|
©The Archaeological Settlements of Turkey - TAY Project
|
|
|
|
|
|
Arindi Baraji |
|
|
For site maps and drawings please click on the picture...  |
For photographs please click on the photo...  |
|
Type:
|
Water Construction |
|
Altitude:
|
m |
|
Region:
|
Eastern Anatolia |
|
Province:
|
Van |
|
District:
|
Gürpinar |
|
Village:
|
Arindi |
|
Investigation Method:
|
Survey |
|
Period:
|
Middle Iron Age |
|
|
|
  |
|
| It is located in the Arindi Village (former Sel) of the Gürpinar District, 88 km southeast of Van. The reservoir which is 2570 m high above the sea level and the Arindi Village represent a typical upland settlement. With a diameter of around 125-130 m, the reservoir has an oval plan. The water accumulating in the reservoir is brought by a channel opened into the soil from Yukari Kaynak which originates from the high hills, 1-1.5 km to the south. The reservoir's wall was erected with large calcerous stones, of which outer surfaces were roughly dressed. As the soil which silted up the reservoir was cleared and pile on the wall, the width of the wall varies from 7.5 to 13 m. With an elliptical plan, the wall enclosed three sides of the reservoir, except for the southern section. The height of the wall also varies depending on the inclination of the land. For example, the height of the floodgate reaches up to 2.8 m while it gets reduced down to 1 m at some points. During the repairworks carried out by the villagers, cement was used as bonding material between the stones only on the eastern section facing the reservoir. It appears that other walls have survived to the present day without any damage. The mid-size floodgate measures 60x70 cm in dimensions. The Arindi reservoir has been still used with the repairworks carried out in time. The reservoir has been used for irrigation of wide cultivating areas, particularly for lucerne and meadows. Illicit diggings around the reservoir have resulted in grave damage to many Urartian graves. A majority of finds uncovered from these graves were sold to the Museum of Van. The finds are mostly from the 8th century BC. Relatively small floodgate indicates that it belongs to an earlier date, which in turn proves that the reservoir dates back to the 8th century BC. |
| Location: |
| Geography and Environment: |
| History: |
| Research and Excavation: |
| Stratigraphy: |
| Small Finds: |
| Remains: |
| Interpretation and Dating: |
