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©The Archaeological Settlements of Turkey - TAY Project
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Hocaçesme |
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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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60 m |
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Region:
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Marmara |
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Province:
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Edirne |
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District:
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Enez |
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Village:
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Yenice |
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Investigation Method:
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Excavation |
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Period:
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Ceramic |
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| Location: The site lies south-southwest of Edirne; 4 km southeast of Enez District; north of the fountain (known as Hocaçesme or Çobançesme); at the north side of the road after 2 km from Yenice Village. |
| Geography and Environment: It is a small mound; measuring 70x80 m in diameter. It is located at the edge of an approximately 300 m long natural ridge (for detailed information see. Harmankaya et al. 1997:Hocaçesme). The mound is located at the starting of Maritsa delta; extending from Enez to Middle Thrace and Bulgaria. |
| History: |
| Research and Excavation: The mound; discovered by S. Basaran in 1984; was excavated by M. Özdogan in 1990 as a part of Enez Excavation. An area approximate area 700 meter squares was excavated. The finds provided considerable data for the uncovering of the preliminary phases of production in Northern Marmara. |
| Stratigraphy: The site; for the moment; is the oldest site found in Thracian Turkey. A wide area (700 square meters) was exposed in the excavations. A total of 7 layers; assigned to 4 periods according to their 14C dates; were discovered at the site: Layer 1: Phase 1 Layer 2-4: Phase 2 Layer 5-6: Phase 3 Layer 7: Phase 4 |
| Small Finds: Architecture: Phase 4: The earliest settlers on this rock outcrop leveled and remodeled the area as necessary [Özdogan 199:185]. In addition to two large 20 m deep shelters; each with a 4.5 m diameter; several 30 cm deep post holes lined in a circular plan for hut-like structures were found carved into the rock outcrop. One of the most important characteristics of this structure are the enclosure/fortification walls they built around their village. Remains of this enclosing wall were found in the northern and eastern part of the mound. The western part of the mound; where there is a steep 5-6 m high drop off; provides natural protection and requires no additional construction. On the southern part of the mound; on the other hand; no remains of an enclosing wall were found and it is not clear whether one was ever built. These walls appear to be constructed with carelessly placed irregular stones; although larger ones were selected to line the interior face. The wall is 1 m thick and has been preserved to a height of 1 m. There is no doubt that this enclosing wall was for fortification. The inner face of the enclosing wall also functioned as an open-shed area because there are post holes carved into the wall which line up with the ones on the face of the rock outcrop and with the 1.5 m thick leveled rock areas. The village within the enclosed wall was comprised of hut-like structures and storage pits. Phase 3: The enclosure walls continue into this phase. The plastered floor fragments; pits and small hearths suggesting that the structures in this phase were round were found. These houses are also 4 and 5 meters in diameter. Phase 2: In addition to the continuation of similar architectural features such as round houses and enclosure walls; in this phase traces of southeast Anatolian building styles were found. Excavation yielded rectangular houses made with mudbricks and twig walls with plastered inner faces. In addition to the structures; domed ovens; and storage areas for clay plaster were found. Pottery: Phase 4: This phase yielded Red; Fine Black; Coarse Black; Hard and Mottled ware types. The most common ware type in this phase is the carefully made thin walled red burnished ware. Phase 3: In this phase; in addition to the ware types in Phase 4; Thin Breakable Ware; Buff Coarse Ware; Mica Tempered Ware; Dark Red Ware and Clay Painted Ware types can be found. Black on Red Painted Ware with geometric decorations; characteristic of Proto-Sesklo (Thessaly) wares appears. This phase is a continuation of Phase 4. Phase 2: Red Burnished Ware continues in this phase while Reddish-Brown and Black Ware appears for the first time. The Red Burnished vessels also appear to become coarser. Red Slipped Black Ware is also new. Vessel shapes and forms are similar to phases 3 and 4. N. Karul; who analyzed the pottery from this site; reports that typologically the most common forms are the flaring vessels; vessels with slight bellies; "S" shaped vessels with flaring mouths; vessels with dominant necks; high flaring forms; and vessels with convex bodies. Clay Finds: In addition to pierced clay finds that appear in Phase 4 and Phase 2; a few figurines (including a squatting human figurine) and an ear plug were found. In phase three an "M" shaped human figurine was also found. Chipped Stone: The chipped stone finds in Phases 4-2 were completely different from the Epipalaeolithic in Thrace and at Fikirtepe-Pendik. The most characteristic tool type of this industry was the bifaced; retouched blades and scrapers on blades which narrow to a point. Fighting and hunting tools such as points and spear heads were also found [Karul 1994:28]. One of the pits dug into bedrock yielded several Epi-Gravette type tools [Erzen 1994:457]. Until further excavations are conducted in the Northern Marmara and Thrace Regions; these tools are compared with the chipped stone industry of the Bulgarian Early Neolithic. Ground Stone: In addition to grinding stones; celts; figurines and some shallow rounded stone bowls were found in Phase 4 and fragments of a rectangular fruit-stand-like stone bowls were recovered in Phase 2. Bone/Antler: One of the most characteristic finds from the site of Hocaçesme are the long stemmed; wide and shallow spoon-like spatulas which were recovered in Phases 4 and 2. These type tools can be found in a wide ranging area and at sites such as Ilipinar; Fikirtepe. and sites of the Balkan Neolithic. In phases 3 and 4; awls and many putty-knife-like tools were found. Fauna: The analysis of the animal bones determined that all animals were domesticated; that sheep was eaten more in the lower phases and that pig was an important part of their subsistence. Faunal remains of hunted animals are rare. Other: Some necklaces made from pierced shells and other beads were found. |
| Remains: |
| Interpretation and Dating: Phases 3 and 4 of Hocaçesme compare with the end phases of Fikirtepe; Layer 5 of Yarimburgaz; Coskuntepe; maybe Kumtepe Ia in the Marmara Region as well as Kuruçay Levels 11-13; Hacilar V-I in the Göller (Lakes) Region. When compared with the Balkans; they resemble Pre and Proto-Sesklo; Nea Nikomedia and Frankti; Phase I [Karul 1994:194]. Phase 2; however; is contemporaneous with Karanovo Phases I-II. In these lower phases; there is evidence that the earliest farmers in the Balkans came from Anatolia. A 14C date taken from Phase 4 dates to 7;200±180 BP; while a sample taken from Phase 3 dates to 7;135±270 BP and 6;960±65 BP. |
