The Kozak Plateau in Antiquity: Toponyms, Routes and Natural Resources

Yıl 2023, Cilt: XXXI Sayı: XXXI, 381 - 400, 21.03.2023

Murat Tozan

Öz

The Kozak plateau, which is the western extension of the Madra Mountains, is surrounded by
the coastal plains extending along the Aegean Sea from the north and west, and the Bakırçay Plain
from the south. There is no comprehensive study that directly deals with the ancient period of the
Kozak plateau. The aim of this study is to evaluate the ancient toponyms of the Kozak plateau,
the old road routes passing through it and the natural resources of this mountainous region from a
holistic and diachronic perspective. Moreover, a new proposal is put forward for the ancient name
of the plateau. In antiquity the coastal plains bordered the plateau from the west were the peraia
of Mytilene. The principal settlement of the Bakırçay (Kaikos) plain in the south was Pergamon.
Therefore, the necessity of evaluating the ancient history of the Kozak plateau in the context of the
economic interests of these two cities in the region is also emphasized.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Kozak plateau, Pergamon, Mytilene, Regional History, Historical Geography