Özet:

Eastern Thrace is located at the meeting point of four distinct cultural and geographical zones, the Balkan, Aegean, and Pontic regions and Anatolia. In spite of its significant location, it is archaeologically one of the least documented areas. This lack of information inevitably has led to the formulation of debatable assumptions. Nevertheless, recent work in the region has provided the initial facts on the prehistoric sequence of the region. Initial work in the region, the excavations at Yarımburgaz, Toptepe and Pendik, as well as surface finds, have been the first steps in establishing the chronological sequence in the region. This has been later reconfirmed through the extensive excavations at Orhangazi-Ilıpınar. The rather recent work conducted at three sites, Hoca Çeşme, Aşağı Pınar and Kanlıgeçit, has further contributed not only to the knowledge of the cultural formation of Eastern Thrace, but also to our knowledge of prehistoric relations that took place between Anatolia and Southeastern Europe. The prehistoric site of Hoca Çeşme is located on the delta of the Evros/Maritsa river, only 5 km from the coast of the Aegean. This small prehistoric site revealed four distinct cultural horizons: Phase I represents a mixed deposit with material datable to Karanovo III-IV; Phase II revealed white on red painted pottery in the Karanovo I style. The assemblage of the two earlier horizons, Phases III and IV strongly indicative of Late Neolithic assemblages of the Anatolian mainland; the monochrome pottery of these horizons is extremely fine burnished red or black. However the architecture of the earliest layers consists mainly of wooden circular structers cut into the bed-rock. The earliest rectangular structures appear only by Phase II. The evidence of Hoca Çeşme is indicative of an Anatolian colony that, in the time developed the main features of the Southeast European Neolithic cultures. However in the eastern parts of the Marmara area, in the coastal sites of the Fikirtepe culture the process of neolithization seems to be the result of a process of acculturation, with the already existing local fishing communities adopting some Neolithic elements, but carrying on their way of life. Likewise, further to the south, the Neolithic model, as evinced at Ilıpınar, is evidently a more direct adaptation. Excavations at Aşağı Pınar, an extensive prehistoric site in the central part of Eastern Thrace, have revealed an uninterrupted sequence from Karanovo I up to the end of Karanovo IV. Here, through the extensive areal exposure of the excavations, it has been possible to detect the gradual development of "Vinca" elements. The sequence of Aşağı Pınar can be summarized as: Layer 1 parallel to early Karanovo V, with early Maritsa elements, Layer 2 to middle and late Karanovo IV. In among the finds of this latter horizon an anthropomorphic vessel of a seated figure, like another anthropomorphic vessel found at Toptepe, is strongly reminiscent of the Early Tisza cultures of Hungary. Yet another significant find of this layer is a double - bodied vessel, representing a woman with human figures in relief. Such vessels are known from Hacılar II. Layer 3 of Aşağı Pınar, revealing also typical elements of the Toptepe-Paradimi group, is parallel to early Karanovo IV; and Layer 4 to Karanovo III. Layer 5 of Aşağı Pınar, is evidently indicative of a stage transitional between Karanovo II and III. Layer 6 of Aşağı Pınar revealed an assemblage parallel to Karanovo II and to Ilıpınar VI. The Late Chalcolithic period, or the 4 th Millennium BC is extremely problematic in Thrace. This is the time when, under the impact of Syro-Mesopotamian cultures, the Anatolian mainland was going through the process of urbanization; in the Balkans however, a totally different socio-economic model was developing with the Gumelnitsa-Cucuteni cultures. Thrace, being between these two distinct cultural happenings, seems to become an area marginal to both formations. Almost all of the sites in the region were abandoned during this period, and surface surveys have revealed very little indicating the presence of Gumelnitsa elements. On the contrary, some small one-period sites with typical Pre-Cucuteni assemblages have been recovered. With some reserve, it might be surmised that during this period, in Eastern Thrace a pastoral nomadic way of life prevailed. Following the collapse of the Gumelnitsa-Cucuteni cultures in the Balkans, after a short period of turmoil, by the 3 rd Millennium, the presence of a more rural socio-economic system is evident throughout the Balkans. Here, settlement sites are extremely rare, and there is no indication of the emergence of complex social systems. However, the same period of time, the Early Bronze Age in Anatolia represents the transition from city states to the formation of states. Through the southern coast of Thrace there are a number of small, Anatolian type of Early Bronze Age settlements, which altogether disappear by the early stages of the Middle Bronze Age. In the inner parts of Thrace, neither the Anatolian type of sites , nor Anatolian pottery is known. However, recent excavations at Kanlı Geçit, a site near Aşağı Pınar, have revealed a typical Anatolian site, datable to late Early Bronze Age III. The site consists of a small fortified inner town encircling a group of substantial megarons and an extensive lower town. The site, evidently represents an Anatolian colony. The earlier layers of the site have revealed typical Bulgarian-Ezero assemblages. The work in Thrace is far from being conclusive. In this incipient stage of research, the results should be considered as the initial set of concrete data from which to formulate proper questions- not to solve them.

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