Reading images at the crossroads of cultures and disciplines: first-millennium BC Lycia as a case study for Mediterranean studies

This dossier originated from a workshop focused on the ancient region of Lycia, held on the 22nd of May 2023 as part of the 13th ICAANE (International Congress on the Archaeology of the Ancient Near East) at the University of Copenhagen. The workshop addressed one of the Congress’s main themes: “Talking through Images”. 1 Images serve as a primary source of information about ancient societies when no “literary” tradition is preserved. In this regard, ancient Lycia, located in South-Western Anatolia, present-day Türkiye (Fig. 1), is a relevant case study. The Lycian language, related to Luwian, is known from inscriptions but has only been partially deciphered. 2 Consequently, the region’s abundant production of images stands out as a key resource for interpreting historical and social dimensions up until the Hellenistic period.