The methodology of the process entails following steps:

1. definitions:
- define the area and the scope of the plan,
- define the objectives
- identify the stakeholders and decision makers

2. data on the current state:
- condition of the site today
- vision of the stakeholders (awareness, values attributed to the site)
- intentions for and/or affecting the site
- current and potential benefits from the site

3. evaluation of the data
- significance of the site
- risks and threats
- potential and opportunities

4. defining the objective

5. defining the policy

6. action plan
- define tasks/projects and their schedule
- appoint tasks/projects to relevant parties
- create and/or allocate funding
- schedule revision of the plan

During the 2008 and 2009 campaigns, the first steps (1,2) of the process was tackled. Main stakeholders/key players were contacted and brought together to understand their expectations, plans and the values they attribute to the site. Main and urgent problems to be tackled were defined and principles in devising solutions were agreed upon.

In 2009 together with the Museum of Burdur a ‘Community Archaeology’ programme was initiated with the aim of establishing a better public outreach and different means of dissemination of information to the local people. Interviews to understand their viewpoints, the values they want to preserve or benefit from were conducted. In 2010, this project will continue. Guided trips to the site and to its environs for the people of Aƒülasun will be organized. The community archaeology team will help with the running of the new local NGO that is being established currently in Aƒülasun for its promotion for the appropriate type of tourism.

Sagalassos Project also collaborates with the local Vocational high School. A local development project prepared together had been given a Development Marketplace award and a World Bank grant. The SAGALASUN project aims to ensure the involvement of the local people to the preservation of the site in the long run. The project targets the local youth and aims at creating awareness about the local natural and cultural resources at hand and their long-term sustainable use. Within this project, in collaboration with the Municipality of Ağlasun, a visitors centre was opened in the town of Ağlasun.

Exhibitions will be held in this small building throughout the excavation season, convincing tourists to spend time in Ağlasun to provide some income to the town.

All of the above mentioned research and activities will form the basis for a management plan to be prepared for the site of Sagalassos and its wider environment.

For more, see www.sagalassos.be/en/webreports/2010.

Macrobotanical remains, consisting of seeds, fruits and wood charcoal will be collected in the trenches and in the sieves, and will be identified.

Aims

The aim of the research is to reconstruct the former environment and to document the exploitation of that environment by the inhabitants of the site for food and as a source of wood.

Methodology

Careful collection of the botanical macroremains in the trench and through sieving with the sieving and flotation machine is followed by sorting and partial identification of the material. Enigmatic specimens are set aside for export and identification through comparison with the more extensive reference collections in Belgium.

For more, see www.sagalassos.be/en/webreports/2010.

Since 2002 the urban area of Sagalassos is surveyed with various geophysical techniques with excellent results. We would like to continue this research during the 2010 campaign in a selected number of areas.

Aims & Methodology

As a measure of preparation the application of geophysical techniques at the site may involve the clearance of surface vegetation in some areas. In addition, geophysical survey around the sites under excavation may help resolve specific research questions.

1. The research on the urban water network

The geophysical survey techniques applied at Sagalassos since 2002 proved to generate highly useful information for the reconstruction of the urban planning and the urban infrastructure (the water network and network of streets). For the reconstruction of this network, past research has proven it to be highly useful that built water channels, detected at the excavated sites, are investigated and further traced with geophysical techniques. We would therefore like to maintain the same approach during the 2010 campaign. This investigation also may involve the cleaning of sediments of some previously exavated water channels.

2. The eastern residential area and Potters’ Quarter

The eastern residential area and Potters’ Quarter of Sagalassos were investigated in the past with various geophysical techniques (magnetometry, GPR with 200 and 400 MHz antenna, etc.). As some research-specific questions remain, some additional profiles may be useful in these zones.

