ABSTRACT
No other topic has attracted as much interest in the archaeology of the thirdmillennium in Anatolia as long-distance trade. This interest can be considered on several levels. Trade networks across Anatolia fulfill specific expectations related to Anatolia’s perceived role as a “bridge” between the (Classical) Aegean and the (Mesopotamian) Near East (see Greaves 2007). Anatolia exists at a margin between these two regions that have attracted greater academic interest in ancient world research. During the third and early second millennia, the Anatolian bridge was crossed by long-distance trade, while in later periods it was crossed by migrations (Phrygian, Ionian) and empires (Hittite, Achaemenid, Romano-Byzantine, Ottoman).
