PhD project: Transformation processes in the cityscape of Asia Minor. Hellenistic cities becoming Roman

My project intends to explain the transformation processes, which took place in the public space of the cities in the southwestern part of Asia Minor, when the area came under Roman rule. In this area an exceptional interaction arose between Roman control on the one side and the cities’ memory of the mythical and historical past on the other side. The cities of Southwest Asia Minor (more specifically the areas Ionia, Caria, Lycia, Pisidia and Pamphylia) have very different origins – some were native cities, others were Greek and could have existed for several centuries, while yet others were founded by Hellenistic kings. These cities developed and changed through centuries and therefore reflect numerous layers of identity. From the archaeological material supplemented by the written sources my intention is to clarify how the cities maintained and created their identities in a time, where the physical settings changed drastically. The memory of the past in the past will thereby be in focus. The examination of the individual cities will form part of a comparative analysis, whereby possible patterns in the transformation processes of the cityscape will appear.