3. The study of the course of the late Roman (?) fortification wall

During the transition of the 4th to the 5th century AD, the town centre of Sagalassos was refortified. To verify the reconstructed circuit of this wall geophysical survey would be useful among others in the north eastern part of the walled circuit. This area should also be surveyed to trace other subterranean structures preserved in this zone.

4. The area south and east of the Upper Agora

In preparation of the visual enhancement of the area around the Upper Agora, it would be useful to survey the unexcavated zones to the east and south of the Agora. This will allow a better understanding of the structural remains buried here, which will assist in assessing the research potential and planning the excavations of this zone.

5. The area south and east of the Macellum

Within the framework of the architectural reconstruction of this building and to understand its position within the urban plan (a.o. its accessibility), it would be useful to investigate the unexplored areas east and south of this building with geophysical techniques.

6. The area south of the Lower Agora, adjacent to the north-south colonnaded street

Archaeological and architectural survey in the area to the south of the Lower Agora revealed a number of regularly planned structures oriented towards the monumental artery to the east and a parallel secondary street to the west. Especially also because of the suitable terrain conditions here, it would be highly useful to further explore the structural evidence in this area with geophysical techniques.

7. The areas north, south and east of the Roman Baths

Recent excavations within and south of this bathing complex offered valuable evidence concerning earlier building phases of this otherwise 2nd century A.D. building. To obtain more insight into the organization of the still unexcavated parts (especially the east wing, but also the areas to the south and north), it would be useful that these zones would be explored with geophysical techniques.

8. The area around the urban villa under excavation

The excavations since 1995 of the urban villa “Domestic Area” have demonstrated the exceptional dimensions of this mansion. Geophysical survey within and around the excavated area will allow a better understanding of the organization and boundaries of this villa. In addition, GPR survey within the building also will assist the study of the water network of this house.

9. The area west of the western necropolis

The monumental centre of Sagalassos expanded in Imperial times beyond the Hellenistic walled circuit. Hereby the necropoleis likely bounded the inhabited urban area. Geophysical survey on the highly suitable terrain to the west of the western necropolis should shed more light on the functional use of this zone – in comparison to the “urban core area” – and on the density and character of its occupation.

10. The southern half of the western domestic quarter and the area around the test sounding WDA

Since 2008 the surface architecture of the western residential area is mapped in addition to the geophysical survey carry out here. Despite of the rugged terrain conditions, this survey offered promising results, allowing a better understanding of the spatial organization of this housing area. The 2010 field work will therefore follow the same approach, whereby the results of the geophysical survey will greatly assist the interpretation of the results of small test soundings, which we would like to carry out in a selected area in the southern half of this western residential area. Simultaneously, geophysical survey around the area of the WDA test sounding, dug in 2009 in the northern part of this residential zone, will offer a better spatial framework to interpret the wall structures excavated in this trench.

Finally, for geophysical purposes, we would also like to plan drillings on the investigated terraces of the western residential area, and possibly some drillings also at eastern residential area and Potters’ Quarter. This approach should inform us on post-occupational soil formation processes or terracing activities and should instruct us on the formation of cultural horizons and the deposit stratification.

11. Tepe Duzen

At Tepe Duzen, a site partly contemporary with Sagalassos, 1.8km SW of Sagalassos geophysical research will be continued as well. Between 2006 and 2009 a large part of the plateau was surveyed with the magnetic method and/or GPR, with excellent results showing the possible layout of the settlement and with the potential to predict areas suitable for archaeological excavations. In 2010, the geophysical survey will be continued to the north and west of the previously surveyed area. Apart from those areas, geophysical survey may also be required to further investigate previously surveyed areas that will be subject to archaeological test soundings.

Lastly, for geophysical purposes, drillings are planned on different locations on the plateau and terraces in order to study the buried archaeological and geological layers and their possible influence on the results of geophysical survey. The exact location of these drillings will be determined after all the results of the 2009 campaign have been processed.

For more, see www.sagalassos.be/en/webreports/2010.

