Publications
Agricultural Sustainability and Environmental Change at Ancient Gordion
Ancient Gordion offers a unique perspective on agricultural sustainability and environmental change through its diachronic record. The study reveals that different political and economic systems implemented over time at Gordion resulted in varied agricultural practices with divergent environmental impacts. Some regimes fostered sustainable agriculture, while others led to significant environmental alteration. This comprehensive analysis of 220 botanical samples from the 1993-2002 excavations, combined with paleoenvironmental data, reconstructs agricultural decision-making processes and their social contexts. The research provides a valuable dataset for regional synthesis in the Near East and introduces innovative methods to study the relationship between social and environmental change globally.
Fieldwork at Phrygian Gordion, 2013–2015
Recent fieldwork at Gordion, Turkey, uncovered substantial Iron Age fortifications and clarified the city's urban layout. Excavations on the Citadel Mound revealed a massive Early Phrygian glacis (ninth century B.C.E.) with a stepped terrace wall over 2.5 meters high, supporting a fortified wall nearly 3 meters wide. Additional Middle and Late Phrygian fortifications were also discovered, along with a new citadel gateway. Remote sensing further mapped Gordion's residential districts—Lower Town and Outer Town—revealing defensive structures like fortification walls and ditches, as well as a large western fort. Conservation efforts preserved notable features, including the Terrace Building Complex, a pebble mosaic floor from Megaron 2, and the Early Phrygian Gate Complex, one of the best-preserved in Iron Age Asia Minor.
From Gabii and Gordion to Eretria and Methone: The Rise of the Greek Alphabet
Recent discoveries from Methone, including three long inscriptions likely written in Eretrian script, provide crucial evidence for the diffusion of literacy and the evolution of the Greek alphabet. These findings challenge the traditional understanding that the Greek alphabet evolved directly from Phoenician scripts, suggesting instead a more complex prehistory with at least three distinct phases: Cretan, Euboean, and Ionian. The study proposes raising the chronology of the Middle and Late Geometric periods to reconcile this evidence. Additionally, the inscriptions indicate that Euboean script was already sophisticated enough to record complex texts like epic poetry by this time. This research sheds new light on the origins and spread of alphabetic writing in the Mediterranean world.
The New Chronology of Iron Age Gordion
A significant reassessment of Gordion's Iron Age history reveals that the site was destroyed by fire around 800 B.C., not by invasion as previously believed. This challenges long-standing narratives since excavations began in the 1950s, suggesting a more nuanced understanding of the site's decline. The study combines archaeological evidence with chronological analysis to propose this revised timeline, offering new insights into the dynamics of ancient Anatolia.
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