Anthropomorphic Vessels from the Old Smyrna Bayrakl? Mound and Their Meaning in the Bronze Age of the West Anatolia Region

Archaeological excavations since 2017 of Bayrakli Mound in Old Smyrna in the western trenches have presented significant evidence of the period between the end of the Early Bronze Age and the beginning of the Middle Bronze Age. The trench is characterized by three archaeological layers, with Layer I providing some sherds related to anthropomorphic vessels containing stylized human faces and dating back to the transition from the Early to the Middle Bronze period. The anthropomorphic samples are represented by a small number of sherds with different forms and features.This article discusses the anthropomorphic vessel sherds from Layer I of the Bayrakli Mound in terms of their forms, decorations, and features and makes some comparisons with other Bronze Age sites in the West Anatolia Region. Accordingly, general interpretations have been made about the location of the Bayrakli samples in the West Anatolia Region.