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©The Archaeological Settlements of Turkey - TAY Project
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Girikihaciyan |
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For site maps and drawings please click on the picture...  |
For photographs please click on the photo...  |
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Type:
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Mound |
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Altitude:
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750 m |
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Region:
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Southeastern Anatolia |
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Province:
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Diyarbakir |
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District:
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Ergani |
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Village:
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Ekinciler |
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Investigation Method:
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Excavation |
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Period:
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Early |
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| Location: The site lies in Diyarbakir; approximately 20 km southeast of Ergani District; approximately 1 km east of Ekinciler Village (Asagi Ekinciyan); northeast of Ergani-Diyarbakir road. Ergani-Diyarbakir railway passes southwest of the mound. It is also known as Gerikihaciyan or Girikhaciyan. The location code of the site is R 56 / 25. |
| Geography and Environment: The 3 m high mound is located northeast of the broad Diyarbakir Plain; which is irrigated by Bogazçay and extends from Ergani to Diyarbakir with a pass to the North Syria Valley at the south. The mound; 175 m in diameter (250 m maximum); is used for agriculture in the present; and there are small fresh water springs around it. There are low hills covered with oaks at the northeast; and bushes at the west [Watson-Le Blanc 1990:5]. |
| History: |
| Research and Excavation: The mound was discovered during the surface surveys jointly conducted by the Prehistory Department of the University of Istanbul and Chicago Oriental Institute for the Southeastern Anatolia Prehistoric Researches Project in 1963. After the systematic surface collections in 1968; excavations were conducted by P.J. Watson and C. Reedman in the same year. A second excavation season lasted 3 weeks in 1970 [Çambel-Braidwood 1980:23; Watson-LeBlanc 1990:1-4]. It takes place in the registered archaeological sites list prepared by Ministry of Culture and Tourism. |
| Stratigraphy: Two main phases; named as upper and lower settlement levels; were revealed; and they are dated to the Post Halafian (Epi / Post Halafian) and Late Halafian Periods. |
| Small Finds: Architecture: Epi/Post Halafian: The architecture of this period's settlement is not known. The only identified remain is a 60 cm thick stone wall in the north-south direction. The cultural deposit contains sherds; animal bones; annd wastes. In addition; some holes and floors were revealed. Some of the holes are paved. Halafian: The Halafian architecture of Girikihaciyan is represented by the round structures (tholos) usually with rectangular frontal annex (dromos) with stone foundations. There is only one example suggesting a rectangular structure at the Halafian settlement except for the straight walls found at the Post-Halafian levels. However; the round structure of this building may belong to a big rectangular annex in the unexcavated area. Pise or mud-brick traces at the profiles provide clues about the upper structure. The existence of hearths and sherds inside the structures suggest that they were used as dwellings. The diameter of the tholoi range from 2.25 to 4.5 m and there is no clue for assuming that the dromoi had a seperat purpose. One of the best preserved tholoi (no:1) is observed to have stone foundation and and upper construction of mud. It is approximately 4.5 m in diameter; and its floor was renovated four times. It is observed to be partly damaged by a later pit. The roof and the walls collapsed and filled the structure after it was deserted. Although the plan of tholos no:2 is not very clear; it has a rectangular fore-room; that was damaged. A plastered floor; renovated two times and a hearth are existent. The tholos no:3 with a rectangular fore-room was revealed well-preserved. The diameter of the round structure of another tholos (no:4) with a dromos is more than 4 m. The compacted earth floor was observed to be renovated two times; and traces of fire were found. There is a hearth on the floor. The round structures (no:6 and 7) were revealed at the same area on top of each other. The structure no:6 is later than the other; approximately 3.5 m in diameter; and its floor is plastered. The structure no:7 is the smallest round structure. The inner diameter measures 2.25 m. This structure was thought to be a storage when compared to the others; but this is not certain yet. The tholos no:8 was damaged by an Epi / Post Halafian pit. It has a white plastered floor; and a stone floor functioning as a courtyard. The tholoi with dromos are dominant at the Halafian architecture of Girirkihaciyan. In addition; a thin; long; rectangular structure was revealed. However; it was not clear whether this was an independent rectangular house or a dromos; whose tholos was located at the unexcavated area. 6 m long dromos is the longest one [Watson-LeBlanc 1990:31-40]. Pottery: Painted wares of the previous Halafian Phase are very rare in the Epi/Post Halafian pottery; and the plain wares are diffferent in form and techniques. Thin straw-tempered; gray or beige; coarse wares are dominant at this phase. Forms are round bowls; open and closed jars. Lugs and small handles are also existent. The characteristics of