©The Archaeological Settlements of Turkey - TAY Project

Kömürcü / Kaletepe

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Kömürcü / Kaletepe
Type:
 Workshop
Altitude:
 1560 m
Region:
 Central Anatolia
Province:
 Nigde
District:
 Çiftlik
Village:
 Kömürcü
Investigation Method:
 Excavation
Period:
 AP OP

     

Location: This site lies in the Nigde province; north of the village of Kömürcü; on a rocky hill behind the village known as Kaletepe. Kaletepe is located in the Central Anatolian volcanic region which is active since the Miocene Period. The volcanic activity which continued in the Quaternary Period; created the layered volcanoes of Erciyes; and Hasan Mountains; as well as the big rhyolite complexes of Acigöl; and Göllü Dag. The Kaletepe Paleolithic is located on the southeastern bank of Kömürcü; a seasonal stream [Balkan-Atli et al. 2007:126].
Geography and Environment: The obsidian tools found at the village of Kömürcü; nearby the obsidian sources; are remains of material which have been transported from the nearby obsidian workshops by natural agents. One of these nearby workshops is the in situ Kaletepe Atelier. The site; which covers a 150x150 m area; functioned as large obsidian working center. The region; now used as a agricultural area; is bounded by two streams on its northeast and another on its southwest [Cauvin-Balkan-Atli 1996:252-253]. The excavation area P is between the two streams; M is above the second stream on the north and the Palaeolithic excavation area is on the third stream flowing in the middle of the atelier.
History:
Research and Excavation: The site was discovered in 1993-95 during the obsidian surface survey in the Aksaray; Nigde; Nevsehir Provinces conducted under the leadership of N. Balkan-Atli of the University of Istanbul; Department of Prehistoric Archaeology and M.C. Cauvin of CNRS. After the 1996 systematic survey; it was excavated between 1997-2001. During these excavations; 10 soundings; 2 profiles and a 100 square meters trench were dug. In 2002; workshop studies were conducted directed towards publication. The excavation area P is between the two streams; M is above the second stream on the north and the Palaeolithic excavation area is on the third stream flowing in the middle of the atelier. In the atelier; the 9 m deep profile on the north and the soundings dug in 10 different locations have revealed numerous flaking areas in rapid succession. In addition; the excavations in area P have also dated this section back to Aceramic Neolithic and Palaeolithic. Flakes similar to Çatalöyük were found in area M. In the Palaeolithic excavation area in two sections; Layers I and II were investigated in two periods and Lower and Middle Palaeolithic materials were encountered in 7 layers. Virgin soil was not reached in this area. It takes place in the registered archaeological sites list prepared by Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
Stratigraphy: There 17 archaeological layers dated to Lower and Middle Palaeolithic in Kömürcü/Kaletepe which shows the evolution of Acheul culture. The survey finds contain Acheuléen and Levallois factors [Balkan-Atli et al. 2007:126]. The researches performed in the upper section in 2006 provided access to two more layers (upper VI and upper VI') this way the number of the layers reached to 19 [Balkan-Atlı et al. 2008:56].
Small Finds: Layer I: Debitage products related to Levallois production chain were encountered. Two different types of obsidian were user as raw material; black and opaque; and transparent and shady. The first type is accepted to be local while the second; which was used more abundantly; is not. Layer II: One horse jaw and one wild ox's tooth were found. Also 179 obsidian finds were encountered in situ. 11 finds indicate the production chain based on blade production. In this area 9% of the finds consists of tools. The retouches are mostly backed blades. Two plane-like tools and a basalt pebble shaped with vice-versa retouch were found. Layer IIa: It is immediately beneath Layer II and has yielded ony 33 finds. Layer III: This layer is separated from the upper layer with a significant blank and includes thick obsidian flakes. A few denticulated tools and one fish scale retouched core were collected. The production generally resembles Clactonien. Layer IV: It is right below the third layer. Obsidian is rarely seen; instead riyolite was preferred. The fact that almost all of the finds were massive riyolite; probably indicates that this layer is dated to the Lower Palaeolithic. A massive flake is an interesting find which might be gained using proto-Levellois technique. Level V: This is the lowest level and it can be distinguished from the other levels with the raw materials and techniques used. The main raw material is rhyolite. Obsidian was rarely