NOT FOR PUBLICATION
KERKENES DAG: A REPORT ON THE 1994
SURVEY SEASON
Francoise and Geoffrey SUMMERS
The second season of archaeological survey at Kerkenes Daš took place
over eight weeks in the summer of 1994. Two more seasons are planned
in this, the first, phase of the project. The overall aims of the
project are twofold: firstly to make plans of the entire fron Age
city in order to be able to study the urban geography and, secondly,
to place the city in a wider geographical, historical and archaeological
context.
The specific aims of the 1994
season were:
(1) to complete the photographic coverage of the site using a camera
suspended from a helium filled blimp,
(2) to enlarge the area of the city covered by the cadastral map begun
in 1993,
(3) further geophysical survey (postponed
for logistical reasons until 1995),
(4) photographic coverage of other sites within the survey area using
the blimp,
(5) taking blimp photographs of selected sites within a wider region
in conjunction with other archaeological projects,
(6) further intensive archaeological survey of the tenitory immediately
surrounding Kerkenes Daš itself.
The season was most successful
and some of the results surpassed our expectations both in terms of
the information recovered and the visual impact of the photographs
that were taken. The first part of the report that follows is divided
into sections devoted to the setting, the historical background, the
survey methods, the defensive system and the urban space. The other
parts deal with the extramural temple, a small Byzantine village on
the highest part of the city, the archaeological survey and blimp
photography of sites in the immediate area and, lastly, the photographic
coverage of selected sites in the region. Finally, a number of specific
issues are addressed, the current state of knowledge discussed and
a program of research over the next two seasons is outlined. A gazetteer
of sites that have been recorded to date is appended.