Halafian settlement pottery are: very thin sand or sand and plant tempering in fine wares; sand particles in various sizes and straw in coarse wares. Of the two main form groups; consisting of bowls; plates; and different kinds of forms; the first one was slipped on both faces; while the exterior face of the jars is completely slipped and the inner face is slipped up to the shoulder. Most of them are burnished. Halafian painted and unpainted plain wares make up the main pottery groups. Although the painted vessels are not many; they are typical. Plain wares are five times more than the painted vessels in number of sherds. The painted vessels are buff; reddish brown or black colored and matt-painted except for one white painted example. Geometrical and symbolic decorated vessels make up two main groups. Geometrical decorations are known with line; band; zigzag; wave; circle; dot patterns; and the mixture of all these. The symbolic decorations; rare and usually stylized; are animals (usually bull); and plants. Besides the common bowls and jars; the forms of the painted vessels are ovoid vessels; miniature vessels; fruit-stands; vessels with ring bases; spouts; and lids. Unpainted plain ware is very similar to the painted vessels especially in bowl forms; the usage of incised and relief decorations on the plain ware is the difference. Pointille decorated sherds are reported to be typical for Epi/Post Halafian Period. The 83 sherds; that are dark red painted over dark gray or reddish brown; and thin incised decorated; are reported to be imported [Watson-LeBlanc 1990:41-80]. Clay: Clay objects recovered from one of the jars in tholos no:4 of Halafian settlement are thought to be used for heating liquids; but they are interpretated as sling stones. Human; animal figurines; head and body pieces of such figurines were recovered besides the clay spoon and seal. Only one spindle-whorl is decorated. Circular and pierced sherds; and seive pieces are the other clay finds [Watson-LeBlanc 1990:103- 108]. Chipped Stone: Backed crescent and trapezoid tools are typical for Epi/Post Halafian chipped stone industry. The silica sheen is observed on some of them. All of them are made of flintstone. The major raw material of Halafian chipped stone industry is flintstone. 30% is obsidian. It is interesting that obsidian was especially used in blade making. The nonexistence of obsidian cortex; cortex flaking pieces; and wastes show that the obsidian was brought to Girikihaciyan as a tool; half-worked or finished. However; the used flintstone material is observed to be local; and not of good quality. There are scrapers and burins; but no arrowheads. The silica sheen is observed on a few tools [Watson-LeBlanc 1990:81-87]. Ground Stone: Upper and lower grinding stones (in situ in tholos no:4); mortars and pestles; mace heads; stone vessels; rings; flat axes; beads; and pendents were recovered from the Halafian settlement of Girikihaciyan. The raw material of the beads is limestone or green stone; and almost all grinding stones are made of bazalt [Watson-LeBlanc 1990:97-103]. Bone / Antler: There are three groups of bone tools recovered from the Late Halafian settlement: Spatulas with rounded tips made of ribs and flat bones were probably used for working leather. Two kinds of awls: thin and long; short and stubby; and deep; short grooved; and burnished tools are existent. In addition; two pins; and a pierced animal tooth were found [Watson-LeBlanc 1990:87-94]. Human Remains: The recovered three whole; and one damaged skeletons suggest some rules in the burial tradition of Girikihaciyan. The heads look towards east; the bodies are in the east-west direction; and burials are observed to be flexed. There are no grave goods near the dead. One of them is a 25-40 years old man; the other is a 6-7 years old girl; and the third one is a 3 years old infant; whose gender could not be understood. The age and the gender of the last skeleton that was damaged could not be identified [Watson-LeBlanc 1990:121-122]. Fauna: The domestic animals of the Late Halafian settlement are sheep (Ovis aries); goat (Capra hircus hircus); cattle (Bos taurus); dog (Canis familiaris); and pig (Sus scrofa). The wild animals are sheep (Ovis orientalis); goat (Capra hircus aegagrus); red deer (Cervus elaphas); wild donkey (Equus heminonous); red fox (Vulpes vulpes); rabbit (Lepus sp.); and turtle (Testudo graeca). In addition; fresh water Crustacea; birds; gnawing animals; fish; and bones of small carnivoures were recovered [Watson-LeBlanc 1990:109-120]. Flora: According to the carbonized flora recovered from the Halafian deposits; emmer wheat (Triticum dicoccum) is dominant among the grains; and it is followed by barley (Hordeum cf. Distichum). Although less in number; einkorn wheat (Triticum monococcum) is also existent. Fruits like peanut; almond; and various plants were collected besides the leguminous plants such as lentil; bitter vetch; and chickpea. The existence of the domestic cattle indicates the use of plow in agriculture [van Zeist 1981:75-80; Watson-LeBlanc 1990:134]. |
| Remains: |
| Interpretation and Dating: The Halafian settlement of Girikihaciyan is a small village with a population of approximately 200-500 people; who were cultivating and stockbreeding in the 5th Millennium BC. The cultural characteristics of Girikihaciyan indicate the commercial relationships with Halafian centers; and that Girikihaciyan was influenced by Halafian culture. A 14C example taken from the Epi/Post Halafian cultural deposit dates to the 6465+-100 BP. The excavators of Girikihaciyan think that the settlement might be developed as good as Halafian or even better than Halafian settlements; when this one sample from the upper level is considered. The 14C dates from the Halafian deposit are 6805+-45 and 6950+-45 BP. According to the typical pottery of Halafian culture; Girikihaciyan dates to the Late Halafian Phase; and according to the 14C dates; Halafian and Post-Halafian settlement lasted approximately 200-500 years [Watson-LeBlanc 1990:39; 64]. |
