Focus-fire on wood: Assessing resource use and especially wood consumption in the Pergamon Micro-Region during the annual project meeting

The annual TransPergMicro meeting, held on February 6–7 at Freie Universität Berlin, brought researchers together at the historic Engler Villa despite wintry conditions. Over two days, participants exchanged interdisciplinary perspectives on resource use in the Pergamon Micro-Region, advanced collaborative discussions, and mapped out future work, resulting in a highly productive and engaging workshop.

New article published: Study reveals side-effects of the transformation

A new study sheds light on the transformation from the Hellenistic to the Roman Imperial period by demonstrating the impact of increased human activity on soil erosion and alluvial fan growth.

Starke J, Doğan M, Ludwig B, Nykamp M, Schütt B, Becker F (2025): Alluvial fan development mirrors settlement dynamics in the peri-urban surroundings of ancient Pergamon, western Türkiye. Mediterranean Geoscience Reviews

The archaeology in geoarchaeology: examples from field mapping during the 2024 campaign of the physical geography group

During the 2024 joint fieldwork of Freie Universität Berlin and Ege Üniversitesi, we explored the eastern lower Bakırçay plain, mapping geomorphological features. Collaborating with archaeologists, we investigated the ancient Bakırçay River’s shifting course, focusing on fluvial traces and elevations to better understand its historical hydrology. Stay tuned for our findings!

Exploring Social Metabolism: Insights from the 2nd TransPergMicro Milestone Workshop in Istanbul

The 2nd Milestone Workshop of the TransPergMicro project, held on January 10-11, 2025 at the Orient-Institut in Istanbul, brought together an interdisciplinary range of scholars to explore the concept of social metabolism in historical contexts. The event was intended as a further ‘milestone’ in advancing our understanding of material and energy flows between societies and their environment, with a particular emphasis on the project’s research focus, i.e., the Pergamon Micro-Region between the Hellenistic and Roman Imperial periods.

Pergamon visits Madrid – LAC 2024

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.