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©The Archaeological Settlements of Turkey - TAY Project
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Müslümantepe |
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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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480 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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Bismil |
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Village:
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Sahintepe |
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Investigation Method:
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Excavation |
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Period:
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| Location: The site is located to the north of Sahintepe (Till Sahn) village in the district of Bismil in Diyarbakir province. |
| Geography and Environment: The mound is on a promontory projecting into the valley floor on the south bank of Tigris; separated from the mainland by a natural rocky outcrop with the appearance of a peninsula extending into the valley to its south. To the north and west it is bounded by Tigris; and to the east by Çölemezri Dere; which flows from the south and empties into Tigris after skirting the mound. The modern village begins from the southeastern slope of the hill. |
| History: |
| Research and Excavation: Müslümantepe was first visited by G. Algaze and his team during their survey of the Upper Tigris Valley. It was surveyed in 1999 by E. Ay from the University of Kirikkale; Faculty of Science; History Department and his team. The excavation was conducted in 2000 by a team under the direction of E. Ay with the financial support provided by METU-TAÇDAM. The excavations were taken over by the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Museums of Turkey in 2005. The studies are carried out in three areas: Müslümantepe, Hġristiyantepe and the graveyard [Ay et al. 2013:273]. The trenches named S, T, U, V, and Y are located in Müslümantepe; the trenches named DD, EE, FF, GG, HH, JJ, KK, LL, MM, NN, OO, and PP are in Hġristiyantepe and the trenches named C, D, E, F and G are in the graveyard. It takes place in the registered archaeological sites list prepared by Ministry of Culture and Tourism. |
| Stratigraphy: It appears that Müslümantepe was an important site as it was located in a transition area between the plain cultures of North Mesopotamia and mountain cultures of East Anatolia during several periods in addition to having a strategical location. Samples of Late Uruk, Nineveh 5, Metalic ware, Middle and Late Bronze Ages and Early Iron Age ceramics were collected from the surface [Ay 2001:695-696]. The graves uncovered during excavations provided evidence for the presence of a strong Early Bronze Age settlement at Müslümantepe. Architectural remains, which were unearthed in the cemetery area, probably dating to an earlier period than the graves indicate that Müslümantepe had also a large expansion area during the Chalcolithic Age [Ay 2004:377]. Apart from the cone of the mound that is preserved up to date, the settlement covers an area of 20 hectares. However, the northern section of the mound was entirely damaged due to soil removal and floods. During the studies conducted in the field near Tigris River, about 60 m north of the cone of the mound, a cultural layer of about 2 m thick was revealed. The human remains found during the agricultural activities in the surrounding area show that the 2nd millennium BC and Late IA Müslümantepe spread over a large area. It is believed that the layers belonging to Late IA and later periods remained under the modern village settlement. The foundation excavations and sounding studies also support this argument [Ay et al. 2013:274]. In Hġristiyantepe, a stepped trench was opened in the northwest corner of the mound in order to understand the stratigraphic development in 2005. The potsherds dated to Ubaid Period were found in Trench DD 11 [Ay et al. 2013:277-8]. |
| Small Finds: Architecture: The mud brick walls of a monumental building were exposed in the trenches of LL 18, 20 and 21 - K 18 in the Hġristiyantepe excavation area in 2015. In the building, Ninevite V pottery and Metallic Ware, and a Sumerian type pin with axehead were found. A building complex with 3 rooms in the east-west direction was revealed in the area outside the monumental building in the trenches of JJ and KK 18-19. Ninevite V pottery, metallic and Kura-Araxes wares were found in these rooms. In the trenches of HH 18-19, a revetment wall, the outer face of which is built with stone and filled with rubble consisting of a high density of bone fragments and potsherds, was exposed. The finds revealed from the revetment wall belong to the transition period of 4th to 3rd millennium BC. A building with red mud brick leaning against this revetment wall was determined [Ay et al. 2013:277]. Pottery: The grave goods mainly consist of footed bowls known as "Chalica Ware" and Ninevite V plain pottery and metallic ware. These ceramics represent the Early Dynatic Period I and II. "Chalica Ware" and Ninevite V are dated to the Early Dynastic Period I and Ninevite V and metallic ware are dated to the Early Dynastic Period II. The "Dark Rim" and "Red-Brown Wash" wares seen in the 2nd millennium BC continued to be used during the 3rd millennium BC [Ay et al. 2013:279-80]. Human Remains: In 2007, an intramural burial in pot was found beneath the foundation level in the west of the monumental building in Hġristiyantepe. The pot dated to the 3rd millennium BC is with white-painted decoration. The burial belongs to an infant. In Trench KK 19, 3 hound skeletons were found in situ [Ay et al. 2013:277]. The studies carried out in the graveyard yielded cist graves, jar burials and simple earth graves. The cist graves were generally used during the Early Dynastic Period. The grave goods consist of ceramics and a few mace-headed bronze pins decorated with spiral grooves. All of the jar burials, except two, are cremation burials [Ay et al. 2013:279]. |
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