May 16, 2017
The Archaeological Institute of America is pleased to announce the winner of the first ever Richard C. MacDonald Iliad Endowment for Archaeological Research Grant. The MacDonald Grant in the amount of $20,000 provides support for scholars working on the site of Ancient Troy, or those geographic areas/time periods that give context to our understanding of Ancient Troy.
The first recipient of the grant is Göksel Sazcı, Associate Professor in Archaeology at the Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University, Turkey and director of archaeological research at the site of Maydos-Kilistepe. Maydos is a large settlement located on northern shore of the Hellespont. The archaeological material from Maydos closely resembles the material uncovered at Troy but is better preserved. Sazcı believes that his research will allow us to better understand the transition from the Early to Middle Bronze Age—a period that is not as well represented at Troy—and answer unresolved questions about the region. Sazcı will use the MacDonald grant to continue excavations at Maydos, prepare a detailed topographic map of the site, and initiate an archaeobotanical research program that will evaluate the role of environmental changes in the decline of Troy and the region.
The AIA congratulates Göksel Sazcı.
