Beşik Tepe — Troy Outer Coastal Settlement
Beşik Tepe · Beşik Tepe Mound · Beşiktepe Troy
Early Bronze I to Middle Bronze (2900–2000 BCE)·Troy I maritime / EBA Northwest Anatolian·🇹🇷 Çanakkale Province, Troy plain, Beşik Bay, Turkey
About
About Beşik Tepe — Troy Outer Coastal Settlement
Beşik Tepe is a 0.9 ha Early Bronze I coastal hamlet and inhumation tumulus opposite Troy I, excavated by Manfred Korfmann as Troy's hypothesized harbour station (1970s–80s). Early Troy Ib (2900 BCE) maritime ceramics, incised anchor stones, fishhook copper, and EBA cist cemetery with intramural pithos burials evidence the Trojan Bay palaeo-coastline. Sits on marine terrace 2.4 km from Troy citadel.
Why it mattersImportant palaeo-geographic anchor for Troy's Bronze Age coastline reconstruction and Troy I–II chronology link.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Did Besik function as Troy I port before siltation?
Theories
- 01Korfmann: Bay-at-Troy model; Besik confirms Beşik Bay marine inlet
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c.2900 BCE (Troy Ib)
- Period
- Early Bronze I to Middle Bronze (2900–2000 BCE)
- Culture
- Troy I maritime / EBA Northwest Anatolian
- Builders
- Troy plain early Bronze villagers
- Purpose
- Fishing harbour and satellite burial hamlet for early Troy
- Abandoned
- c.2000 BCE (bay silting)
- Rediscovered
- 1980s Korfmann Troy Bay paleogeographic sounding
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
1983–1985
Korfmann Besik Bay soundings
c.2900 BCE
EBA cist cemetery founded
On the ground
Structures & features
39.9200° N · 26.1800° E · 35 m · 3 mapped features
Beşik EBA Cist Cemetery
cemetery20 inhumations with Troy Ib red bowls
39.9206° N · 26.1805° EBeşik Coastal Pisé Huts
habitationPost-framed huts with marine shell pottery
39.9193° N · 26.1808° EBeşik Tumulus Crest
tumulusStone-capped burial tumulus over cemetery
39.9210° N · 26.1794° E