The Early Bronze Age Pottery in Northwest Turkey in the Light of Results of a Survey around the Marmara Sea

It is possible to make a distribution map of Early bronze Age sites in Marmara region according to the pottery of Troia I. Following the archaeological research carried out in the Troad at the end of the 19th century, and that conducted throughout the Marmara region in middle of the present century, a survey project was organized by Istanbul University in the 1980's with the purpose of documenting archaeological and historical sites around the Marmara sea. This paper will focus on the Early bronze Age sites which have been identified as a result of the collective research on the region until today.

The archaeological research has so far determined the existence of a total of 121 early Bronze Age sites in the Marmara region. The Troia I pottery facilitates the locating of these sites. Despite the fact that different types of pottery are found in the plains in the Southeast part of the region, i.e. Especially the area of southern Marmara and the coastal regions of Turkish Thrace on the Marmara Sea and the North Aegean, culture of Troia I is most widespread.

Although Troia I pottery has been named according to its first find-spot, Hisarl�k Tepe, Troia, evidence for the beginning of this culture has been excavated at Kumtepe, 5km. North of Troia. The beginning of this level, known as Kumtepe B in the archaeological terminology, has been dated to 3400 BC. This is considered to be the beginning of the early bronze Age in Anatolia and the Aegean.

In studying the Early Bronze Age, the Marmara region can be divided into five geographical areas:

1. The European coastal region of the Marmara Sea,
2. The Troad and the Gelibolu Peninsula,
3. The flat lowland region south of Marmara Sea,
4. Around the Iznik Lake east of the Marmara Sea,
5. The Balikesir Plain and surrounding area.

The most widely distributed form of Troia I pottery is the bowl with inverter rim. This type of pottery has a very wide distribution area from Anatolia to the Balkans and the Aegean. Troia I pottery is generally dark polished and hand-made. Different types of incised decoration, pierced lugs and white paint are also common characteristics.

Moreover, as very few of the total 121 sites have been excavated, one hopes that the archaeological information yet to be unearthed will throw much more valuable light on the cultural characteristics and differences of the settlements of the Marmara region.