Institut für Ur- und Frühgeschichte und Archäologie des Mittelalters,
Universität Tübingen, DEU
Department of Classics, University of Cincinnati, USA
(September 2009)
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HEADLINES
- Campaign 2009 successfully completed
- Invitation to the Troiafest on October 31, 2009
- Important exhibitions in Stuttgart and Mannheim
- V.Höhfeld:
"Stadt und Landschaft Homers" just published
TROIA - CAMPAIGN 2009:
The summer campaign 2009 in Troia (July 20 through September 3, 2009) was completed as planned. A single donation had been received which allowed for a campaign in roughly the same scale as in 2008, with emphasis on evaluation of finds and including a successfull search for the continuation of the defensive ditch (LBA) in the east of the lower city.
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Late bronze age skeleton near ditch |
Following the regular campaign an intensive survey of the settlement mound at Hanaytepe near Bozköy (SE of the Troad) took place as a joint project of the universities of Çanakkale, Tübingen und Bochum. The project was supported by the two Troia Foundations. Based on previoust investigations one can expect to find here undisturbed bronze-age layers that cannot be traced accurately enough in Troia itself. The present survey provided important finds that encourage continuation of the project.
Around mid-September the usual detailed
and exclusive excavation-circular was mailed to the "Friends of
Troia" (so far available only in German). A summary of the excavation results
was also published in a press
release by the University of Tübingen . (click)
TROIAFEST 2009.
Our traditional Troiafest for the "Friends of Troia" and the members of the team is scheduled for Saturday, October 31 in the Tuebingen castle. It starts at 18:00 hours with the presentation of excavation results, to be followed by a Turkish buffet and the chance for an exchange between friends and menbers of the team. You are kindly invited. Please announce your plans to participate until October 20 (E-Mail: troia.projekt@uni-tuebingen.de or Tel.: 07071-2978545 oder -2974394). We are looking forward to your visit.
EVENTS AND LECTURES :
Public lectures by members of the project (for further details please contact the project secretary):
Symposium on the Early Bronze Age in
Troia.
From May 8 to May 10, 2009 this
symposium took place in the Schloss at Tübingen. More than 50 specialists
from the international community have participated in response to the invitation
by the Troia-Project. The successful conference was organized by the team-members
S.Blum, M.A., and S.Ünlüsoy, M.A., and was supported by the Deutsche
Forschungsgemeinschaft. It is planned to publish the proceedings next year.
Programme and abstracts of the papers can be accessed
here as PDF
 |
MEDIA EVENTS:
Three important upcoming exhibitions in
the area of Archaeology and Ancient History are listed here, that are not
directly connected to the Troia-Project, but prompted by three institutions
that are closely cooperating with us:
"Eiszeit - Kunst und Kultur" from September 18, 2009 through January, 2010 in the Kunstgebäude am Schlossplatz in Stuttgart. The exhibition is based on the longterm excavations by the Abteilung für Ältere Urgeschichte und Quartärökologie of the Institute für Ur- und Frühgeschichte und Archäologie des Mittelalters of the Universität Tübingen.
ALEXANDER DER GROSSE
Und die Öffnung der Welt. Asiens
Kulturen im Wandel. Oct. 3, 2009 - Febr.21, 2010 in the Reiss-Engelhorn-Museum
in Mannheim. Further
Informations about the exhibition
"Schätze
des Alten Syrien - Die Entdeckung des Königreichs Qatna".
Große Landesausstellung in the Landesmuseum in the Altes Schloss
in Stuttgart from Oct.17, 2009 - March 14, 2010. The exhibition is
based on the successful excavations by the Abteilung für Orient- und
Islamwissenschaft of the Asien-Orient-Institute (AOI) of the Universität
Tübingen.
On the topic: HOMER and TROIA two events of significance in 2008 / 9 are commented on a separate page which can be reached by clicking here
- Homer-exhibition :"HOMER - DER MYTHOS VON TROIA IN DICHTUNG UND KUNST". (Basel and Mannheim)
- The disputed transcription of the Iliad by the Austrian author R.Schrott and his hypothesis, Homer to have been an Assyrian scribe and to have based the Iliad on a scenario in Cilikia (SE-Turkey).
