This project concerns Eastern Thrace, a region critically located between Anatolia and the Balkans. It should be thought of as a contact point between these past cultures. Accordingly, it is anticipated that obtained results from the studies conducted in this region enable us to correlate the cultural sequences of either region. With this objective in mind, a project has been initiated by Prof. Mehmet Özdo?an of the Department of Prehistory at Istanbul University for a surface survey of prehistoric sites in this region. Through the conducted survey it was possible to cover a considerable part of Eastern Thrace. Accordingly, the results of the surface surveys should be considered as preliminary reconnaissance. Thereafter, a number of excavations were conducted in later stages of the project so as to define cultural sequences and material assemblages.

As a preliminary assessment the focused region reveals the presence of a number of distinctly conserved habitats in the region: in the mountain environment in the north reach all sorts of resources, including minerals such as copper, iron and silver as well as metamorphic rock were observed. In a transitional zone between the mountain and the endemic step environment following the foothills of the Istranca range particular sources of water were evident. The endemic step environment included extensive areas suitable for farming though also having stands of open-forest. Here a revenue habitat existed with parallel drainage in a north-south direction of small streams flowing in rich alluvial valleys occasionally forming swamps and wetlands.

In spite of the presence of a number of distinct environmental settings, Eastern Thrace presents a rather complex geomorphological process of neo-tectonic erosion and colluvial deposition. Changing preferences for site locations through time were observed during the surveys, but no thorough evaluation of the survey results had been carried out from this perspective. Even geo-archaeological research carried out in the region is limited with respect to the determination of sources and there is no work that specifies the relation between settlements, resources, and workshops. Therefore, no attention was given to the distinctions the settlements had with respect to the periods, their geographical distribution and their relation to the natural environment.

Thus, the main objective of the project presented here is to revaluate the available information from Eastern Thrace from an environmental perspective so as to define changing trends inside locations and to understand the interaction between culture and its natural environment. With this extension of the abovementioned project currently some information has been obtained to date, such as site location preferences, utilization of the environment and influence of these effects for mound formations. Accordingly, besides the expansion of cultures, progress has been made to understand the factors that influenced cultural development in the region.