Geomorphological Survey: July 12-19, 2006

During this campaign, not one, but two geomorphological teams were active in Sagalassos. The new team was directed by Gert Verstraeten (K. U. Leuven), assisted by two MSc students in geography, Natasja Vissenaekens and Ellen Vanfraechem, both also of K. U. Leuven.

During the first week of this new geomorphological survey, several transects were made in the valley of the Bügdüz Cayi, located to the west of the village of Kayaalti in the western part of the Sagalassos territory. This was done in order to study alluvial sediments. One of the aims of the geomorphological survey is to perform a detailed analysis of the characteristics and evolution of the alluvial sediments in this territory. As the team intends to map and quantify sediment storage in the alluvial plain of the Bügdüz River, hand augerings (edelman corer) and electrical resistivity measurements have been used at five locations in the valley. Non-intensive archaeological surveys in the 1990s did show that this valley already formed one of the most important, if not the most important, connection between Sagalassos and its predecessor at Düzen Tepe and the valley of Burdur. During this week, along this traject, six edelman corings were made and three sediment outcrops alongside the river were studied.