from the Western Taurus Mountains, Turkey, provide a first relatively detailed record of vegetation dynamics from late Roman times until the present in SW Turkey. Combining pollen, non-pollen palynomorphs, charcoal, sedimentological, archaeological data, and newly developed multivariate numerical analyses allows for the disentangling of climatic and anthropogenic influences on vegetation change. Results show changes in both the regional pollen signal as well as local soil sediment characteristics match shifts in regional climatic conditions. Both climatic as well as anthropogenic change had a strong influence on vegetation dynamics and land use. A moist environmental trend during the late-3rd century caused an increase in marshes and wetlands in the moister valley floors, limiting possibilities for intensive crop cultivation at such locations. A mid-7th century shift to pastoralism coincided with a climatic deterioration as well as the start of Arab incursions into the region, the former driving the way in which the vegetation developed afterwards. Resurgence in agriculture was observed in the study during the mid-10th century AD, coinciding with the Medieval Climate Anomaly. An abrupt mid-12th century decrease in agriculture is linked to socio-political change, rather than the onset of the Little Ice Age. Similarly, gradual deforestation occurring from the 16th century onwards has been linked to changes in land use during Ottoman times. The pollen data reveal that a fast rise in Pinus pollen after the end of the Beyşehir Occupation Phase need not always occur. The notion of high Pinus pollen percentages indicating an open landscape incapable of countering the influx of pine pollen is also deemed unrealistic. While multiple fires occurred in the region through time, extended fire periods, as had occurred during the Bronze Age and Beyşehir Occupation Phase, did not occur, and no signs of local fire activity were observed. Fires were never a major influence on vegetation dynamics. While no complete overview of post-BO Phase fire events can be presented, the available data indicates that fires in the vicinity of Gravgaz may have been linked to anthropogenic activity in the wider surroundings of the marsh. Fires in the vicinity of Bereket appeared to be linked to increased abundance of pine forests. There was no link with specifically wet or dry environmental conditions at either site. While this study reveals much new information concerning the impact of climate change and human occupation on the environment, more studies from SW Turkey are required in order to properly quantify the range of the observed phenomena and the magnitude of their impacts. © 2013 Author(s). ispartof: Climate of the Past vol:9 issue:1 pages:57-87 status: published

The problem of determining the provenance of the white marble used for antique artifacts has been tackled in different ways. During the past decade it became clear that a multimethod approach is required to solve the problem. In addition, reliable reference material, i.e., samples collected at the ancient quarry sites in an archaeologically and geologically justified manner, turned out to be a prerequisite for reliable provenance determination. A multimethod approach based on petrography, stable isotope analysis of O and C, and trace element analysis yields complementary information. These methods were applied to the same set of 225 quarry samples. When processed with powerful statistical methods, the data thus obtained allowed all major types of marble used in antiquity to be distinguished. Thus, most problems concerning the provenance of artifacts can be solved. This approach was successfully applied to the provenance determination of about 75 artifacts from different museums in Europe and the USA.

A public latrine in the 'Imperial Baths' of Sagalassos was transformed into a dump site in the early Byzantine period. Several layers of urban waste, including ceramics, bones, glass and perhaps excrements were deposited on the floor. Faecal biomarker analyses and archaeobotanical analyses were conducted to reconstruct the history of the room. 5β-stanols of human origin, such as coprostanol, were found in the sewage channels together with mineralised plant remains, indicating a human faecal context. The botanical remains are furthermore representative of the Roman diet of the Sagalassians. Soil layers, deposited on top of the latrine floor and dating to the early Byzantine period, contained herbivore derived 5β-stanols, such as 5β-stigmastanol and epi-5β-stigmastanol. Additionally, a clear predominance of epi-5β-stanols over 5β-stanols showed that the animal dung has been subject to composting. In this period, the former latrine was clearly used as a manure production site which is further confirmed by stratigraphic evidence of large amounts of urban waste artefacts, which were commonly collected together with manure before application on the fields. The results of the present study support the theory of off-site potsherd scattering as a proxy for manuring events. Additionally, the data show key evidence for vertical migration of 5β-stanols and presumably also for the leaching of bile acids. ispartof: Journal of Archaeological Science vol:39 issue:4 pages:1143-1159 status: published

During 1993 the excavations at Sagalassos continued for their fourth season from 3 July until 19 August. From 21 until 28 August a survey was carried out in the district immediately south and south-east of the excavation site. The work was directed by Professor Marc Waelkens (Dept. of Archaeology, Catholic University of Leuven). A total of 45 Turkish workmen and 62 scientists or students from various countries (Belgium, Turkey, Great Britain, Portugal, France, Austria and Greece) were involved in the project. The team included 25 archaeologists, 8 illustrators, 8 architect-restorers (supervised by T. Patricio and directed by Prof. K. Van Balen and Prof. F. Hueber), 4 cartographers (directed by Prof. F. Depuydt), 2 geomorphologists (Prof. E. Paulissen and K. Vandaele), 2 archaeozoologists from the Museum of Central Africa at Tervuren (Belgium), 6 conservators (directed by G. Hibler-Vandenbulcke), 1 photographer (P. Stuyven), 2 computer specialists and 4 people taking care of everyday logistics. The Turkish Antiquities Department was represented by Mrs. Nurhan Ülgen for the first and by Mrs. Aliye Yamancı for the second half of the season, whom we both thank for their much appreciated help and collaboration.

