Step 2 : Working system
Technical framework:
Workshop on Internet ("e-Workshop") as a private e-mail discussion list. The discussions was limited to the 13 invited members, thus protecting and insuring the supplied scientific information until presentation at the Table Ronde in Istanbul. Information on the technical part of the workshop can be found at
Working system:
FIRST ROUND
From January 2001 onwards, four issues/problems were introduced gradually by the organisers via the e-mail discussion list. These issues/problems focused on Central Anatolia itself. In contrast to the team questions of the second round, the first round's set of topics was to be addressed by all participants.
Each issue was presided by one reporter, who was in charge of co-ordinating and structuring that particular point's discussion and its progress.
After a few weeks/months the reporter provided a synthesis of the issue's results and she/he presents it at the Table Ronde.
SECOND ROUND
One month after the start of the first round, we created four teams as follows: Team SE: Southeast Anatolia; Team LEVANT: Levant, Middle Euphrates and Cilicia; Team SW: Southwest Anatolia (including Western/Aegean Anatolia); Team NW: Northwest Anatolia (including North-Central Anatolia).
Each team was in charge of one (or a set of) precise questions concerning the allotted region. Of course it was hoped that the results already reached at this point of the trajectory would stimulate and deepen the new round of debates.
The discussions on each new issue/problem was again co-ordinated by a reporter. He/she synthesised the results and presents them at the Table ronde. NB: Each member of the workshop will receive all contributions to the list, including those that are outside his own team's debate. Of course, every member was free to react to the ideas expressed in each discussion.
In Istanbul - apart from the proposed conferences/syntheses - a substantial part of the Table ronde was dedicated to open discussions involving all participants.
The communications and the discussions during the meeting were published first on the website, and ultimately in book form.