10 SITES, ROUTES AND HISTORICAL GEOGRAPHY IN CENTRAL ANATOLIA Gojko Barjamovic Copenhagen Few scholars have an intimate and detailed knowledge of the Turkish countryside rivalling that of David Hawkins. His work as an epigrapher, historian and archaeologist has taken him through virtually every part of the country, and has allowed him to produce some of the most important contributions to the study of Hittite historical geography to appear in recent decades (particularly Hawkins 1995a; 1995b; 1998a; 1998b; 2000). As a supplement to his work, this article presents some of the author’s own impressions earned during travels in Central Anatolia, which focussed mainly on the identification of routes and sites frequented by Assyrian merchants during the Old Assyrian Colony Period. However, such observations plainly carry implications also for our understanding of the political layout of the later Hittite state. The main objective is to draw attention to a number of important, but not very well-known, archaeological sites visited during those travels, and to consider their potential significance for the understanding of the political landscape in the Old Assyrian period and the formative era of the Hittite Kingdom. THE MOUNDS OF BOLVADIN ÜÇHÖYÜK Vjg ukvg qh ±ÃjÓ{Úm *まvtkrng oqwpfみ+ eqxgtu cp gzvgpukxg ctgc ykvj c hgy rqkpvu qh jkij oqwpfkpi in an otherwise relatively flat site situated on a level alluvial plain. The surface material dates to a number of periods, mainly the EB, MB and Iron Age, with some LB and later periods. The three mounds that gave the name to the site are grouped closely together at its northern end, at app. 38 o 41’ 34 N by 31 o 2’ 12 E and ca. 997 m above sea level, some 3 km south west of the modern town of Bolvadin. A fourth, large and almost square mound covered with classical and later pottery lies at the southeastern extension of the site. Surrounding the three northern mounds is an almost indiscernible earthen slope that also shows up on satellite imagery and surely indicates the course of an ancient wall. However, in the past few decades the site has been heavily disturbed by modern activities, and intensive ploughing has all but obliterated the edges of the site and obscured the layout of the ancient settlement. Furthermore, two of the three northern mounds have had large electric pylons sunk into them, scattering large fragments of vitrified mud brick carrying impressions of wood and wickerwork similar to the type known from the sites of CegojÓ{Úm cpf MÚnvgrg kp vjg rtqeguu0 Nqqug cuj{ rcvejgu qh uqkn ctg rnqwijgf qwv qh dwtpv uvtcvc kp ugxgtcn ctgcu. cpf ukipu qh c jwig eqphncitcvkqp ctg wdkswkvqwu0 Cnvjqwij vjg yctpkpi vjcv ±ÃjÓ{Úm jcu been “denuded to the level of the surrounding plain” seems somewhat overstated (Koçak 2004:31), the site is without doubt among the most important localities under immediate threat in Turkey.