Within the aim of contributing to the artisanal craft history at Sagalassos (SW-Turkey), an archaeometric programme including thin section analysis, ICP-MS and multivariate statistics was developed to define the variability on a provenance and/or technological scale of the Classical/Hellenistic ceramic assemblage of Sagalassos and Duzen Tepe. The obtained data were used to evaluate the extent and variation of local pottery production. Petrographic and geochemical analysis as a grouping technique proves to be conditional for documenting the variation in ceramic wares present on both archaeological sites. Elemental evidence supports local production activities between Classical and Hellenistic times, documenting a deliberate change in treatment of raw materials during the Late Hellenistic period in function of ware groups.

International audience; The archaeological site of Sagalassos is located in Southwest Turkey, in the western part of the Taurus mountain range. Human occupation of its territory is attested from the late 12th millennium BP up to the 13th century AD. By analysing the mtDNA variation in 85 skeletons from Sagalassos dated to the 11th-13th century AD, this study attempts to reconstruct the genetic signature potentially left in this region of Anatolia by the many civilizations, which succeeded one another over the centuries until the mid-Byzantine period (13th century BC). Authentic ancient DNA data were determined from the control region and some SNPs in the coding region of the mtDNA in 53 individuals. Comparative analyses with up to 157 modern populations allowed us to reconstruct the origin of the mid-Byzantine people still dwelling in dispersed hamlets in Sagalassos, and to detect the maternal contribution of their potential ancestors. By integrating the genetic data with historical and archaeological information, we were able to attest in Sagalassos a significant maternal genetic signature of Balkan/Greek populations, as well as ancient Persians and populations from the Italian peninsula. Some contribution from the Levant has been also detected, whereas no contribution from Central Asian population could be ascertained.

Since the start of the excavations at Sagalassos in 1990, interdisciplinary research has been carried out with the purpose of reconstructing the economic history of the site. One of the most important finds was the discovery that Sagalassos was an important regional centre for pottery manufacture from at least the late Hellenistic period into early Byzantine times (Poblome 1999; Degeest 2000). In order to understand regional ceramic production and identify the clay raw materials used, an integrated approach of typological, petrographic and geochemical methods is used in the present study.

During 1991 large-scale excavations at Sagalassos continued for their second season from 13 July until 5 September. The work was directed by Professor Marc Waelkens (Dept. of Archaeology, Catholic University of Leuven). A total of 42 scientists from various countries (Belgium, Turkey, Great Britain, Germany and Portugal) as well as 25 local workmen (supervised by Mr. Ali Toprak) carried out the work. The team included 20 archaeologists, 4 illustrators (supervised by G. Evsever and R. Kotsch), 4 architect-restorers (directed by Prof. R. Lemaire and Dr. K. Van Balen), 3 cartographers (directed by Prof. F Depuydt), 2 geologists (directed by Prof. W. Viaene), 2 geomorphologists (Prof. J. De Ploey and Prof. E. Paulissen), 1 archaeozoologist (Dr. W. Van Neer), 1 anthropologist (Dr. Chr. Charlier), 2 restorers for the small finds (directed by Miss K. Norman) and 1 photographer (P. Stuyven). The Turkish Antiquities Department was represented by Muhammet Alkan from the Sivas Museum, whom we thank for his help. Financial support came from the Research Council of the Catholic University of Leuven, the Belgian Fund for Collective Fundamental Research (F.K.F.O.), the Belgian Programme on Interuniversity Poles of Attraction (I.U.A.P. no 28), the National Bank of Belgium, the ASLK/CGER Bank, the tour operator ORION, the car rental company Interleasing, the restoration company E. G. Verstraete & Vanhecke N. V., Agfa-Gevaert films and the association “Friends of Sagalassos”.

