Revealing Urla's underwater treasures

Turkish Daily News ^ | Friday, February 16, 2007 | unattributed

[SunkenCiv]

Liman Tepe is a major prehistoric settlement that was inhabited from the Neolithic Age until the end of the late Bronze Age, continuing into the Classical Age. Professor Güven Bak›r and Erkanal carried out the first archaeological digs at the site in 1979, and a team led by Erkanal under the auspices of Ankara University's Archaeology department is conducting the current excavations. Erkanal further noted that their underwater work indicates that Liman Tepe has the world's oldest breakwater, which was built to block the strong north winds and as a natural part of the city wall. He said their work also included geological research aimed to reveal the physical changes of the sea level and ground as well as the region hosting the Liman Tepe settlement throughout history... According to Erkanal, the most significant finding from last year's excavations was part of an anchor, which is made of wood and metal, and indicates evidence of marine activities. He added that they had previously unearthed a sunken ship found during excavations and is now ready to go on display at the Underwater Archaeology Museum to be opened in Urla... Urla, a district of Izmir, is located... 38 kilometers west of Izmir. The district used to be an important cultural center in ancient times and was originally the site of the Ionian city of Klazomenai, with probably the most ancient and regularly used port in the world. The excavated artifacts and sculptures are currently exhibited in the Louvre, Athens National Museum and Izmir Archaeology Museum.

[SunkenCiv]

Liman Tepe images (a surprising number):

Google

[SunkenCiv]

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[Dustbunny]

Thanks for that link

[Eclectica]

For a high school project, I had built a scale model of pre-invasion Carthage. It brought History right up close and personal.

An aerial-overview for Liman Tepe is helpful (from the Google site):

http://www.assemblage.group.shef.ac.uk/3/3peter4a.gif

[albee]

Thanks for the post and pictures.

Very interesting!

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks!