The Hinterland of Sinop, Turkey: A Case Study of the Origins and Development of Black Sea Trade

FAIN: RZ-51060-09

California State University, Northridge (Northridge, CA 91330-0001)
Owen Patrick Doonan (Project Director: November 2008 to August 2014)

An archaeological survey, excavation, and analysis of the ancient Black Sea port of Sinop, Turkey.

The project is an integrated program of research into the formation of the ancient Black Sea economy based on a case study in the hinterland of one of the most important ports in the Black Sea region. The primary goal of the proposed research is to determine whether the establishment of a network of Greek colonies in the Black Sea caused a fundamental change in regional social and political structure or whether Greek colonists took advantage of the knowledge and relationships already present among Black Sea ("Pontic") communities by the first millennium BC. The main components of the project include (1) archaeological survey and excavation, (2) integrated geomorphological-paleoecological investigations, (3) historical and ethnohistorical research, and (4) detailed stylistic, physical and chronometric study of archaeological finds. These components are complementary, and will provide a fundamental base for our interpretations regarding settlement and land-use patterns.