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Prehistoric period
Housing
The greater area of Miletus has been inhabited at least since the Chalcolithic Period (5800-3400 BC). This has been corroborated by architectural remains that were found on the hill of Kiliktepe, south of Miletus, as well as on the hill of Assessos, near Yenikoy, located between Miletus and lake Bafa.
In the city of Miletus, material remains (ceramics) from the Chalcolithic period were found both in the vicinity of the Roman Heroon and in the area of the Bouleuterion. During recent excavations, layers of habitation from the Chalcolithic period were also found for the first time in stratographic sequence south of the temple of Athena. The distribution of these findings suggests that the peninsula of Miletus was already widely inhabited by that early period.
The early Bronze Age (3rd millennium BC) in Miletus is suggested so far by random findings (ceramics), in the area of the Hellenistic Heroon, east of the Theatre, west of the Bouleuterion, and also south of the temple of Athena. Finally, a marble Cycladic statuette (civilisation of Syros-Keros) documents the cultural contacts of the prehistoric community of Miletus with the Cyclades in the so-called cultural "international spirit", which prevailed in the Aegean in the middle of the 3rd millennium BC.
The contacts of Miletus with central and south Aegean were much more intensive during the Middle and Late Bronze Age (2nd and 1st millennium BC). In the southern part of the temple of Athena, consecutive undisturbed architectural phases that span over three periods have been recognised.
The first phase is dated to the Middle Minoan III/ Late Minoan ΙΒ periods (1600-1450 BC) and is characterised by Minoan influence or presence. In a level that was destroyed by fire, large quantities of local Minoan domestic pottery were found, such as conical cups, tripod cooking pots and bridge-spouted jugs as well as ceramics imported from Crete (Marine style order) and, most important, pithos fragments incised with Linear A signs and fragments with floral motives, familiar in Minoan wall-paintings. The presence of ceramics typical of settlements in south-east Asia Minor contemporary to Miletus is rather limited.
The second and third phases date from the Late Helladic ΙΙ-ΙΙΙΑ (1500-1350 BC) and Helladic ΙΙΙΒ-ΙΙΙC periods (1350-1050 BC), and are characterised by Mycenean presence. One house ("oikos"), seven ceramic kilns and Mycenaean ceramics belonging to the second phase have been found. The discovery of the kilns is particularly important since it proves the massive local production of Mycenaean ceramics and, consecutively, the Mycenaean presence in Miletus, thus allowing it to be identified with the Millawanda of Hittite sources. The end of this phase was brought about by a fire, dated with precision in 1400 BC. During the third building phase, the Mycenaean settlement was enclosed in strong walls.
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