ARCHAEOLOGY AND HISTORY OF LYDIA FROM THE EARLY LYDIAN PERIOD TO THE LATE ANTIQUITY (8TH CENTURY B.C.-6TH CENTURY A.D.): AN INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM
May 17-18, 2017 / Izmir, Turkey

The Izmir Center of the Archaeology of Western Anatolia (EKVAM) is glad to inform you that an
international symposium on the region Lydia in western Turkey will take place on May 17-18, 2017 at the
Dokuz Eylül University (DEU) in Izmir, Turkey. Lydia was an ancient region, located in inner western
Anatolia, streching from today’s Turkish province of Manisa in the west to Uşak in the east. Since the book
of C.H. Roosevelt, entitled “The Archaeology of Lydia, from Gyges to Alexander”, archaeologically and
historically Lydia became a special focus in the fields of ancient Anatolian studies. We warmly invite
contributions by scholars and graduate students from a variety of disciplines related to this region. The aim of
this symposium is to report on the state of research concerning Lydia between c. 8th century B.C. and 6th
century A.D. Intended to bring together scholars of archaeology, history, historical geography, epigraphy and
other related disciplines in ancient Anatolian studies to discuss a range of issues concerning this region’s
archaeology and history, this symposium should be an excellent opportunity to increase our knowledge about
this region. The following theme groups are the main questions of the symposium which are prescriptive:
– Archaeological field projects and museum studies in Lydia,
– Lydia during the Iron Age,
– Lydia in ancient mythology,
– Lydia during the Archaic, Classical, Hellenistic, Roman and Early Byzantine periods,
– Lydia and Lydians in ancient authors, eg. Homer, Herodotus, Strabo, Hippolytus of Rome and Hierocles,
– Ethno-cultural landscape of ancient Lydia and ethnoarchaeology,
– Lydian language, script and epigraphy,
– First coinage in Lydia: Reasons, circulations, dynamics and mechanisms,
– The Royal Road,
– Relationships between Lydia and Ionia, the Achaemenid Empire as well as other neighbouring regions,
– Historical geography and settlement patterns in Hellenistic, Roman and Late Roman-Early Byzantine Lydia,
– Roads, routes and population in Lydia,
– Lydia as a part of the Roman province Asia and the “seven churches of Apocalypse”,
– Forms of Christian presence in Roman and Early Byzantine Lydia,
– Jews and Jewish heritage in Roman and Early Byzantine Lydia,
– The province Lydia under the tetrarchy reform of Emperor Diocletian in A.D. 296,
– Episcopal sees of the late Roman province of Lydia,
– Population and settlement boom in the “Justinianic” era,
– Miscellanea.
On these themes and questions, all approaches and methods susceptible to bring some progress to our
current knowledge are of course welcome: archaeology, ancient history, historical geography, epigraphy,
numismatic, history of art, cultural anthropology etc. English is the official language of the symposium. The
symposium will take place at the Blue Hall of DESEM in the Chancellery Building of DEU. A local
archaeological journal is planned as a special issue containing the symposium’s abstracts which will also be
made available on the website. The proceedings of the symposium will be published in 2017. The symposium
is free of charge. We will make the required hotel reservations as soon as we know the exact number of
participants. The approximate cost for the accommodation per night + breakfast will be 20 €. A postsymposium
excursion is planned on May 19-21 to Chios, Greece through Izmir-Çeşme. For the participants
who cannot travel to Izmir, we will arrange a video-conference facility through Skype. There are several lowcost
flight companies (Pegasus, Sunexpress, Onur Air, Easyjet, Eurowings etc.) which operate direct flights to
Izmir from several locations. The symposium’s program will be regulating for those who are also planning to
participate to the symposium in Thessaloniki, Greece, entitled “Classical Pottery of the Northern Aegean and
its Periphery “ which will take place on the same date with the Lydia Symposium, i.e. May 17-20, 2017.
We would be delighted, if you could consider contributing to our symposium and contact us with the
required information below before January 1, 2017. Our e-mail address is: terracottas@deu.edu.tr For all
your queries concerning the symposium our phone number is: +90.544.938 54 64. The organizers seek to
widen participation at this symposium, and would like to encourage colleagues from all parts of the world to
attend. The symposium committee kindly requests that you alert any persons within your research community
who would be interested in participating at this symposium, either by forwarding our e-mail, or by printing
this circular and displaying it in your institution. We hope that you will be able to join us at the Dokuz Eylül
University, and look forward to seeing you in Izmir!
Required Information for the Participation to the Symposium
Type of Participation:
Lecturer:
Observer:
Lecturer Through Skype:
Name:
Academic Title:
Institution:
Complete Professional Address:
Cell Phone:
E-mail:
Are you planning to join to the post-symposium excursion to Chios, Greece?:
Any Special Requests:
Title of Your Lecture:
Abstract:
NB: An illustration can be included; it should be sent by e-mail to terracottas@deu.edu.tr