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

Abstract

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.