LATE HELLADIC III C PERIOD AT LİMAN TEPE

The Liman Tepe excavations, conducted by the Izmir Region Excavations and Research Project (IRERP) had very limited Late Bronze Age remains until it revealed a stratified settlement consisting of three phases contemporary with LH III A2, III B and III C periods. Architectural remains and pottery indicate continuation within these Late Bronze Age periods through to the Protogeometric Period. The last phase of the Late Bronze Age, contemporary with LH III C, is the period following the collapse of the Mycenaean palaces in the Aegean and the Hittite Empire in Anatolia, and is informative regarding problematic issues such as continuing connections after the palatial era, developing regional styles, and movement of populations from west to east. The stratified architectural remains and pottery of LH III C does not only shed light on Liman Tepe’s situation, but also contributes to the understanding of this very little known and paradoxical time period in the region.