Presents the urbanistic, institutional and architectural legacy of an under-valued period of history from a new perspective, comparing it with the classical aesthetic that immediately preceded it.

Life and Death in Asia Minor combines contributions in both archaeology and bioarchaeology in Asia Minor in the period ca. 200 BC – AD 1300 for the first time. The archaeology topics are wide-ranging including death and territory, death and landscape perception, death and urban transformations from pagan to Christian topography, changing tomb typologies, funerary costs, family organization, funerary rights, rituals and practices among pagans, Jews, and Christians, inhumation and Early Byzantine cremations and use and reuse of tombs. The bioarchaeology chapters use DNA, isotope and osteological analyses to discuss, both among children and adults, questions such as demography and death rates, pathology and nutrition, body actions, genetics, osteobiography, and mobility patterns and diet. The areas covered in Asia Minor include the sites of Hierapolis, Laodikeia, Aphrodisias, Tlos, Ephesos, Priene, Kyme, Pergamon, Amorion, Gordion, Boğazkale, and Arslantepe. The theoretical and methodological approaches used make it highly relevant for people working in other geographical areas and time periods. Many of the articles could be used as case studies in teaching at schools and universities. An important objective of the publication has been to see how the different types of results emerging from archaeological and natural science studies respectively could be integrated with each other and pose new questions on ancient societies, which were far more complex than historical and social studies of the past often manage to transmit.

"In Urban Rituals in Sacred Landscapes in Hellenistic Asia Minor, Christina G. Williamson examines the phenomenon of monumental sanctuaries in the countryside of Asia Minor that accompanied the second rise of the Greek city-state in the Hellenistic period. Moving beyond monolithic categories, Williamson provides a transdisciplinary frame of analysis that takes into account the complex local histories, landscapes, material culture, and social and political dynamics of such shrines in their transition towards becoming prestigious civic sanctuaries. This frame of analysis is applied to four case studies: the sanctuaries of Zeus Labraundos, Sinuri, Hekate at Lagina, and Zeus Panamaros. All in Karia, these well-documented shrines offer valuable insights for understanding religious strategies adopted by emerging cities as they sought to establish their position in the expanding world"--

This monumental book provides the first comprehensive history of Asia Minor from prehistory to the Roman imperial period. In this English-language edition of the critically acclaimed German book, Christian Marek masterfully employs ancient sources to illuminate civic institutions, urban and rural society, agriculture, trade and money, the influential Greek writers of the Second Sophistic, the notoriously bloody exhibitions of the gladiatorial arena, and more.

Tumuli were the most widespread form of monumental tombs in the ancient world. Their impact on landscape, their allurement as well as their symbolic reference to a glorious past can still be felt today. The need of supra-regional and cross-disciplinary examination of this unique phenomenon led to an international conference in Istanbul in 2009. With almost 50 scholars from 12 different countries participating, the conference entitled TumulIstanbul created links between fields of research which would not have had the opportunity to meet otherwise. The proceedings of TumulIstanbul revolve around the question of the symbolic significance of burial mounds in the 1st millennium BC in the Eastern Mediterranean and Black-Sea regions, providing further insight into Kurgan neighbours from Eurasia.

The Kingdom of Pergamum emerged from the great period of instability which followed the death of Alexander the Great. Over the next century Pergamum was to become one of the wealthiest states in the eastern Mediterranean. The state of Pergamum was incorporated into the Roman Empire between 133/129 BCE and it eventually became Rome's wealthiest province. The whole of Asia Minor suffered in the civil wars which ended the Roman Republic, and Pergamum did not escape the exactions demanded of the Greek cities by Pompey, Caesar and Antony. In the subsequent peace, ushered in by Augustus, Pergamum regained its prosperity and became one of the cultural centres of the Roman Empire. Its ruling dynasty - the Attalids - were patrons of the arts and while in power were responsible for the remarkable embellishment of their capital at Pergamum. Other more ancient cities such as Ephesus and Miletus also benefited from their government. This volume surveys Pergamum's history from the late Third Century BCE to the Second Century CE.

"This book is intended for scholar and layman alike. To complement its wide-ranging architectural themes, Priene includes an introductory historical note, a chapter on sculpture and pottery, illustrative appendices, an extensive bibliography and fine quality drawings that use the most up-to-date electronic software to process data from the original research material. The results are unique: colour is used to suggest a more naturalistic view of architectural elements; differing interpretations of monuments are juxtaposed; and separate tables relating to the orders of the major buildings are clearly presented."--BOOK JACKET.

Pathbreaking essays challenging the traditional focus on the eastern Mediterranean in the Hellenistic period and on Rome in the West.