PUBLIC RELATIONS :
Following our experience with mediacontacts we continue to maintain the central contact for requests from the media. Please note the following points when trying to establish communication:
1.) In order to deal with these requests in an effective way we shall respond only to written requests. Quickest way is by email to : troia.projekt@uni-tuebingen.de
2.) Demands for supporting material ( pictures, literature, videofootage ) or for interviews have to be accompanied by written outline or concepts of the proposed project.
3.) Time and material spent by us require some compensation. We expect a proposal for such compensation. Contributions via the "Universitätsbund Tübingen" will be completely devoted to the Troia Project.
For quick infomation
please refer to our list of frequently asked questions from the general
public and short answers
(FAQs) .
TUTORIAL:
Recently Prof. Elizabeth Riorden (University
of Cincinnati), for many years a member of the Troia excavation team, has
established a tutorial providing background information on Troy which can
be accessed by clicking on Tutorial in the navigation menue.
COMPREHENSIVE PUBLICATION OF CURRENT EXCAVATIONS:
A comprehensive publication (several volumes, starting in 2010) of the excavation series started by Prof.Korfmann in 1988 is in preparation. Details of the publication have been established (size, technical and financial aspects). It will be published in a similar form like "Studia Troica", accompanied by several volumes of "Studia Troica Monographien" containing completed doctoral theses. Editors will be Dr.P.Jablonka, Prof.Dr.E.Pernicka und Prof.Dr.Ch.B.Rose.
EXCAVATION DATA ONLINE:
It is planned to make details of excavation
finds available online for interested scientists. As a starting step in
this direction the partners at the University of Cincinnati have placed
pottery data into the internet under the title "Draft
of Greek, Roman and byzantine Pottery at Ilion (Troia)" (http://classics.uc.edu/troy/GRBPottery).
In Tübingen our own data
server for storage of the excavation data is being installed. On the
server data and data banks relevant to the Troia excavations will be made
available on a limited access base. First projects are the plana-drawings
and slides followed by the manuscripts of the forthcoming comprehensive
publication. Members of the project will be notified as soon as the material
is available.
TROIA - CAMPAIGN 2008: The summer campaign 2008 was concluded on plan in the first week of September. As already reported the major focus was on evaluation of the find material congruent with the comprehensive publication of the Troia-activities since 1988. Limited sondages and drillings concentrated on the localisation of the late bronze age ditch in the east of the lower settlement. This year the continuation of the ditch could be ascertained in two places (quadrants H26 and HI26). In HI26 a discontinuity of the ditch could be identifiesd as a passageway as well as several pithoi and a rpavement. The course of the ditch towards east indicates a larger enclosed area of the lower sttlement than assumed so far.
As usual an extensive report exclusive for the "Friends of Troia" was mailed out. A visit by members of the Tübingen pressclub towards the end of the campaign prompted a wide echo in the media. It was accompanied by a pressrelease of the university (pm-08-119). A summary report dated September 5, 2008 by the project director can be downloaded here as a PDF-file (in German).
TROIA - CAMPAIGN 2007:
A report of several pages on the results of the campaign 2007 was mailed out to the Friends of Troy shortly after its conclusion. Emphasis for most participants in the campaign was on the evaluation of previous finds for the final publications. The strongly reduced excavations concentrated on the detection of the continuation of the rock-cut ditch, which marks the limits of the late bronze age lower settlement in the east. While in 2006 a search trench in the southeast (areal G27) displayed the turn of the ditch into northeast direction the further delineation in northern direction could not be detected in 2007. Continued search will be subject of excavation activities in the coming year.
EARLIER TROIA - CAMPAIGNS:
The results of earlier excavation campaigns have been published as preliminary reports in the respective volumes of the yearly publication "Studia Troica". The abstracts are available in this internetpresentation under Studia Troica, for the years following 2002 the complete reports can be downloaded as PDF-files.
