Forms of Life in the Megapolis: Miletus in the longue durée (DFG-ANR)

Miletus on the western coast of modern Turkey was an important megapolis of the ancient Mediterranean and represents a central site for archaeological settlement research. The site exemplifies the genesis of a large city network over a wide area. Previous investigations, however, focused on Bronze Age and archaic Miletus or on the monumental center of the postclassical city. The current project, by contrast, aims to establish settlement dynamics apart from the central public spaces during a longer period from the Late Bronze Age to the end of the Roman Empire (ca. 1,600 BCE to 400 CE).

The Ecole normale supérieure (ENS) in Paris and Universität Hamburg set up a cooperation to trace the specifics of life in this large city on 3 levels: the domestic houses within their immediate neighborhoods, the overarching settlement structure, and the relationship with the surrounding area. The lack of modern buildings in the urban area provides excellent conditions for applying a broad, interdisciplinary range of archaeological methods. Depending on the issue being investigated, this makes way for a differentiated approach to the finds. Based on the results of the geophysical prospections undertaken in Miletus in earlier years, we are specifically planning targeted soundings across the entire city area to reconstruct the spatial and temporal dynamics of residential development. Detailed excavations of individual neighborhood contexts will provide a basis for case studies of decentralized space.

The analysis of the finds will include entire household inventories as well as animal and plant remains. Additional information can be obtained by evaluating data from older excavations undertaken in residential contexts. A geographic information system (GIS) will integrate the different data sets. These can be further supplemented by the available geomorphological research results with a reconstruction of the Milesian coastline and a terrain model which is underway. All data will be made available via a geoserver with gradual access options for project participants, interested colleagues, and the general public. The project results will be published in a comprehensive monograph. Overall, the project will use the example of Miletus to help expand and clarify ideas about the ways of life in a large ancient city.

• Partner institutions Prof. Ing. Michael Breuer (Berlin College of Technology)

• Staff: Dr. Lisa Steinmann