International audience

After five years of survey and the rescue excavation in 1989, large scale excavations started at Sagalassos from July 11th until August 22nd 1990. The work was directed by Professor Marc Waelkens (Dept. of Archaeology, Catholic University of Leuven) and by the Archaeological Museum of Burdur, represented by Ali Harmankaya, temporary director of the museum, who also represented the Turkish Antiquities Department. During the excavation the Council of Ministers granted a full scale excavation permit to Marc Waelkens. The team included 18 scientists and students from the Catholic University of Leuven, three from Britain and four from Turkey. Financial support came from the Research Council of the Catholic University of Leuven, from the Belgian Fund for Collective Fundamental Research, the Flemish Ministry of Education, the Ministry of the Flemish Community (Foreign Relations), the ASLK/CGER Bank, the Belgian tour operator ORION, and from the association “Friends of Sagalassos”. Thanks are due to the Anıtlar ve Müzeler Genel Müdürlüǧü and the Bakanlar Kurulu, who gave permission for the excavation, to the staff of the Emniyet Müdürlüǧü and the Archaeological Museum in Burdur, and to the Belediye officials and the inhabitants of Aǧlasun.

International audience; Since the beginning of the Holocene, the Anatolian region has been a crossroads for populations and civilizations from Europe, Asia, and the Near to Middle East, with increasing interactions since the Bronze Age. In this context, we examine cranial discrete traits from a Byzantine population from southwest Turkey, excavated at the archeological site of Sagalassos; the site displays human occupation since the 12th millennium B.P. To investigate the biological history of this population, we analyzed the frequency distribution of 17 cranial discrete traits from Sagalassos and 27 Eurasian and African populations. Ward's clustering procedure and multidimensional scaling analyses of the standardized mean measure of divergence (MMD(st)), based on trait frequencies, were used to represent the biological affinity between populations. Our results, considered within a large interpretive framework that takes into account the idea that populations are dynamic entities affected by various influences through time and space, revealed different strata of the Sagalassos biological history. Indeed, beyond an expected biological affinity of the Sagalassos population with eastern Mediterranean populations, we also detected affinities with sub-Saharan and northern and central European populations. We hypothesize that these affinity patterns in the Sagalassos biological package are the traces of the major migratory events that affected southwest Anatolia over the last millennia, as suggested from biological, archeological, and historical data.

ispartof: Sagalassos VI. Geo- and bio-archaeology at Sagalassos and in its territory pages:53-74 ispartof: pages:53-74 status: published

ispartof: Sagalassos VI. Geo- and bio-archaeology at Sagalassos and in its territory pages:131-153 ispartof: pages:131-153 status: published

During 1989 the Pisidian survey project continued for its fifth season at Sagalassos. The survey was directed in the first half of the season by Dr. S. Mitchell (University College of Swansea) and in the second half by Prof. M. Waelkens (Catholic University of Leuven and National Fund for Scientific Research, Belgium). The team consisted of Prof. W. Viaene (geologist), Dr. M. Lodewijckx, R. Degeest, E. Scheltens, L. Vandeput, H. Bracke, A. De Daele, P. De Jonghe (Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium), Dr. E. Owens (University College of Swansea), Dr. Chr. Lightfoot (The British Institute of Archaeology at Ankara), Mr. R. Fursdon, R. Harrison and A. Young (topographers, University of Newcastle), and F. Richards (Sydney University). For 3 weeks we were joined by Selçuk Baser, director of the Museum of Burdur, who with M. Waelkens, directed a rescue excavation in the potters' quarter. Muhsin Endoǧru (Boǧazköy Museum) represented the Turkish Antiquities Department. The main financial support came from the National Fund for Scientific Research (Belgium), the Prime Ministry of the Flemish Community (Belgium), the Flemish Ministry of Education (Belgium), the British Academy and the British Institute of Archaeology at Ankara.

The launch of several very high spatial resolution satellite (VHSRS) systems (Ikonos-2, Quickbird-2 and others) in the recent past also has provided new possibilities for archaeological research. The emphasis of this paper is to compare and evaluate the contribution of spectral characteristics and pixel resolution of Quickbird-2 and Ikonos-2 for automatic extraction of ancient features from VHSRS imagery. The spectral characteristics of both images have been evaluated by a band-by-band comparison. Apart from a visual comparison, pixel- and object-based classification techniques are applied to assess the effect of different image characteristics. The study is carried out on the antique site of Sagalassos (southwest Turkey). A profound analysis of the VHSRS data reveals that the spectral characteristics of Ikonos-2 capture a more detailed spectral reflectance for the same ground target compared to Quickbird-2. The latter outperforms Ikonos-2 for the visual identification of ancient remains due to its enhanced ground resolution. The application of automatic extraction techniques on archaeological remains in the ancient town of Sagalassos shows opposing results. Compared with the visual interpretation of Quickbird-2, the pixel-based technique gives the best results for Ikonos-2, while an object-based method is best for Quickbird-2.

