Program of the Research Debrief Session
on 28th March

13:00
Opening Welcome
Tomoyuki Abe, Director, Middle Eastern Culture Center in Japan (MECCJ)
13:10
23rd Excavation Research at Kaman-Kalehöyük
Sachihiro Omura, Japanese Institute of Anatolian Archaeology (JIAA), MECCJ
14:10
Preliminary Research at Büklükale in 2008
Sachihiro Omura/Kimiyoshi Matsumura, JIAA, MECCJ
Kazuhiro Kumagai, Tsukuba University
14:40
Break
15:00
The Hellenistic Metropolis Pergamon and Its Port Elaia: New Research by the German Archaeological Institute
PD Dr. Felix Pirson, German Archaeological Institute in Istanbul
This lecture will be given in English or German with Japanese simultaneous translation.
17:00
Reception
Host: Daisuke Yoshida, JIAA, MECCJ

Excavation research conducted by JIAA in 2008

23rd Excavation Research at Kaman-Kalehöyük

The 23rd excavation research at Kaman-Kalehöyük was carried out in the North and South Sections, the two main areas of excavation. The objectives of our research are to construct a cultural chronology of the site in the North Sections and to expose a larger extent of each cultural layer in the South Sections. In 2008, we opened two new North sections, XXXV and XXXVI, in order to grasp the relationship between large architectural remains in Stratum IIIc belonging to the Assyrian Colony Period and the architectural remains belonging to the Old Hittite Kingdom, thought to cut into Stratum IIIc. In South Sections, research was carried out in Stratum IIc which is culturally closely linked to Stratum IId belonging to the "Dark Age"

Preliminary Research at Yassıhöyük

Yassıhöyük (Çaiaız village, Kırşehir province) is a large (500 m NS, 625 m EW and 13 m high) mound site located 30 km east of Kaman-Kalehöyük. According to topographic survey, magnetic survey, surface collection and photography in 2007, there is an ancient city with a large structure surrounded by a city wall at the site. In 2008, the magnetic survey was continued. Artifacts collected on the surface indicate that this site holds an accumulation of cultural layers from the 3rd millennium B.C to the 1st millennium B.C.

Preliminary Research at Büklükale

Büklükale is a city belonging to the Hittite Empire Period, on the west side of the Kızılırmak (Red River), the longest river in Turkey. In 1991 and 2006, general surveys were conducted by JIAA and in 2008, topographic survey, magnetic survey and aerial photography were carried out. A large part of a rocky mountain and surrounding area are occupied by architectural remains and on top of the hill, magnetic survey revealed a large structure. As artifacts collected on the surface are mainly from the last half of the 2nd millennium B.C., the large structure on top likely belongs to this period.