The Luwian Studies Foundation has launched a new resource for scholars and the interested public: an interactive map and a comprehensive database of nearly 500 Bronze Age settlements in the western part of the Republic of Türkiye. The free tool, now available on the Luwian Studies website, provides detailed information on 483 settlements from the Middle and Late Bronze Age (c. 2000–1200 BCE). Dr. Alper Aşınmaz , an expert in geospatial data, has transformed more than a decade of research into a dynamic, state-of-the-art system that makes accessing knowledge about these ancient sites easier than ever.
For a long time, the western part of Asia Minor was considered to be of little archaeological significance compared to the Mycenaean civilization in Greece and the Hittite kingdom in Central Anatolia. Recent research has changed this perception. The database of the Luwian Studies confirms that hundreds of important settlements were located in this area and were inhabited by the Luwians. According to Luwian Studies, this previously neglected cultural area appears to have played a key role in the collapse of the Bronze Age cultures in the eastern Mediterranean around 1200 BCE.
The database contains detailed information on each site, including descriptions, historical references and further reading. Dr. Aşınmaz has also integrated external data sources such as Pleiades and Wikidata, which offer an even more comprehensive insight into the world of the Bronze Age. An interactive map allows users to visually explore the geographical connections between the sites. Archaeologists who have conducted their own surveys can use an online form to suggest additional sites for inclusion in the database.