Network Analysis of Ottoman Pottery Across the Balkans and the Aegean

This study addresses challenges in Ottoman archaeology, where sites and materials are often neglected due to the complex legacy of Ottoman heritage. From its foundation in the 14th century to its dissolution in 1922, the Ottoman Empire left an lasting mark on the heritage of three continents: Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa. Yet, in many of the successor states, Ottoman heritage is regarded as problematic, resulting in limited excavations and a sparse archaeological record that restricts our understanding of its material culture. In contrast, historical analyses of the Ottoman period provide significant insights into trade, economy, and global economic trends. However, historical sources cannot always be taken at face value, as they may disregard certain details or reflect subjective perspectives. While historical accounts often present the broader picture, archaeology has the potential to uncover specific details that could both support and challenge these narratives....Show moreThis study addresses challenges in Ottoman archaeology, where sites and materials are often neglected due to the complex legacy of Ottoman heritage. From its foundation in the 14th century to its dissolution in 1922, the Ottoman Empire left an lasting mark on the heritage of three continents: Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa. Yet, in many of the successor states, Ottoman heritage is regarded as problematic, resulting in limited excavations and a sparse archaeological record that restricts our understanding of its material culture. In contrast, historical analyses of the Ottoman period provide significant insights into trade, economy, and global economic trends. However, historical sources cannot always be taken at face value, as they may disregard certain details or reflect subjective perspectives. While historical accounts often present the broader picture, archaeology has the potential to uncover specific details that could both support and challenge these narratives. The scarcity of Ottoman archaeological data, however, makes it difficult to critically evaluate historical hypotheses. This research examines the use of network analysis to reconstruct domestic and international trade networks within the Ottoman Empire, with the aim of comparing archaeological findings with historical scenarios and identifying their areas of overlap and divergence. The study focuses on pottery data from five cities: Belgrade, Sofia, and Varna in the Balkans, and Mytilini and Izmir in the Aegean. These cities were strategically chosen as they are located in the heart of Ottoman political and economic influence. They represent regions closest to the imperial capital of Istanbul and thus central to the empire’s economy. By incorporating pottery data into network models and aligning these with historical sources on economic trends and trade routes, the study assesses both the strengths and limitations of network methods in archaeology. The findings reveal that both historical and archaeological data capture broad trade patterns and shifts in economic focus over the centuries. However, archaeological data uniquely uncovers site-specific connections and can provide valuable insights into periods for which historical records are sparse. Additionally, archaeology offers concrete evidence of interactions between certain regions even when there is no historical information on such exchanges. This allows for new analyses that would not have been possible without the archaeological record. Nonetheless, the study highlights limitations inherent in archaeological methods. For instance, certain international trade relationships are challenging to detect archaeologically due to the nature of commerce, as some goods leave no material trace. Additionally, the role of middlemen (traders dealing in goods from third-party regions) is hard to detect archaeologically. These gaps underscore the importance of integrating multiple sources of evidence to develop a fuller understanding of trade networks. This research not only offers insights into Ottoman economic networks, but also to the broader methodological discourse in archaeology. It demonstrates how network analysis can be effectively employed with limited archaeological data to enrich historical narratives. However, it advises against depending too heavily on these models, stressing that they should support, not replace, archaeological interpretation. This approach offers future researchers a way to combine archaeological evidence with historical records, improving our understanding of less-studied times and places.Show less

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Network Analysis of Ottoman Pottery Across the Balkans and the Aegean