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Pollen sequences from the city of Sagalassos (Pisidia, southwest Turkey)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 December 2013

Marleen Vermoere
Affiliation:
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
Simon Six
Affiliation:
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
Jeroen Poblome
Affiliation:
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
Patrick Degryse
Affiliation:
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
Etienne Paulissen
Affiliation:
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
Marc Waelkens
Affiliation:
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
Erik Smets
Affiliation:
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven

Abstract

Two pollen sequences from the Classical city of Sagalassos (Pisidia, southwest Turkey) show that the hills just north of the city were forested during the main occupation period of the city (late Hellenistic to early Byzantine). They demonstrate that there was a mixed needle-leaved forest of Pinus, Cedrus libani and Abies cilicica. The platform on which the city sat was already deforested, as is indicated by the presence of pollen from various light demanding herbs. Furthermore, there is evidence that grapevines (Vitis) were cultivated, indicating that much of the land below the city was already exploited for agricultural purposes. Walnut trees were also cultivated near the city. It is probable that suburban farmsteads were present close to the city. The pollen sequences show that man-made deposits from high altitudes may contain important information on the former natural and cultural vegetation of mountain sites in Anatolia. Archaeologists and palynologists should draw more attention to these pollen rich man-made contexts.

Özet

Klasik dönem şehri Sagalassos'tan alınan iki polen serisi esas şehir yerleşimin gerçekleştiǧi dönemde (Geç Helenistik, Erken Bizans) şehrin hemen kuzeyinde yer alan tepelerin ormanla kaplı olduǧunu göstermektedir. Bu polenler ormanı meydana getiren aǧaçların iǧne yapraklı Pinus, Cedrus Libani ve Abies cilicica'dan oluştuǧunu göstermiştir. Işık isteyen çeşitli otlardan alınan polenlerin de gösterdiǧi gibi şehrin üzerine kurulduǧu platform da daha önceden ormanla kaplıydı. Buna ilaveten baǧcılık yapıldıǧına dair kanıtlar mevcuttur ve şehrin alt kısmında yer alan arazinin büyük bir kısmının zirai amaçlarla kullanıldıǧını göstermektedir. Şehir kenarında ceviz aǧaçlarının da yetiştirildiǧi anlaşılmaktadır. Şehre yakın çiftliklerin var olması mümkündür. Polen serileri göstermektedir ki, yüksek yerlerde bulunan insan yapısı kalıntılar Anadolu'daki daǧlık sit alanlarının önceki dönemlere ait tabii ve kültürel bitki örtüsü hakkında önemli bilgiler içermektedir. Arkeologlar ve palinologlar polen açısından zengin bu insan yapımı çevreye daha fazla ilgi göstermelidirler.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © The British Institute at Ankara 2003

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