Research Article / Araştırma Makalesi Cite as/ Atıf: Gündoğan Ü. (2024). MÖ 3. Binyılda Batı Anadolu ve Doğu Ege Adaları’nda toplumsal yapının mimariye yansıması. Turkish Studies, 19(2), 647-669. https://dx.doi.org/10.7827/TurkishStudies.73652 Received/Geliş: 14 November/Kasım 2023 Checked by plagiarism software Accepted/Kabul: 25 June/Haziran 2024 Published/Yayın: 30 June/Haziran 2024 MÖ 3. Binyılda Batı Anadolu ve Doğu Ege Adaları’nda Toplumsal Yapının Mimariye Yansıması * The Reflection of Social Structure on Architecture in Western Anatolia and Eastern Aegean Island in the 3rd Millennium BCE Ümit Gündoğan ** Abstract: Western Anatolia, which has been a favourable region for settlements throughout history, has been the scene of continuous settlement since prehistoric times. The architecture, materials and construction techniques of the settlements in this region were shaped by their own internal dynamics depending on the geographical conditions and resources of the region. Fertile plain edges and regions close to fresh water sources were especially chosen for settlements. This shows that special areas were chosen as locations in Western Anatolia of the 3rd Millennium BC. The fact that the building plans were constructed in the same plan over a wide geography shows that a cultural unity was formed in terms of architecture in this period. The architectural texture observed in Western Anatolia as of the second quarter of the 3rd Millennium BC is a reflection of the changes in the social structure and the political and economic developments of the period. The emergence of new and privileged structures in parallel with the changes in the political structure of the society coincides with this period. Especially in the second half of the 3rd millennium BC, with the Anatolian Trade Network period, the plans of the buildings inhabited by the rulers started to change, and in the following stages, upper and lower cities were formed and social levels emerged for the first time. This paper aims to understand the architectural development of western Anatolia over thousands of years and its symbiotic reflections on the changing political and social frameworks of the region, and provides a comprehensive analysis of the interdependence between social transformation and architectural innovation. It also analyses the changes in the political and social structure of the region over time and how these changes were reflected in architecture. Structured Abstract: The settlement history of western Anatolia, which can be traced back to the Neolithic, experienced a notable pause at the beginning of the Chalcolithic. However, as the Late Chalcolithic progressed, the number of settlements increased dramatically. This period marked the beginning of the Early Bronze Age and heralded the rise of important urban centres. The early 3rd millennium BC was a period of significant change, with shifts in the political and social framework stimulating the creation of defensive structures and innovative building designs across settlements. * Bu makale, “Gündoğan, Ümit (2019). Bakla Tepe Buluntuları Işığında MÖ 3. Binin İlk Yarısında Batı Anadolu Sahil Kesimi Mimarisi ve Yerleşim Modelleri”, başlıklı doktora tezinden üretilmiştir. ** Dr. Öğr. Üyesi, Batman Üniversitesi, Fen Edebiyat Fakültesi, Arkeoloji Bölümü. Onursal Araştırmacı, Durham Üniversitesi, Arkeoloji Bölümü. Asst. Prof. Batman University, Faculty of Science and Letters, Archaeology Department. Honorary Researcher Fellow, Durham University, Department of Archaeology. 0000-0003-4292-2671 umitgndgn@gmail.com