Stepping Stones: Stepped Urban Terraces of Sardis in the Late 7th and Early 6th Centuries BCE

Urban terraces played a crucial role in imposing order upon the vibrant topography of the Lydian capital Sardis. The monumental urban terraces built in the 6th century BCE during the reign of King Croesus created palatial podiums overlooking the lower city. These terraces are characterized by high-rise platform structures that transformed entire hills into standalone cubical podiums, an architectural model that has become emblematic of Lydian terraces. However, ongoing field research in Sardis continues to reveal the extensive history of monumental terracing dating back to the Early Bronze Age, showcasing conceptual continuities along with varied construction practices throughout this history. In this article, I present urban terraces constructed as shorter stepped platforms during the late 7th and earlier 6th centuries BCE. By highlighting their shared spatial, architectural, and stylistic characteristics, I argue that these stepped terraces indicate the presence of a sophisticated terracing system during the reign of King Alyattes in Sardis and that they represent a significant step in the technical development of high-rise platform terraces constructed a generation later.