Identification of a Volcanic Ash Layer from Çine-Tepecik, Turkey

Abstract

The deep valley of the Büyük Menderes (Meander) in western Anatolia, and its tributaries to the south, are important natural routes connecting the Aegean world to Central Anatolia. Çine-Tepecik, located on the Çine Plain to the east of the Çine Çayı (Marsyas), sheds light on the early urbanization processes and socio-cultural life of this region, but also played a role in its cultural relations with the Aegean world. On the mound, Level II represents cultural remains dated to the 2nd millennium BCE, with evidence of a fortified settlement. The Bronze Age at Çine-Tepecik is significant in the cultural history of western Anatolia, with changes and innovations related to interregional cultural relationships. A layer of volcanic ash, discovered at the excavation at Çine-Tepecik in level II 2, was identified using Neutron Activation Analysis. The chemical fingerprint of the ash layer, after cleaning, corresponds well with the chemical composition of the BO pumice, a result of the Thera (Santorini) eruption. The archaeological context of the ash layer was undisturbed and is dated to the final phase of the Middle Bronze Age and the beginning of the Late Bronze Age at Çine-Tepecik.