Project:
Cross-cultural interactions between the Northern Black Sea and Anatolia in the Late Byzantine – early Ottoman times
General topic:
The project focuses on the study of cross-cultural interaction between the Northern Black Sea coast and Anatolia, which took place in the late medieval period and is well evident from material remains but is hardly mentioned in the historical records. An extensive archaeological database especially rich ceramics assemblages from both regions will be involved in the study of these still poorly understood questions.
Summary:
The period from the middle of the 13th until the end of the 15th century in the Northern Black Sea Region is characterized by intensive political, economic, and cultural contacts between the Eastern and Western worlds. Many historical studies focus on these subject, and written sources continue to bring important discoveries. Besides, archaeological data are still little involved in the research process. I intend to fill this gap, by demonstrating their great comprehensive information potential in the case of the study of various interactions between Crimea and Anatolia including migrations of the Asia Minor population to Crimea, which are very scarce mentioned in the historical records but could be clearly noticed in archaeological remains.
The aim of the project is to develop this field, based on the study of well-documented ceramic assemblages from both the Northern Black Sea area, where I work for many years, and from the Asia Minor sites, which are studied by Prof. Dr. B. Böhlendorf-Arslan, the leading European specialist in the Byzantine – Early Ottoman archaeology of Anatolia. In the framework of our collaboration, we would address new issues of socio-cultural and economic exchanges, as well as demographic processes between both regions in these challenging times.
