Published 2025-01-24
Keywords
- Turkish Thrace,
- Maritsa Valley,
- Tundzha Valley,
- Anatolia,
- Northwestern Balkans
How to Cite
Abstract
In the Early Iron Age, Turkish Thrace had a cultural identity largely identical to the rest of Thrace. Nevertheless, this area, separated by the Matitsa and Tundza rivers and the Strandzha (Istranca/Yıldız) Mountains, also produced some unique cultural values.
The Early Iron Age (EIA) cultural structure of Eastern Thrace is best traced in the first part of the valleys created by the Tundza and Maritsa rivers within the borders of Turkey. The numerous settlements in the valleys and on top of the nearby hills outline the cultural dynamics of the region during the Early Iron Age. The surface materials recovered from these sites indicate close connections with Bulgarian Thrace, the Carpathians, the north-western Balkans, and Anatolia.
The study presents the results of a pottery analysis and a settlement typology, opening a new perspective for research on the EIA of Turkish Thrace. The attached database may be the core of a dataset covering the entire Eastern Thrace.