The settlement of Skepsis in the process of urbanization in the ancient Troad

This master?s thesis focuses on the nature of urbanization at the ancient city of Scepsis in the inner Troad. It is commonly accepted that there were main differences between the cities located at coastal zones and those situated on areas far from the coast. It is therefore how did those cities develop in areas located outside the mainstream of coastal maritime trade networks in ancient times is a curious question that need to be answered. For example, there are valuable archaeological studies undertaken at several coastal Troadic cities such as Assos, Parium, Troy, and Alexandria Troas. The patterns of urbanization in such coastal cities were much shaped by economic incomes resulted from maritime trade. In contrast, how urban societies such as Scepsis, Cebren and Neandria evolved in the inner parts of the Troad remains unknown to us. It seems that the ancient Scepsis is one of the best examples of cities that may be accepted as evidence to show how an urban society might have evolved in the hinterland of the Troad. The process of urbanization observed at the inner Trodic city of Scepsis was shaped by the political events that occurred in the region. Thee evolution of urbanization at Scepsis can be divided into different stages on the basis of these political developments after its first foundation. The city was abandoned in 310 B.C. after the synoecism for Alexandria Troas. The city was re-settled after a short period of time after the peoples of Scepsis were granted to return to their home city. The territory of Scepsis seems to have grown in the Roman period. There is archaeological evidence derived from excavations and surveys to demonstrate this development at Scepsis. The accounts of ancient authors, epigraphic sources and modern travelers are also important on this subject. It is hoped that this study about the ancient city of Scepsis will inform us on the ways how the cities located in the rough environments far from the coastal zones did develop and how the economic staregies adopted in these cities affected the process of urbanization there.