multiple authors – Pergamon Micro-Region

March 2, 2024

The Selinos River in Pergamon. Investigating the Relations Between Urban Development, the Alteration of Natural Space and Changing River Dynamics

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.

February 13, 2024

Alluvial fans and ‘chocolate bars’: Unveiling the sedimentary archives of the Pergamon Micro-Region

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.

December 1, 2023

Secrets of Selinus: New Discoveries Reshape the Understanding of Pergamon’s Urban Riverbank

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.

November 15, 2023

Temple, Villa, or…? A Rural Site in the Pergamon Micro-Region

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.’

August 20, 2023

Explore Pergamon with the new walking guide

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.

August 20, 2023

Pergamon’u yeni yürüyüş rehberiyle keşfedin

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.

March 1, 2023

The Largest Theater in Ancient Asia Minor Rediscovered

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.

March 1, 2023

Küçük Asya’daki En Büyük Tiyatro Yeniden Keşfedildi

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.

February 1, 2023

First Intramural Neonate Burial from Roman Pergamon

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.

December 14, 2022

Unexplored Pergamon: New Insights into the Late Antique and Early Byzantine City

The settlement history and urban development of Pergamon are characterized by several phases of expansion, but also decline of the city, which repeatedly changed its character over time. After a history of about 250 years as a fortified Hellenistic residential city, Pergamon did not fundamentally change its face until the Roman Imperial period. In the course of the 1st century, Pergamon increasingly expanded beyond the city fortifications on the alluvial fan of the Selinus river