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©The Archaeological Settlements of Turkey - TAY Project
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Gedikli / Karahöyük |
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Type:
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Mound |
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Altitude:
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540 m |
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Region:
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Mediterranean |
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Province:
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Gaziantep |
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District:
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Nurdagi |
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Village:
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Gedikli |
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Investigation Method:
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Excavation |
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Period:
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| Location: It is partly obscured by the village it was named after; 23-24 km northeast of the Islahiye District; northwest of the Gaziantep Province. Although it is locally known as Karahöyük; it is referred to as Gedikli in the archaeological literature to prevent any confusion with the other settlements called Karahöyük. |
| Geography and Environment: Gedikli Karahöyük is one of the biggest mounds of the plain. It measures 24 m in height and 240x190 m in dimensions. The eastern and western foothills and northern slope have been severely damaged due to removal of soil. The cemetery on the southeastern foothill came out as a result of such damage. |
| History: |
| Research and Excavation: Gedikli-Karahöyük was first mentioned in R. Koldewey's map. In 1907; the site was considered among the mounds of Sakçagözü by J. Garstang. Later in 1949; it was metioned in the same way by M.V. Seton-Willams; J. Waechter and J. du Plat Taylor; who were conducting soundings in Coba Höyük. In 1951 S. Gögüs; the director of Gazintep Museum; collected more thin 10 vessels from the eastern section of the mound that was destructed by removing earth. The vessels were taken to the museum and this section was later understood to be a cemetery. The first scientific excavation was carried out in 1958 under U.B. Alkim of University of Istanbul. The researches continued in 1963 and the mound was excavated again in 1964-67. Gedikli excavations are researches conducted to help the evaluation of Tilmen Höyük and the vicinity [Alkim-Alkim 1966:2; Alkim (H.) 1979:135]. It takes place in the registered archaeological sites list prepared by Ministry of Culture and Tourism. |
| Stratigraphy: The upper layers of Gedikli include Turkish; Islamic; Byzantine; Roman and Hellenistic Periods. Underlying these layers are: Cultural layer I; including the first millennium BC; Cultural layer II; represented by second millennium BC Syrian painted ware and Habur type ceramics; Cultural layer III with 14 sub-phases belonging to EBA; and over the virgin soil Cultural layer IV dating to the Chalcolithic (IV a-f) [Alkim-Alkim 1966:6; Orthmann 1968/69:140; Alkim (H.) 1979:136]. |
| Small Finds: Architecture: The stepped trench on the northeasterh slope of the mound; which was oriented towards the identification of the stratigraphy; Layer IV has yielded no architectural remains dating to the Chalcolithic [Alkım-Alkım 1966:11]. Floors paved with ceramics or soil were revealed. A few post holes may indicate that the architecture consisted of mud paved fence [Alkım 1968a:6; Alkım (H.) 1970:7; 1979:138]. Pottery: The pottery of Level IV is known with the Obeid-like painted ware; which are the common ceramic group of Chalcolithic North Syria. The second group consists of cooking pots. In IVa Ninevite 5 type ceramics are observed. The EBA levels have yielded a mall number of Obeid-like painted ware with fine mineral temper; red and beige paste and generilly beige slip. The decorations are in black; brown; and red; and in some cases two colors were used together. The vessels are neatly made ard formed with fast-turning wheel. Bowls are the most common forms. The other forms include a small number of plates; small jars; and pots. The hand-made cooking pots are grit; sand; and plant tempered and have coarse paste. They are gray and gray-black in color and rarely slipped. The forms consist of spherical jars. Single or double handles are seen. Ovalish and carinated jars are also available. Another group includes red ceramics with groove; paint and notched decorations. The ceramics belonging to the second group were used for paving the floors of IVa structures. Some differences can be observed in the last two phases of Layer IV: Wheel-made plain ceramics with different paste and forms appear. This phase and the pottery of Level III are evaluated as a transitional phase [Alkım 1968b:40; Alkım (H.) 1979:137-138]. |
| Remains: |
| Interpretation and Dating: According to the Chalcolithic ceramics of Level IV; Gedikli can be related to Sakçagözü (IV a and b); Amuq E; Tarsus Late Chalcolithic and Yumuktepe XVI-XIIb; and Malatya and Keban regions to the north [Alkım (H.) 1979:137]. |
