A new phase of research at Kerkenes
will reveal an exceptionally detailed plan of the city, mainly through
a combination of large area geophysical survey, limited test trenching
and computer aided combination of cadastral survey and rectified balloon
photographs. GIS analyses and image enhancement will utilise the latest
technological advances to enhance our understanding of the city and
enable dissemination of the results through both electronic and traditional
forms of publication. Thus the project will continue to be flag ship
for the incorporation modern and developing approaches to the archaeology
of urban sites, empires and human impact on upland landscapes.
The results obtained so far have added a new dimension to our understanding
of the Middle Iron Age in Central Anatolia and the wider Near East by
providing striking evidence for the existence of a hitherto under-recognised
imperial centre, probably Median. The ancient city displays characteristics
that are unusual, perhaps unique, that sheds light on the ideals and
mechanisms of imperial control which appears to be fresh and intrusive.
Origins of the urban concepts remain elusive and should probably be
sought beyond Anatolia. Cultural contact, interaction and exchange between
East and West are being revealed through an increasing understanding
of urban dynamics, including the development of defensive systems, urban
planning, religious monuments and architectural forms, and through discovery
of high status luxury objects of an otherwise unknown artistic tradition.
The results will continue provide evidence for the extent and influence
of states and empires in the Middle Iron Age and fill a vacuum in Central
Anatolia. They provide a basis on which the historical geography of
the sixth century can be expanded and re-evaluated, and against which
the rapid expansion of Achaemenid power can be better understood.
 |
 |
 |
 |
Contents |  |