WAS HOMER´S TROIA LOCATED IN CILICIA ?
Shortly before Christmas 2007 the author R.Schrott published a lengthy article in the Frankfurter Allgemeinen Zeitung, titled: "Homers Geheimnis ist gelüftet" (F.A.Z. 22.12.2007, Nr.298 /Seite Z1). Schrott, who spent considerable time on a new transcription of the Iliad, claims that he is about to produce "cumulative circumstantial" evidence that Homer did not reside in Ionia but lived as a scribe for Assyrian rulers in Cilicia (SE-Turkey) and as such wrote down the Iliad projecting old myths from the Near East such as the Gilgamesh Epic and the Old Testament into the Troia-tales. Furthermore the events of the Iliad supposedly did not take place in western Asia Minor but in the setting of the Cilician stronghold Karatepe. As could be expected the article caused considerable reactions in the newspaper columns. We do not feel prompted to participate in the discussion since it is mainly involving philological arguments. A first reply by Homer-specialist J.Latacz appeared on January 3, 2008 in the Süddeutschen Zeitung .
PUBLICATIONS ( Look for details under publications ) :
Published in September
2009: Volker Höhfeld: "Stadt und Landschaft Homers"
Ein historischgeografischer Führer
für Troia und Umgebung. (In German)
The editor Volker Höhfeld presents
the result of his extensive studies in Troia and the Troad, which were
performed in close cooperation with the Troia-project.(ISBN 978-3-8053-4076-2,
Verlag Philipp von Zabern, 2009. 272 pages, 290 figs., Suppl.: Historical-geographic
map of the Troad).
" HOMER Der Mythos von Troia in Dichtung
und Kunst".
This companion book to the very successful
special exhibition in Basel (2008) and in Mannheim (2008/9) was published
by J. Latacz, Th. Greub, P. Blome, and A. Wieczorek.
(Hirmer Verlag München, 2008.
506 pages with 406 coloured and 101 black/white images, 10 grahics and
14 maps ISBN: 978-3-7774-3965-5)
- Studia Troica Vol. 17 (2007)
has been released end of November 2007.
The volume can be obtained through the usual channels of distribution.
"Friends of Troia" may order their volume at a substantial discount if
order is placed at the project´s secretary. The following volume
18 will be published in 2009.
- "TROIA - ARCHÄOLOGIE EINES
SIEDLUNGSHÜGELS UND SEINER LANDSCHAFT"
A long awaited presentation of the Troia-research
addressing the general public had been conceived by Manfred Korfmann. Under
editorial guidance by two team members (Diane Thumm, M.A. and Stephan Blum,
M.A.) it is available since 2006 from the publishing house Philipp
von Zabern (ISBN-10:3-8053-3509-1, 420 pages, 400 figures and tables)
- A completely revised and augmented edition of the project´s guide through Troia was recently published in English, German and Turkish under the title: "Troia / Wilusa - Überblick und offizieller Rundgang" ("Troia / Wilusa - Overview and Official Tour") in Istanbul by EGE YAYINLARI. It is mainly aimed for sale in Turkey. The majority of the sales return will fully flow into the Turkish Troia-Foundation. Interested members of the "Friends of Troia/Troy" may refer to the project´s secretary.
TROIA - FOUNDATIONS :
Details for the two foundations, the German TroiaStiftung in Tübingen (since 2001) with its scholarship fund "Studia Troica" and the Turkish foundation ÇANAKKALE-TÜBINGEN TROIAVAKFI (since 2004) and located in Çanakkale may be found under: Troia Foundation . Especially the Turkish board of trustees recently has taken appreciable initiative with the aim to secure the continuation of evaluation- and conservation work Troia on a broad basis.
End of February 2007 the foundation building in the center of Çanakkale was officially opened which on the second floor houses the Manfred Osman Korfmann Library. With lectures and exhibitions besides the well used offer of the archaeological library the center is developping into a cultural attraction also for visitors from abroad.
