Research library

Sources and glossary

A record of the references behind our destination profiles, kept on Tours of Antiquity.

Hattusa

These references inform the historical profile. Archaeological interpretation can change as new evidence is studied. The illustration on the destination page is AI-generated and is not documentary evidence.

Research references

  1. UNESCO World Heritage Centre. “Hattusha: the Hittite Capital.” World Heritage property 377, inscribed 1986. Used for the site's World Heritage status, fortifications, temples, royal residences and Yazılıkaya.
  2. German Archaeological Institute. “Ḫattuša/Boğazköy – Die Hauptstadt des Hethiterreiches.” Research project 5864. Used for the location, settlement history, excavation and the capital's monuments.
  3. German Archaeological Institute. “Space & Time,” Ḫattuša/Boğazköy project. Used for the site's historical phases and the wider landscape, including Yazılıkaya.
  4. UNESCO Memory of the World. “The Hittite cuneiform tablets from Bogazköy,” registered 2001. Used for the significance of the tablet archives and their written record.
  5. German Archaeological Institute. “New Indo-European language discovered at Hittite capital Boğazköy-Hattusa,” 25 September 2023. Used for the discussion of the tablet discovery and the language of Kalašma.
  6. Zangger, Eberhard, and Rita Gautschy. “Celestial Aspects of Hittite Religion: An Investigation of the Rock Sanctuary Yazılıkaya.” Journal of Skyscape Archaeology 5, no. 1 (2019). DOI: 10.1558/jsa.37641. Cited as an interpretation of Yazılıkaya, not an established function of the sanctuary.

Terms used on this page

Hittites
The Bronze Age people whose kingdom was centred in Anatolia and whose capital was Hattusa.
Cuneiform
A system of writing made with wedge-shaped impressions on clay tablets.
Yazılıkaya
A nearby rock sanctuary with carved reliefs, associated with the Hittite capital.
Archaeological reconstruction
An interpretation of how past buildings or spaces may have appeared, based on surviving evidence. Details can remain uncertain.
Hypothesis
A proposed explanation that must be distinguished from an established archaeological finding.

Ephesus

These sources support the Ephesus profile. The image is an AI-generated impression, not documentary evidence. Research continues to revise the history and interpretation of the site.

Research references

  1. UNESCO World Heritage Centre. “Ephesus.” World Heritage property 1018, inscribed 2015. Used for the serial property's significance, changing coastline, Roman monuments, Artemis sanctuary and early Christian sites.
  2. Austrian Archaeological Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences. “The History of Ephesos” (Martin Steskal, adapted from “9000 Jahre Ephesos,” Antike Welt 2/2025). Used for the harbour, theatre, Curetes Street, Library of Celsus and the city's later history.
  3. Austrian Archaeological Institute. “The city of Ephesos from the late Bronze Age to its re-foundation by Lysimachus.” Research project led by Michael Kerschner. Used for the earlier settlement, archaeological limits and coastline change.
  4. Austrian Archaeological Institute. “Cult and Sanctuary: The Artemision of Ephesos.” Research project led by Michael Kerschner. Used for the sanctuary's development, Croesus and the later world-wonder temple.
  5. Austrian Archaeological Institute. “Ephesos in Post Antiquity.” Used for late antique and medieval occupation and the changing urban centre.
  6. Austrian Archaeological Institute. “Urban Research in Ephesos: So-called Serapeion.” Used for the monument's uncertain dedication and continuing investigation.
  7. Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Müze Kart. “Efes Örenyeri–Yamaçevler.” Used for the Terrace Houses' mosaics, wall decoration and domestic features.

Terms used on this page

Artemision
The sanctuary of Artemis at Ephesus, separate from the main Roman city ruins.
Alluvium
Sediment deposited by water; deposits can cover earlier archaeological layers.
Reassembly
Re-erecting surviving architectural pieces to present a monument's form. It is important to distinguish this from untouched standing fabric.
Serapeion
A conventional name for a monumental building. The name alone does not establish which deity, if any, was worshipped there.
Serial property
A World Heritage property made up of separate related places that together express its significance.