The forest resources of south Anatolia (Turkey) are characterized by historical degradation due to wood extraction, overgrazing and fire. In a context of forest restoration, natural vegetation distribution patterns and plant community compositions need to be known and integrated in a framework for site classification. Accordingly, we sampled 153 plots at random along 20 transects perpendicular to the contour lines. In every plot we recorded biotic variables (plant species covers) to describe the vegetation composition; abiotic variables (encompassing landscape and soil characteristics) to assess the site quality; and tree population characteristics to define site index of Pinus brutia and Pinus nigra. Five communities were identified using MRPP and indicator species analysis. Indirect gradients were analysed with non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS). In the ordination, the first NMDS axis (explaining 27% of the variation) separated three groups along an elevation gradient and the second axis (23%) two groups with contrasting exposition at the highest altitudes. Litter characteristics were the main environmental gradient according to PCA, but were only relevant to discriminate between two communities at intermediate altitude. P. brutia performed best below 800 m in a Eu-Mediterranean climate. Sites above 1000 m were more suitable for P. nigra. Abies cilicica and Cedrus libani were identified as potential climax species of mountainous Mediterranean communities at the highest elevations, more specifically at the colder, wetter expositions and at the dryer, warmer expositions, respectively. Threats to the survival of A. cilicica, caused by clear cutting in the present silvicultural system, may be alleviated by adopting a shelterwood system in the higher altitudinal range. © 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. ispartof: Forest Ecology and Management vol:247 issue:1 pages:18-25 status: published

Late Holocene vegetation and geomorphological history is reconstructed from a 800 cm long high-resolution palynological and sedimentological record sampled from Bereket, a 6.3 km2 semi-arid to sub-humid intramontane basin in the Western Taurus Mountains (southwest Turkey). The well-dated Bereket record provides from cal. 360 BC to cal. AD ∼400 a unique record of biennial-to-decadal landscape changes caused primarily by intensive human impacts against a background of global climate variations. During this period, land clearance with multiple fire episodes, intensive agricultural practices and grazing pressure profoundly altered the pre-existing warm mixed forest. Increasing moisture availability since cal. ∼280 BC has acted as a trigger to crop cultivation and mountain-adapted arboriculture starting with Juglans regia during the Beysehir Occupation Phase. Pollen from olive groves have been recorded above 1400 m a.s.l. only at cal. ∼23 BC and have disappeared definitively at cal. AD ∼294. During this phase, the sediment accumulation rate was extremely high, reflecting landscape instability. From cal. AD 450 to recent times, the area has mainly recorded pasture and minor cultivation activities reflected in stable soils and thin colluvial depths.

The scientific results of global archaeological excavations often take the form of books and papers, and on occasion, web sites and digital media. However, a large amount of the raw recorded data remains inaccessible to wider audiences. This paper proposes the development of a universal archaeological system that unites archaeological recordings from diverse sites, making easier the process of dissemination to both the wider public and the analysis and comparison of this data by the scientific community, enabling a more informed interpretation of our past. This is accomplished through a 3D cyber-world constructed from a variable level of detailed recordings from archaeological sites.

The archaeozoological evidence that is available for the trade of fish in the Eastern Mediterranean area is summarized. This overview covers the Chalcolithic to the Crusader period and is based on data from 76 sites compiled from the literature and from as yet unpublished material under study by the authors. Remains of fish from the Nile, the Mediterranean and the Red Sea are regularly found in archaeological sites that are located outside the natural distribution of the fish species and thus indicate that they were transported as items of trade or exchange. Evidence for trade of Anatolian freshwater fish is also documented. The fish bone finds are discussed according to their provenance and the regions to which they were transported, and an attempt is made, on the basis of archaeological, artefactual and - if available - textual evidence, to understand the diachronic changes in the distribution within the broader economic and political contexts of the areas involved in the production and the consumption of fish., Une synthèse des données archéozoologiques sur le commerce de poissons dans la partie orientale de la Méditerranée, depuis le Chalcolithique jusqu 'au temps des croisades, est présentée. Cette revue est basée sur des données bibliographiques et sur des ensembles fauniques inédits, étudiés par les auteurs, provenant de 76 sites. Des restes de poissons provenant du Nil, de la Méditerranée et de la mer Rouge sont fréquemment rencontrés sur des sites archéologiques situés en dehors de la distribution naturelle des espèces et indiquent dès lors qu 'il s 'agit de denrées qui faisaient l 'objet de commerce ou d 'échange. Des indications sur le commerce de poissons d 'eau douce d'Anatolie sont également présentées. Les trouvailles ichtyofauniques sont discutées en fonction de la provenance des poissons et des régions vers lesquelles ils étaient exportés. En utilisant les données archéologiques, les indications des artefacts et les informations historiques disponibles, les changements diachroniques observés dans le commerce de poisson sont décrits, en tenant compte du contexte économique et politique de chacune des régions productrice et consommatrice., Van Neer Wim, Lernau Omri, Friedman Renée, Mumford Gregory, Poblome Jeroen, Waelkens Marc. Fish remains from archaeological sites as indicators of former trade connections in the Eastern Mediterranean. In: Paléorient, 2004, vol. 30, n°1. pp. 101-147.