The geomorphological approach on the site of Sagalassos involves: 1) the study of the geomorphological characteristics of the different terrain units where the town is build and the different buildings are situated, and 2) the study of the impact of geomorphological processes on the site during and after the occupation.

Aims

The aim of the 2010 field campaign at Sagalassos will be to:
1. Add information on the N-S lineaments at the Potters’ Quarter with oblique aerial photographs
2. Take oblique aerial photographs at Tepe Duzen
3. Study profiles excavated by the archaeologists
4. To help the archaeologists with the evaluation of the characteristics of the deposits or possible biases induced by physical processes at the site (reworking by erosion, transportation, sedimentation and bioturbation processes).

Methodology

Geomorphological, ecological and landscape observations will be made during field walking using notebook, camera, drawing instruments, compass, and binocular. Sediment samples will be collected with an Eijkelkamp percussion drill, for compacted sediments, a Dachnowsky sampler for soft sediments and the Edelman corer for sediments with intermediate characteristics; samples will subsequently be collected in plastic bags or in 1 m long PVC-tubes. Surface soil samples and of around 5cc and “moss polsters” will be collected by hand and stored in plastic bags. The positions of all sampling sites will be measured using a GPS with differential correction (Trimble GeoXT). In order to correlate all sampling sites, the relative elevation of all coring sites in the valleys will be established by means of a level instrument. Electrical resistivity imaging techniques will be applied to complement the sediment corings in order to gain more insight into the sediment stratigraphy. This will be done with an ABEM 1000 Terrameter and Lund Imaging System. Openness of the local vegetation will be estimated by creating a 10×10 meter plot and estimating the amount of exposed soil within this plot. The plant species growing within the 10×10 meter plot will be determined and for each species the percentage of cover within this plot will be measured. Aerial photographs will be taken with a kite.

Plans per site

Agricultural activity at the Potters’ Quarter

Previous research showed that the N-S lineaments identified in the Quickbird satellite imagery probably correspond with agricultural activity and are perhaps the delineation of ancient field plots that can be dated posterior to the abandonment of the architectural remains. The former research was mainly based on image interpretation and corings. If time permits, we will try to georeference the aerial photographs taking during previous field campaigns using dGPS measurements as well as to take some additional photographs in order to extend the research on this topic.

Oblique aerial photographs at Tepe Duzen

The intention is to take oblique aerial photographs at Tepe Duzen to complement the remote sensing and archaeological information available for the site.

Study profiles

Profiles excavated by the archaeologists will be studied to document the significance of physical processes and their evaluation in space and time, to document the impact of earthquakes on catastrophic geomorphological events (e.g. landslides), and the use of the different morphosubstrates for the development of the urban infrastructure.

Introduction

A wide range of mineral resources was exploited at Sagalassos, including ores, clays and natural building stones.

Aims

The aim of the archaeometrical studies at Sagalassos is therefore to characterise artefacts produced by the different crafts, the identification of the raw materials used and the reconstruction of the production process as a whole next to the reconstruction of trade in the goods imported as raw material or half-finished product.

Methodology

Different material categories from the excavation contexts of the city are sampled, including metal slag and metal objects (iron and bronze), glass shards and chunks, ceramic fragments, mortars and stone, kiln materials and possible raw materials for craft production (clay and stone). These are then characterised mineralogically, petrographically and geochemically, to be able to identify possible chronological changes and to relate the raw materials to the final object.

For more, see www.sagalassos.be/en/webreports/2010.

Animal remains will be collected in the trenches and in the sieves, and will be identified to species.

Aims

The aim of the research is to document the food procurement strategies of the inhabitants of the site (importance of domestic stock keeping, of hunting and of fishing), and to reconstruct the former environment.

Methodology

Careful collection of the faunal remains in the trench and through sieving with the sieving and flotation machine is followed by identification of the bones. Enigmatic specimens are set aside for export and identification through comparison with the more extensive reference collections in Belgium.

