The Department of Archaeology, in collaboration with the British Institute at Ankara, recently hosted a hybrid conference titled “Integrated Approaches to the Political Geography of Southern Anatolia, 1650‒550 BCE.” The event was organized by Dr. N. İlgi Gerçek and Dr. Michele Massa along with the help of a dedicated team of graduate and undergraduate students. The conference aimed to create an interdisciplinary platform for scholars to engage with the political geography of southern Anatolia during the Late Bronze and Iron Ages. This region encompasses a significant range of diverse environmental and cultural landscapes and was a fragmented political patchwork that reacted differently to Hittite and Assyrian attempts at imperial control.
The conference began on May 4th with a panel discussion on the post-earthquake humanitarian and cultural heritage crisis in the region. The panelists highlighted the challenges that the local communities faced as well as the need for ongoing conservation efforts. The event spanned three days of presentations and discussions, concluding with an unforgettable field trip to the archaeological site of Hattusa in Çorum, the ancient capital of the Hittite Empire.
The event was well attended by scholars, students and members of the public. Its hybrid format allowed for seamless interaction between in-person and online presenters and attendees.
