Saturday, December 28, 2024

Peter Forschhammer describes annual flooding in the Plain of Troy

 Peter Forschhammer visited the plain of Troy in 1839.  In 1842 he published the following: 

There is no other plain in Asia Minor so much subjected to the influence of water as the plain of Troy is in the rainy season. The Mendere begins to rise as soon as the rains commence in the upper regions of Mount Ida. At its entrance into the lower plain it receives a considerable accession from the Kimar, which, rising far up in the mountains, is also affected by the early rains. The subterranean veins and channels of the mountain which feed the springs of the plain will also be gorged with water, and the probability is that even in this early part of the winter the three Asmaks of the Judan become large and continuous streams, the Akchi-Kevi-Asmak becomes an acting tributary of the Mendere, and a portion of the waters of the Bunarbashi-Su overflow its low eastern banks, and find their way into the bed of that river. As the winter advances the clouds fall down upon the lower Ida, and ultimately discharge themselves over the whole plain. With the exception of what is carried off by the artificial channel of the Bunarbashi-Su, the whole of the water of this side of Mount Ida is drained into the plain of Troy. The Mendere overflows its banks and forms the inundation river mentioned above. The rains of winter are generally accompanied by strong winds from the S.W., which obstruct the current of the Hellespont, and raise the sea- water above its ordinary level at the mouths of the Mendere and of the two Asmaks, thus impeding the current of the rivers and increasing the inundation in the lower part of the plain. The inundation thus created is permanent during the winter. At first it only covers the part of the plain adjoining the salt-water lagoons and the mouth of the Mendere, and up to the high steep banks of the Asmaks. In time, however, the extensive plain in the interior of Mount Ida, between Ene and Bairamiche, is converted into an immense lake, of which the narrow valley through which the Mendere flows between Ene and Bunarbashi is the only outlet. In this passage the water sometimes rises in winter 30 or 40 feet above the bottom of the river's summer bed, as may be seen by the grass left adhering to the trees on its banks. The whole plain of the Mendere is submerged, and at times even the valleys of the Kimar and the Dumbrek are overflowed to a considerable height. In them, however, the inundation rarely continues longer than five or six days at a time ; but it recurs at frequent intervals during the rainy season. 

Peter Forschammer, Observations on the Topography of Troy, P 35 

Forschhammer is saying that run off creates a lake between Ezine (Ene) and Bayramic (Bairamiche). He also tells us that the water in the canyon between Ezine and Pinarbasi (Bunarbashi) can rise 30-40 feet. 























Above: the area between Mt Ida (lower right) and Troy (upper left).  The distance from Bayramic to Ezine is greater than the length of the Trojan plain.  The lake at Bayramic is the reservoir of a modern dam. Forschhammer is right to say that "the whole of the water of this side of Mount Ida is drained into the plain of Troy."  
























Above: the canyon above Pinarbasi.  There is a modern dam just east of Pinarbasi, where the Mendere/Scamander enters the plain, so, the canyon is now a reservoir and full of water.  Some of this is surely deeper than the 30-40 feet Forschhammer estimated. 





































On the map above I've marked the two valleys and the lagoons Forschhammer mentions. 

All in all, he is talking about lots of water coming from three rivers into the plain all at once.   The inundation around the lagoons he calls "permanent in winter". The inundations in the two smaller valleys only last for five days or so, but that seems to imply that the inundations of the larger valley last longer. These would be the times when "The whole plain of the Mendere is submerged", which means the entire valley marked Plain of Troy in the map above is submerged.  




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