Anatolian Interactions: Criss-Cross Contacts and Cultural Dynamics in the First Millennium BCE

1st millennium Anatolia stores an array of material remains, in the form of artefacts, landmarks, structures and their imageries, standing as evidence of decades of cultural interactions between local peoples and the great powers contending the region. How, when and where were such interactions taking place? These questions have traditionally been answered with the cultural and political impact of a major historical actor on the locals. Is it possible, though, to deconstruct the ethnic pre-eminence of some groups over others, and empower Anatolian identity through an understanding of its active reception and appropriation of external stimuli? This volume tries to investigate this subject, without aiming at an exhaustive treatment. The studies here featured explore a variety of intercultural dynamics across diverse Anatolian historical contexts and communities, by combining different methodological approaches on the ancient evidence: physical monuments, as well as textual monuments and written records, are discussed to determine whether the role played by local kingdoms, single actors, minor groups or imperial dominators can be seen as concurrent in articulating cultural developments in Anatolia. The result invites to further investigate cultural phenomena of Achaemenid Anatolia, to recover Anatolian agency and to advance the project of writing properly Anatolian history.