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©The Archaeological Settlements of Turkey - TAY Project
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Sabuniye |
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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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m |
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Region:
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Mediterranean |
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Province:
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Hatay |
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District:
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Samandag |
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Village:
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Sutasi |
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Investigation Method:
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Excavation |
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Period:
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| Location: This site is 20 km off of Antakya city centre on a natural hill known as Hisarlıtepe on the West extension of Saman Mountain (Sem'an Mountain). It is within the limits of Sutaşı Locality of Samandağ Suburb [Pamir-Nishiyama 2011:299]. |
| Geography and Environment: The modern settlement covers the East, South and West of the mound. About 1 km at the East of the mound Orontes River makes a deep curve where the mountains rest and delta flatlands start. The morphologic structure of the area shows that after the river reaches the delta flatland the riverbed enlarges and the river stretches to an area which resembles a half-moon. The Mutayran Creek which flows through the North and West sides of the mound merges with Orontes Rives after 1.5 km in the Northwest. Sabuniye reaches to 5 km Northeast of Al Mina which is another well-known Iron Age harbour settlement that is 6 km away from the Mediterranean shores. The natural hill that the mound is built upon is the first significant height on the delta flatland of the Orontes River [Pamir-Nishiyama 2011:299-300]. |
| History: |
| Research and Excavation: Sabuniye Mound was registered as OS 12 initially in the Amik Valley Project carried out by Oriental Institute of University of Chicago in 1999-2000, and then after 2002 under the name of Orontes Delta Archaeology Project carried out in Samandağ. The mound was first discovered and excavated by British archaeologist Sir Leonard Wolley during 1936. However an excavation report wasn't authored. During 1999-2000 a heavy survey is carried out while in 2004 cleaning up and sketching studies are held in Southeast and Southwest. After 2008 the mound is excavated by Hatice Pamir from Mustafa Kemal University and Shin'ichi Nishiyama from University Cyber [Pamir-Nishiyama 2011.299-300]. |
| Stratigraphy: Different layers of the mound that are from different periods including Last Bronze Age II, Iron Age I-II, Akhamenid Period, and Hellenistic period are defined as a result of the studies of surface scan and cross-section clean up [Pamir-Nishiyama 2011:300]. |
| Small Finds: Pottery: Few pieces of red coated pottery that are from Iron Age are captured in 2008 in Trench A. The imported samples that belong to Iron Age found in Trench B consist of black and white painted vessels over red coating that belong to Cyprus geometry. Iron Age I and II local vessels include Iron Age I monochrome and bi-chrome vessels, and other material captured in Trench B. Iron Age II pottery samples are found in Trench E and F which started to be excavated in 2009 [Pamir-Nishiyama 2011:300-307]. |
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