For more, see www.sagalassos.be/en/webreports/2010.

In 2008 a new programme of intensive archaeological surveys in the outer reaches of the ancient territory of Sagalassos was initiated, with the aim of understanding how peripheral areas evolved through time, before, during and after they were annexed by regional centres. During the fieldwork seasons of 2008 and 2009 the Bereket Valley and the region near the villages of Kayƒ±s, Akyayla, Baƒüsaray, ?áeltik?ßi and Daƒüarcƒ±k have been investigated.

Aims

In 2010 the survey will study selected areas within the Burdur Valley near the villages of Yazik??y, Karik??y, D?ºger, Hacilar, Yassig?ºme and Akyaka, in order to sketch the evolution of settlement and land use in these areas, from prehistory until recent times. In this area, previous extensive surveys have attested the presence of several sites, ranging from prehistoric h??y?ºks to Ottoman houses. Although remains as early as the Aceramic Neolithic and as late as the Ottoman period have been found in this area, the majority of identified sites stems from the Imperial period. Types of sites discovered include settlements, necropoleis, forts, remains of ancient roads, boundary stones and milestones, etc. The aim of the present survey will be to get a better understanding of the spatial context of these sites and their relationship with the landscape.

For more, see www.sagalassos.be/en/webreports/2010.

The territorial survey campaigns, as well as the intensive suburban and urban survey work, and the excavation programmes at Sagalassos and D?ºzen Tepe, have resulted in the outline of ceramic production and use within the territory of ancient Sagalassos between the Iron Age and mid-Byzantine times. During the 2010 campaign, the general aim will be to increase our understanding of the many patterns of evolution represented by the wide variety of wares, mainly by implementing macroscopic fabric characterization, quantification of diagnostic sherds, chronological seriation and pattern distribution analysis.

Glass studies

The aim is to shed new light on the different typological versus chronological contexts in order to compile a typology and an internal chronological seriation of the glass, independent of other, already available chronological criteria, such as ceramic table wares and coins. Additionally, a special effort will be made to register the studied glass finds digitally.

During the 2010 campaign, the general aim will be to increase our understanding of the many patterns of evolution represented by the wide variety of glass, mainly by implementing the methodologies developed for the Imperial to Early Byzantine phases of glass production and use, to periods before and after these centuries. These methodologies imply the establishment of chronological sequences based on seriating assemblages, developing models of production organization based on main elemental and isotopic analysis of raw glass and approaching patterns of exchange based on the identification and potential identification of imported products.

Coin studies

As in previous years, coins from the ongoing surveys and excavations are subjected to a preliminary identification, after treatment by the conservation team. At the end of the season, moulds are made of each coin in order to reproduce plaster replicas in Belgium, which together with the digital photographs allow a more precise dating by our project numismatists.

Epigraphical studies

The study of the inscriptions of Sagalassos and its surroundings, old as well as newly discovered during the excavations, will continue. During this campaign paper squeezes of new inscriptions will be made.

Sculpture studies

As part of her doctoral dissertation, Semra M?§gele has made an inventory and study of all sculptural finds. Although this inventory is complete until the 2006 campaign, sculptural material discovered in 2006, as well as major discoveries that may turn up during the 2010 excavations, may still need to be studied and included in her dataset.

Stone studies: Wall and floor veneer

Aims

The primary aim of research on the marble wall and floor veneer of Sagalassos, remains to determine the provenance of the stone types. For the public buildings we concentrate our efforts on the Roman Baths and the Neon-Library. For the domestic context we will focus on the late antique urban villa.
During the coming campaign the study of wall and floor veneer will be finalized. Once again, the wall veneer, as well as the mosaic floors of all the above mentioned contexts will be studied. For wall veneer, flat wall revetment, sham architecture as well as opus sectile will be the object of research.

