POSSIBLE COASTAL LUWIAN SETTLEMENTS IN THE NORTH-EAST AEGEAN

Описание: Today, it is communis opinio that during 2nd millennium BC, Luwian was the predominant language spoken in western, southern, and central-southern Anatolia. Indeed, the toponyms and names of many archaeological sites in this extensive region can be traced back to Luwian roots or sounds, or are indeed still Luwian. Maddunašša was one of the biggest settlements in the Šeḫa River Land which can be most likely located in today’s Caicos-Hermos valley. Its Luwian name stands for “place of vine” and indeed the area is still today occupied by vineyards. In a similar way, the modern Zeytindağ (Olive Mountain) of Bergama, was known in Classical times as Eleia (olive in Greek), but its Luwian name was Dainiš ( dain- is oil in Luwian). Again, olive orchards still determine the landscape there today. Moreover, the remains of Panaztepe, an important settlement on the coast of Aegean, are considered to represent Pa-ni-iš-ša, a Luwian sounding place mentioned in Hittite documents. Strabo mentions a promontory called Malia on Lesbos whose name can be equated with that of a Luwian goddess Malia.It is fascinating to see, that probably 2500 years after the Luwian has vanished, many toponyms in the north eastern coastal regions of the Aegean are still based on Luwian words and sounds: Temnos, Hermos, Larissa, Lake Gyges, Belendi, Selendi, Tabala, Bergama, Mt Pindassos, Kimindenia, Sindel, Pitane, Dainis, İlya, Apan Fountain, Hula Hill, Attaea, Atarneus, Pisa, Sandania, Indipe-dia, Antandros, Pedesa, İvrindi, Sındırgı, Ryndikos, Apolyont, Pandermas, İmralı, etc. Among the north Aegean islands the names with Luwian roots are Cunda, İmbros, Tenedos, Limnos, Myrina, Mondros, Antissa, Erossos, Mandamados, Mytimna, Skamnia, Mt Ordymnos, Mt Leptymnos, Cape Malia of Lesbos (Lazpa), etc. Based on these toponyms which have Luwian roots/sounds, the region on which the language was spoken can be reconstructed.


Author(s): Taskin, Sefa (Independent Resercher)