©The Archaeological Settlements of Turkey - TAY Project

Hayaz Höyük

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Hayaz Höyük
Type:
 Mound
Altitude:
 380 m
Region:
 Southeastern Anatolia
Province:
 Adiyaman
District:
 Samsat
Village:
 Hayaz
Investigation Method:
 Excavation
Period:
 EBA III EBA I

     

Location: This site lay south of the city of Adiyaman; 17 km west of the town of Samsat; and beneath the village of Hayaz; which has since been flooded by the Atatürk Dam Lake. It was very difficult to reach this village before it was flooded by the dam lake. The road from Samsat used to end at Kalburcu Stream.
Geography and Environment: Before the Atatürk Dam Lake was formed; this mound-site lay at the confluence of the Euphrates and Kalburcu Stream. The mound was on the flanks of a natural hill known as Herik Tepe along the Euphrates. The village of Hayaz was located on the western and southern fringes of the mound. The modern inhabitants of this village resorted to the mound for stone and soil and partially destroyed it. It is 9 m high and has a base diameter of 90 m. Since there are no springs in the nearby vicinity; the inhabitants of this site must have used both Kalburcu Stream and the Euphrates as their water supply.
History:
Research and Excavation: The site was discovered in 1975 during the Lower Euphrates Survey conducted in the region expected to be flooded by the Karakaya and Atatürk Dams by a team under the direction of Ü. Serdaroglu [Serdaroglu 1977:177; fig.43;47]. M. Özdogan of the Department of Prehistoric Archaeology of the University of Istanbul conducted a survey on the mound in 1977 [Özdogan 1977:144]. Many Neolithic chipped stone tools were found in the sections exposed in the areas damaged by the villagers. Excavations at the mound were conducted under the direction of J. Roodenberg of the Istanbul Dutch Institute of Archaeology; for four seasons between 1979-1983; excluding 1982. Since the village was not easily accessible and there was a modern settlement above the mound; the excavation was continued with difficulty until 1983. The mound is famous for its Aceramic Neolithi Age finds.
Stratigraphy: 4 layers were identified during the excavation; Layer 1: Byzantine/Middle Age Layer 2: Iron Age/Middle Bronze Age (?) (a mixed period) Layer 3: EBA III-II Layer 4: Aceramic Neolithic Age The square FG yielded EBA settlements starting from the third building level above the 5th-4th building levels revealing sherds of Chalcolithic Age. The EBA layer is reported to be of ca. 3.5 m (?) thick [Roodenberg 1981:93]. The layer has two building levels. The lower level yielded architectural remains with complete plans overlaid by a building level of atelier and artefacts. The eastern part of the hill was also used as a cemetery during the latest EBA settlement.
Small Finds: Architecture: The earliest of EBA building levels yielded a rectangular building with a niche on the northern wall. It is entered from the northwestern corner. The stone walls of this 4.5x7.5 m single-roomed structure are 60 cm thick [Roodenberg 1982:fig.3]. Only a portion of 30 cm high survived to present day. No evidence was obtained to clarify the function of this building standing on the bedrock. There are great garbage pits on the lower level. The upper building level didn't yield any architectural remains; but some fragments of floor and ruins of a horseshoe-like hearth. Pottery: Only the finds of squares FG and FF recovered from the surface and building levels of this period were examined in detail by L.C. Thissen [Thissen 1984:75-130]. This study divided the finds into 9 groups of ware; and percentages were calculated as a result of counting the sherds. EBA starts from the building level 3 of the square FG. The building levels 2 and 3 of this trench yielded samples of the straw-faced ware; the simple plain ware; the red-black burnished ware; the Karababa painting decorated ware specific to the region of the Atatürk Dam; the sandy ware and the washed ware with calcite tempered paste. The straw-face ware largely found at Chalcolithic Age (levels 5-4) decrease in quantity through the upper levels [Thissen 1984:table 7]. The characteristic ware of the EBA building levels at Hayaz is the simple plain ware. It reaches to 49 % in total; and likes of a plate; an early sample of this ware; and a small bowl are found at Phase G of the Amuq Plain. Samples of low ring bases; out-rolling rimmed ware are limited in number [Roodenberg 1981:fig.3/1-7; Thissen 1984:fig.5/15-27]. Red-black burnished ware; as it is called in the Amuq Plain; is same as the Karaz ware of Eastern Anatolia. Although little; local differences are observed between the two regions. They are found at phase H and I of the Amuq Plain. However; the decorated ware has distinctive typical characteristics than the proceeding type. Although the ware called Karababa painted ware by Thissen resembles the painted ware of the Keban region; it is slightly different from the painted ware of the Karakaya region. It can be regarded as a local ware [Roodenberg 1981:fig.3/4]. This ware was found in large quantities at Hayaz. They are handmade; burnished in dark brown on a yellowish green wash and painting decorated. It was also found at Asagi Hamili; Gritille; Samsat and Lidar Höyük in the vicinity. The sandyware is also handmade; but represented by a few samples only. Bone/Antler: Awls and five heads belonging to this age were recovered [Clason 1984:43]. Fauna: Buitenhuis examined the animal bones of Hayaz and reported that the inhabitants of Hayaz ate domesticated sheep; goat; cattle and pig. Not much was found for the hunted animals [Buitenhuis 1994:68]. Human Remains: The building levels of EBA yielded 2 simple pit burials and a chamber grave with an anterior room (grave UA ). The contracted dead were buried into the simple pit burials in hocker position. Belonging to the lower level; the grave pit was opened into the virgin soil. Finds like stone pallet and copper/bronze shroud pin left beside the burials evidence that the grave goods were placed from the lower level [Roodenberg 1982:fig.2]. The hypoge (underground grave chamber) shown as UA is entered from a corridor/entrance hall 120 m in width and 145 m in depth [Roodenberg 1981:7; fig.7-8]. The top of this entrace is suggested to be open during the years the cemetery was used. The anterior chamber was embanked with earth and residues after it was decided not to inter more burials. The corridor is separated from the chamber grave by a standing big stone. It was; in fact; placed to block the entrance to the chamber grave. The chamber grave measures 3x1.4x1 m; lower than the anterior chamber. It is almost in the east-west direction. The walls of the grave were built by placing the stones vertically and horizontally on a foundation of small calcareous stones. The stones were attached by earth mortar. It was capped by wide limestone plates. The floor is of compressed soil. Inside; 12 disarticulated skeletons were found. They couldn't be assembled because of the decay. The excavator claims that this is a mass burial and when the new burials were interred; the grave was re-arranged. It is rich in grave goods [Roodenberg 1981:94]. A total of 40 intact cups was recovered accompanied with eight shroud pins with a rounded head in copper/bronze; a copper needle; five copper bracelets; strings of tile; stone; bead and sea animal shells. All the vessels are of simple plain ware. Among them are spouted vessels; bottles; sauceboats; goblet-like footed cups and teapots.
Remains:
Interpretation and Dating: Even tough the Hayaz Höyük was excavated only to illuminate the settlement of Aceramic Neolithic Age; it contributed to the cult architecture of the region during EBA. The Southern Anatolia region yielded rich examples of both cist graves and chamber graves in the recent years. The UA grave of Hayaz is one of them. It was dated to the end of the third millennium BC; first century of the second millennium BC; ca. 2100-1900 BC on the basis of the finds. The main EBA settlement was probably lying beneath the modern village. Since the village houses couldn't be expropriated; this layer couldn't have been brought to light in detail.


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