The Luwian Studies Foundation is proud to announce the release of an extensive, freely accessible database featuring 483 known Middle and Late Bronze Age settlement sites in the west of the Republic of Türkiye. This new resource is available to both scientists and the public on the foundation’s website. Dr. Alper Aşınmaz, a geospatial and data science expert, has refined over a decade of research by the foundation and integrated it into a cutting-edge system.

While the Mycenaean cultures of Greece and the Hittites of central Anatolia have long been well documented, the western region of present-day Türkiye was, until recently, viewed as a cultural void – perhaps sparsely inhabited by nomadic tribes. This misconception has now been overturned. Hundreds of large, permanent settlements demonstrate that the Luwian-inhabited region was a key economic and political player, potentially influencing the dramatic collapse of the Bronze Age around 1200 BC.

The database includes detailed information on the 483 settlement sites, such as names, toponyms, descriptions, and key literature references. The static dataset has been restructured into a dynamic relational database, allowing for advanced search functionality as well as dynamic data integration and updates. Leveraging Semantic Web technologies, the Luwian Studies dataset is now linked with external data sources like Pleiades, Wikidata, and Dbpedia in a standardized format. An interactive map further enhances exploration by allowing users to dynamically navigate the geographical locations of these ancient sites.

Dr. Eberhard Zangger, president of the Luwian Studies Foundation, says: “Until now, Troy was almost considered isolated in a kind of no-man’s-land. Thanks to our research, we can now see it as part of a network of two dozen small states and nearly 500 settlement sites. Our open-access policy makes this knowledge freely available to everyone. We look forward to future archaeological discoveries in the region.”

An interview with Eberhard Zangger has just appeared on the Turkish news platform scrolli.co.

About the Luwian Studies Foundation
Luwian Studies, founded in 2014 by archaeologist and geologist Dr. Eberhard Zangger, is an independent, non-profit foundation based in Switzerland. Its mission is to advance research into the cultures of the 2nd millennium BC in western Asia Minor. Luwian Studies posits that a previously overlooked culture flourished in western Turkey during the Bronze Age. Recognizing this culture provides new perspectives on the events that led to the end of the Bronze Age. The foundation aims to promote further research into these Luwian sites, contributing to a fuller understanding of Aegean prehistory.