Methodology

For the Roman Baths we will mainly focus on the wall veneer from Caldarium I, Caldarium III (the former Kaisersaal) and Tepidarium I. As always the material will be identified macroscopically, sorted by stone type and weighed subsequently. As this is the last research campaign, samples for further archaeometric research will only be taken sporadically, e.g. in the case of a newly discovered unidentified stone type. Dimensions of slabs, such as thickness, width and length, will be taken into account in order to get a better idea of the total surface covered by the marble slabs as well as the degree of standardization.

During this campaign we also intend to study wall revetment in situ at the Roman Baths, in specific the wall veneer in the northern semicircular niche in Frigidarium 2 (Fig. 1) and the veneer in the bath tubs and on the walls of the apodyterium and Frigidarium 2 Also the parapets framing the natatio of Frigidarium 2 (Fig. 2) and the benches in the apodyterium bear particular interest.

For mosaic floors we will concentrate on the analysis of loose tesserae as well as floors in situ, this year more particular in the Neon-Library (Fig. 3) and the late antique urban villa.

For the hinterland of Sagalassos, the material obtained during the surveys conducted in the territory, will be studied as well.

For more, see www.sagalassos.be/en/webreports/2010.

Anthropobiology is based on the determination of the biological features of past and present human individuals/populations in order to reconstruct their origin, history and evolution.

Aims

The aims of the anthropo-biological work that will take place during the 2010 campaign in Sagalassos will be to analyze the biological features of the human remains, especially those excavated during 2009 and 2010 campaign, in order to bring new data related to three level of populations analysis:
1. the world of the death (funeral practices, burial site organization based on either biological – sex, age, kinship – or cultural elements)
2. the world of the living (paleopathology, paleo-epidemiology, paleo-demography, in other words, the diet, the health and social status of the deceased)
3. population history (eg. population continuity or replacement, and origin of the individual/populations).
The interpretation of the biological data will take place within a large interpretative framework including the data provide by the other field of research in Sagalassos.

Methodology

The methodology used will be based on the macroscopic analyses of the human remains. For each individual will be determined: age, sex, morphometric (84 metric data from skull and long bones) and non-metric features (71 discrete traits observed on the cranial and post-cranial skeleton), pathology (100 loci for the degenerative articular pathology, the dental wear and the dental pathology – caries, abscess, calculus, and periodontal disease – and stress indicators such as dental hypoplasia).

These analysis will be undertaken in very close collaboration with researches involving human handling and sampling, especially the ancient DNA research.

For more, see www.sagalassos.be/en/webreports/2010.

Ancient DNA research provides the possibility to study the environment and history of past human populations by the analysis of DNA from biological archaeological finds such as animal, human and botanical remains.

Aims

It is our aim to provide complementary data to the research performed by other disciplines in Sagalassos such as the pottery studies, residue analysis, botanical studies, archaeozoology and anthropology. By integrating ancient DNA data, we could provide insight and answers to the following questions:
- the origin and spread of domesticated and wild botanical and animal species
- family relationships among ancient human burials
- the demography of past human populations at Sagalassos
- human migration patterns and trade that have been taken place in history in this area
- the identification and origin of food (animal and botanical origin) that has been preserved in cooking wear

Finally, we want to explore the possibility of analyzing ancient biological material (animal and botanical origin) preserved in sediments in order to identify the species and to give a genetic “profile” of the paleoenvironment. These data should contribute to the historical reconstruction of the environment at Sagalassos. The study period covers the 3rd century BC until the 13th century AD.

Methodology

The main task at the site will be collecting material of biological remains (animal, botanical and human), pot shells and sediments together with recording the circumstances (location and environmental conditions) of the finds. Samples should be taken with the necessary precautions for avoiding contamination of contemporary (especially human) origin. Ancient DNA analysis will be carried out in a dedicated laboratory in Belgium. The analysis could be destructive for the samples which could mean that the collected material is completely used in the ancient DNA study.

For more, see www.sagalassos.be/en/webreports/2010.