The Bronze Age Archaeology of Seyitömer Mound in Turkey
Dr. Laura Harrison,
Director of Access 3D Lab Research Assistant Professor University of South Florida
We can trace forerunners of the contemporary world back to the Bronze Age (ca. 3000-2000 B.C.E.), at which time Turkey was both a crossroads between neighboring societies in the Aegean and Mesopotamia and an independent center in its own right. Archaeological remains from Seyitömer reveal how the standardization of pottery technology, the quest for luxury goods, and a cataclysmic earthquake transformed daily life in this Bronze Age village. While Seyitömer is a wellspring of information about ancient Turkey, it is also relevant to contemporary discussions about heritage at risk, because it is located within an active coal mine and faces imminent destruction. Recent research focuses on creating 3D reconstructions of destroyed archaeological contexts, to facilitate future study, and increase public access to this endangered heritage.
Dr. Laura Harrison is Director of Access 3D Lab Research and the Assistant Professor University of South Florida. Her research focuses on digital heritage in archaeology and museums, public archaeology, and the Bronze Age eastern Mediterranean.