The Multifaceted Port System of Pergamon’s Sea Front : Elaia, Pitane, Kane, and Beyond

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The Kane-Peninsula in modern-day Turkey is a promontory blocking great parts of the Kaikosvalley from the sea. Within a coastline of approximately 45 km at least three harbor citieswere located in antiquity: Elaia, Pitane and Kane. To understand the various ports, anchoragesand landings along the Kane peninsula and the Bay of Elaia, the Kane Regional HarbourSurvey has been conducted since 2014 (DAI Istanbul – University Cologne – ERC RomPort).The project was conceptualized as a multi-disciplinary archaeological project includinggeophysical and shallow-water geoarchaeological prospections. In conjunction with the latestresearch in Elaia, the harbor city of Pergamon, the project offered the chance to study thecoastal zone of a micro-region with a hierarchy of major and minor ports and bays suitable forcabotage and their relationship to Pergamon in a diachronic perspective. Furthermore, thisregion is also a good example to investigate the changes in the location, the maritimeinfrastructure, the economic and political importance as well as the frequentation of harboursites during the Roman period compared to the Classic and Hellenistic era.In this paper we will outline the development of Pegamon’s sea front in a diachronicperspective from the Classical era to Roman Imperial times based on the latest research alongthe coast of the Kane peninsula and the Bay of Elaia. On the one hand, we will concentrate onthe major port cities of Kane, Pitane, and Elaia, their historic development and their maritimeinfrastructure. On the other hand, we will introduce minor anchorages and coastal sites andask for their significance within the local harbor networks. Key questions are: How did thedifferent port cities and anchorages relate to each other? How did the harbour infrastructureand facilities develop from Classical to Roman Imperial times? What were the driving factorsthat changed the local maritime networks and the relevance of the different port cities?