3. Cilt - Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığı

epresented (Fig. 2). In addition, longer tracks were walked along prominent ridgeswith no clearly defi ned boundaries; new units were begun at major natural breaks(e.g., ravines) or at points of distinct cultural material. “Points of interest” (POIs)were marked with separate GPS points. Each POI was identifi ed by a high-densityof cultural materials, architectural remains, and/or other diagnostic features as anarea in the landscape the remains at which unquestionably indicated past culturalactivity and which may be best suited for intensive survey in future years.In addition to these systematic methods, we consulted local informants inthe area, particularly the farmers whose fi elds we walked. These conversationsprovided contemporary information relating to land use, settlement migration,tumulus condition, looting activities, and short- and long-term landscape changes,including variability in lake level.TumuliWhile many tumuli were visited in the 2006 season, only two were previouslyundocumented: the Kurt Tepe (T06.02) and Kılcanlar Aa (T06.07) tumuli (Map: 2).Full documentation in 2006 revealed that each had been subjected to previouslooting and destruction. While access to their chamber-tomb complexes wasobstructed by infi lled tumulus sediments, evidence on the surface showed thatthese complexes had been opened, looted, and at least partially destroyed inrelatively recent times.Architectural RecordingTwo days were spent drawing the chamber-tomb complex of the BT05.58tumulus, a complex documented for the fi rst time in 2005 (Roosevelt 2007). Thetomb chamber and its associated stone furniture fragments were drawn alongwith the antechamber, porch, and dromos (Fig. 3). While we intended to recordthe architecture of the chamber-tomb complexes of additional tumuli initiallydocumented in 2005, access to them had since been blocked by erosion of tumulusfi ll. Ongoing intensive looting and mistreatment of tumuli and their chamber tombcomplexes in central Lydia places them in grave danger of complete destruction(Roosevelt and Luke 2007). With ministry permission, work in the future will includeclearing of the modern accumulation of soils from the openings of previouslyaccessible chamber-tomb complexes for the purpose of proper architecturalrecording before all trace of them is lost.307