The collapse of empire at Gordion in the transition from the Achaemenid to the Hellenistic world

Abstract

Gordion, ancient capital of Phrygia, was a large and thriving city of secondary importance during the period of the Achaemenid Persian Empire (ca 550–333 BC). Recent work makes possible a reconsideration of the site: evaluating its architecture, finds and use of landscape within and after the socio-economic and administrative context of the Achaemenid imperial system enables the following new overview. During the Achaemenid period, Gordion’s populace participated in the broad cultural exchanges enabled by the imperial system and may have emphasised animal husbandry. When Alexander’s conquest led to the collapse of the Achaemenid administrative infrastructure, the impact on Gordion’s economy and cultural circumstance was profound. Its population plummeted, the architectural and spatial organisation of the site changed dramatically and new directions and means of trade and cultural interaction developed. Gordion’s archaeological remains reflect and emphasise the tremendous historical and political changes attending the end of the Empire and the beginning of the Hellenistic period.

The Story of Rural: Ovaören in the Late Iron Age

“…Bu alanda bulunan ocağın, taş seki önünde yer alması nedeni ile bunların, üzerine kap kacak konulan bir fonksiyona sahip olduğu öngörülmektedir. Benzerleri aynı döneme ait Gordion (Voigt, 2016;Voigt ve Young, 1999;Sams ve Voigt, 1997;Dusinberre, 2019), Boğazköy (Genz, 2007), Kırşehir/Yassıhöyük (Omura, 2012), Büklükale (Matsumura, 2020) ve Alacahöyük (Koşay ve Akok, 1966) gibi yerleşmelerde de bulunan M 3 mekânında, duvar cephelerinin bir metreye ulaştığı ve duvar iç yüzlerinin dış kısımlara göre daha nizami yapıldığı görülmüştür. Ayrıca M 3 mekânının kuzeyi ile güneyi arasındaki 50 cm.…”