Early Bronze Age Troy: Chronology, Cultural Development and Interregional Contacts

Troy has been of outstanding importance for Early Bronze Age archaeology ever since the discovery and excavation of the site by Heinrich Schliemann. Partly due to the paucity of archaeological research on EBA Anatolia, Troy has long been considered as the only key site for Western Anatolia and the Northern Aegean. However, as a result of recent excavations at other contemporary sites, it has become clear that Troy was not the only significant EBA settlement in this region and that its position as a key site is due for a reexamination. To explore the similarities and diversities of EBA cultures across the Northern-Aegean and Western Anatolia, an international conference entitled »Early Bronze Age Troy: Chronology, Cultural Development and Interregional Contacts« was held in early May 2009 at the University of Tübingen. Besides the general aspects of chronology and stratigraphy, it addressed themes such as the emergence of stratified societies, concepts of EBA economy and trade, production and distribution of raw materials and craft specialization with special reference to Troy itself.