The Department of Archaeology hosted a two-day conference titled “Human Mobility, Migration and Colonization in Ancient Western Asia” on February 22 and 23. The event was organized by Dr. Michele Massa, with the help of a dedicated team of graduate students that included Doğa Oral, Erdem Güvenç, Şeyda Üzmez and Tom Neale.
The conference aimed to discuss conceptual issues and methodological approaches to the study of human movement in Anatolia and surrounding regions between the inception of Neolithic lifestyle (around 9000 BCE) and the formation of large imperial entities (ca 500 BCE). It hosted scholars from all major universities in Türkiye, including Prof. Mehmet Özdoğan, one of the most prominent Anatolian archaeologists of this generation.
The event, with presentations mostly in Turkish, also provided a unique opportunity for graduate students of Bilkent and other Ankara universities to network with leading experts in the field. It was well attended by over 130 scholars, students and members of the public.
