Zeytinli Bahçe: the 1999-2007 excavations. The long history of a site at the crossroads of Mesopotamia and Anatolia
The multi-layered mound of Zeytinli Bahçe is located on a low river terrace along the left bank of the Euphrates, immediately south of the modern city of Birecik, in the province of Şanlıurfa, in Southeastern Turkey (coordinates: 36°59'45"N; 37°58'45"E). The site is relatively small in size (approx. 2.6ha), but has a thick stratified deposit of over 30m in height. Seven seasons of excavations and research, conducted by the Missione Archeologica Italiana nell’Anatolia Orientale (MAIAO) of Sapienza University of Rome in cooperation with the Şanlıurfa Archaeological Museum under the scientific direction of Prof. Marcella Frangipane, documented substantial evidence of a long and complex history of the site over several millennia from the Late Chalcolithic (early 4th Mill. BCE) to the Medieval period (13th century AD).
This grant will lead to the final publication on the results of these field activities. The volume will be entitled: “Zeytinli Bahçe: the 1999-2007 Excavations. The long history of a site at the crossroads of Mesopotamia and Anatolia” and will be published in the series “Studi di Preistoria Orientale, vol. 5”, in cooperation with Sapienza University of Rome. With contribution of various specialists, this monograph will present the overall life of the site and include the analysis of the stratigraphy, the architectural remains and associated materials, a systematic and critical study of the absolute and relative chronology, and a comparative analysis of the archaeological evidence at the site in the context of regional developments.
The publication project will be directed by Prof. Marcella Frangipane and Dr. Andrea Ricci.
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