Survey in the Taurus Mountains: Methodologies of the Pisidia Survey Project

Abstract

Abstract The Pisidia Survey Project has employed architectural survey methods to study the remains of several ancient cities in the region’s landscape. In doing so it has revealed the urban infrastructure of Pisidia. Most recently, the Pisidian city of Pednelissos was studied, where additional use of geophysical and ceramic survey broadened the range of results and helped resolve problems that had remained unanswered for a long time. For the late antique period, widespread Christian building was one of the most significant changes to affect Pisidian cities and as such will be a focus of discussion. Churches and other buildings encroached upon public areas, transforming the urban fabric. In order to understand the interaction between city and territory through time, the rural surroundings of Pednelissos were investigated using a range of survey methods, including architectural survey, ceramic collection (grab sample), ceramic survey, geophysical survey and satellite-based research. The results showed that the area thrived, especially during Late Antiquity, and that long-term settlement patterns altered little before the dramatic changes of the 7th/8th c.