3. Cilt - Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığı

These are among the research questions that lie behind the archaeologicalsurvey of the region around Aphrodisias begun in 2005. The fi rst two seasons of afour-year program of interdisciplinary research were carried out in 2005 and 2006,bringing together archaeologists, natural scientists, geographers, and sociologistsin order investigate the relationship between human habitation and the naturalenvironment at and around Aphrodisias from the prehistoric period to the presentday, with a special focus on the heyday of the city in the Hellenistic and Romanperiods (2nd century B.C.E. to 7th century C.E.).A. IntroductionThe excavations at Aphrodisias were begun by Kenan Erim of New YorkUniversity in 1961 and supervised by Erim until his death in 1990. They revealedan unusually complete ancient town center, remarkable for its well-preserved civicand religious buildings, and for its rich sculptural fi nds. A new program of fi eldworkbegun under the joint supervision of Christopher Ratté and R. R. R. Smith in 1993emphasized study of the city plan and urban development of Aphrodisias, withthe goal of clarifying the relationship between the public monuments of the centerof the city and the surrounding residential areas. Although this program is stillcontinuing, it has now accomplished many of its primary goals -- thanks in largepart to a geophysical survey of the unexcavated areas of the site. The logical nextstep was to undertake a regional survey of the surrounding territory.The survey focuses on the very well defi ned watershed of the upper MorsynusRiver, a tributary of the Maeander (Fig. 1). This valley encompasses an area ofapproximately 475 sq kilometers, ranging in elevation from 350 m at the westend of the valley to 2300 m at the summit of Mount Kadmos, the source of theMorsynus, to the east. The city-site of Aphrodisias lies at the center of the valleyat an elevation of approximately 500 m. Its principal natural resources are theabundant springs of the surrounding mountains and the fertile soils of the valleyfl oor; other notable assets include potter’s earth and marble, both still activelyquarried today. In addition to the valley proper, the survey area includes theadjoining plateau to the south (approximately 125 sq km), which epigraphic andarchaeological evidence had indicated belonged to the territory of Aphrodisias inthe Hellenistic and Roman periods.The fi rst season of investigation in 2005 consisted of preliminary reconnaissanceof the upper Morsynus River valley by a team of 6 persons for a 3-week period.127 archaeological points of interest were located and recorded (largely on the104