Illustrated information brochures are available in English, in German and in Turkish. They were published with additional donations, without using the funds of the foundation. Seriously interested people may ask for it.
Contributions to
the German foundation should be directed to the following bank account
of the foundation : Deutsche Bank Tübingen, BLZ 640 700 85, Account
Nr.1425800. Recipient: "Universitätsvermögen", Purpose: "Troia"
Contributionsto the
Turkish foundation ÇANAKKALE-TÜBINGEN
TROIAVAKFI should
be directed to:
Çanakkale Ziraat Bankasi,Merkez
Subesi. Accountnumbers: for transfers in Euro Nr. 116 28371-5001, for transfers
in Turkish Lira (TL) Nr. 116 28371-5002.
EXCAVATION MUSEUM AT TROIA
The plans for a site museum plus depot in Troia, which had been shelved for several times have made significant progress since spring of this year. A suitable plot of land has been acquired by the Turkish government. Following important preparatory discussions between the Troia project and the Troia foundations with the Turkish authorities the Turkish Minister of Culture and Tourism, Mr. Ertugrul Günay, in spring and at a visit in Troia in July 2008 has publicly signalled his support for the realization of a museum in Troia . First step will be an international architect´s contest. Troia-Projekt and the TroiaFoundations will participate in planning and realization of the project. Quite recently adequate funds for the financing of the architect contest were allocated by the Turkish government demonstrating the intentions of the authorities. Details of the procedure are presently being defined between the involved functions in a specific planning commission.
The status of the Historical
National Park Troia: The Turkish authorities have finally completed
the basic concept. It has been accepted by all parties concerned (including
the Troia excavation team). On June 12, 2004 the responsible Turkish
Minister of Environment and Forrestry, Mr. Osman Pepe at a speech in Çanakkale
has outlined the realization of the plan which should have been completed
by end of 2005.
COOPERATIVE UNDERTAKINGS:
- Since many years a close cooperation exists between the Troia Project and the research activity of Prof. Dr. E. Pernicka in the field of Archaeometry / Archaeometallurgy (formerly MPI f. Nuclear Physics in Heidelberg, later Chair of Archaeometallurgy at the Techn.Universität/Bergakademie in Freiberg/Saxonia, since 2004 Professor for Archaeometry / Archaeometallurgy at the Institut f. Ur- und Frühgeschichte und Archäologie des Mittelalters in Tübingen). Concurrently E. Pernicka is scientific director of the "Curt - Engelhorn - Zentrum Archäometrie" in Mannheim, which provides the base for the research in this science field as a coop-institute of the Tübingen university. The close cooperation is intensified by the appointment of Prof.Pernicka as Director of the Troia-Project in succession of the late Prof. M.Korfmann (see above and the editorial).
- The formal agreement of cooperation between the Universities of Tübingen and Çanakkale signed in February 2003 is beginning to be filled with life:The archaeology department in Canakkale is being organized, with Prof.Korfmann as adviser to the rektorate.This tie-in with the local academic environment is of great importance for the Troia excavation. With the end of summer 2004 several members of the Troia-Team have started in teaching positions of the department in Çanakkale. In June 2006 the authorities have granted excavation license at Sirkeli Hüyük (Kilikia) as a joint venture of the Seminary of Ancient Orientalism at the University of Tübingen (Dr. Mirko Nowak) and the Archaeology Dept. of the University of Çanakkale (Dr.Ekin Kozal). Dr.Kozal is a former student of Prof. Korfmann. An initial exploratory ten day-campaign was successfully performed in October 2006. A more extensive campaign took place in September of 2007 under participation by some Troia-team members. Investigations are being continued in 2009. An internet presentation of the project is available.
- Excavation project
in Kakhetia (Georgia) of the Troia-Project together with the Georgian
Academy of Sciences and the University of Tiflis (Dr. Pizchelauri) with
the goal of further investigating the Bronze Age relations of the Aegean
coastal region to the eastern Black Sea area and the Caucasus. The joint
excavations at Udabno have been concluded in summer 2007. .
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