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©The Archaeological Settlements of Turkey - TAY Project
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Alan Höyük |
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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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1070 m |
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Region:
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Central Anatolia |
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Province:
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Konya |
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District:
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Beysehir |
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Village:
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Merkez |
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Investigation Method:
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Survey |
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Period:
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Ceramic |
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| Location: This site lies south of the Beysehir-Akseki highway; 3 km west of the village of Karadiken; west of the town of Beysehir; southwest of the city of Konya. |
| Geography and Environment: The northern part of the mound; which once lay on the narrow plain immediately south of Beysehir Lake; is now beneath the Beysehir-Akseki highway. This destruction exposed a small cross section of the mound. The streamlets that spring from Mount Ovacik water this plain. The mound lies on a natural 700x250 m wide hillock. There is a swamp in the area formed by the abundant water sources. The mound is approximately 100 m in diameter and 3.5-4 m high. Although there is probably a local name for the mound; we have chosen to abide by the name "Alan Höyük"; given by the discoverer; Alan Hall. |
| History: |
| Research and Excavation: The site; which was discovered in 1967 by A. Hall; has been a focus among many researchers working on the Neolithic in southwest Anatolia; such as Mellaart and Todd. |
| Stratigraphy: Mellaart reports that there are five occupational phases in the area of the mound cross-sectioned by the road. This number has not been validated by archaeological excavations. |
| Small Finds: Architecture: Mellaart notes that mudbrick walls and red plastered floors could be seen in the section. Pottery: Dark burnished and dark reddish-brown ware was collected both from the surface and from the cross-section. The closed vessel form burnished in this fashion resembles ceramics from Çatalhöyük East. Some of the red burnished ware; on the other hand; suggests that this site may have been a Late Neolithic settlement such as Ilicapinar and Hacilar. Chipped Stone: The rarity of chipped stone tools may be linked to the erosion the mound has faced. |
| Remains: |
| Interpretation and Dating: While some of the ceramics indicate that the settlement at this site was contemporaneous with Çatalhöyük East; others appear to date to a slightly later period [Todd 1980:131]. |