used. A bifacial flake; a fish scale retouched side scraper and a handaxe were made of obsidian. This hand axe was made using the direct percussion technique and stone was used as hammer. Generally it can be described as between a hand axe and a chopping tool [Balkan-Atli - Binder 2003a:379-383]. According to some finds indicating the Levallois technology this layer can be dated to the Early Middle Palaeolithic. The techno-cultural models observed here are not known in the region [Balkan-Atli et al. 2003b:199-201]. A total of 1472 pieces of chip stones were recorded in 3D during the researches in 2005. Most of the finds were from the layer IV. The small group of finds from layer II contain a levallois flake; and a heavily touched Moustérien tip; or a scraper. All are obsidian. The layer three exhibits large flakes taken from massive blocks. The touched fragments are represented by serrations made by Clactonien notches; and some fishscale touched side scrapers. The serrations were only formed by Clactonien notches. Obsidian is the predominantly available raw material at the lower section of this layer; andesite and rhyolite were used more in the upper sections. A layer which may belong to a true archaeological layer; or a transition between III/IV layers; was identified during the 2005 researches; and determined that it bore a Clactonien structure. Layer IV exhibits finds as in the lower sections. It probably consists of chip stone finds among and under rhyolite blocks in a chaotic position; due to the collapse of a slope or a rock shelter. However the finds are in good condition. They were not badly effected from erosion; friction; or another geological factor. Local rhyolite and andesite were used as raw material in the layer IV which is the richest layer. Obsidian was rarely found. It may be stated that this layer's industry was flake production from bigger and smaller size cores. A massive and important knapping technique was observed in that layer. The majority of the tools consist of choppers; but it is often hard to tell the difference between a tool and a core. Besides this massive flake and tool knapping; another flake knapping technique was also observed which covered the very small flakes; and tools. The layer V contains Acheuléen elements; as in the Lower Section. But the raws material selection is different. Obsidian was frequently used in the Lower Section; when this material was never used in the layer V of the Upper Section [Balkan-Atli et al. 2007: 129-132]. The researches performed on an area of 18 sq.m. in 2006 revealed two more layers which were previously unknown (VIAm ve VI'Am) this way the number of the layers in the mound reached to 19. Although the layers IV; VAm; VIAm and VI'Am are again Acheul type these point out to the unknown characteristics of this large building complex. Polyhedral shaped fragments; choppers; two sided blades and axes are among the common found items. Although the layer IV is below both areas of Amont and Aval it contains characteristics that may be related to the Lower Palaeolithic Period at both areas; and the very early dated Levallois type accumulations found within layer VI'Am were found to be related with the Acheul type [http://cat.une.edu.au/page/kaletepe; 29.5.2008; 15:15]. Layers IV.; V.; VI. and VI'. tabakalar belong to the Acheuleen culture but these display different technical characteristics. In addition to the multi directional objects; choppers; double-faced blades and the hatchets. The layers IV. and V. contain extremely large (mega) cores. Some of these may be identified as hatchet cores [Balkan-Atlı et al. 2008:56]. Animal Remains: There are remains belonging to the horses; which probably killed by the hunters while they vere passing by the slopes of the volcano at the Mousterian layers near the skirt of Göllüdag.
Remains:
Interpretation and Dating: As far as dating is concerned under the light of the researches; only minimum and maximum dates may be given. The volcanic tuff between layer I; and layer II belong to the volcanic eruption of Acigöl; and approximately date to 160.000 BP (Mouralis et al. 2002; Mouralis 2003). Rhyolite that comprises the bedrock is dating to 1.000.000 based on the K-Ar method (Mouralis 2003) [Balkan-Atli et al. 2007:128]. The raw material preferences differ from one phase to the other in the long Palaeolithic sequence of Kaletepe. Obsidian comprises the majority of the finds in late layers (I; I'; II). Rough textured volcanic rocks like rhyolite; andesite; and rarer basalt were used more frequently in earlier layers; especially in layer IV; and V. But there is a difference observed between the two trenches. In general; obsidian was widely used in the lower trench; rough textured rocks were used more in the upper trench (Balkan-Atli et al. 2007:129). The touched tip; and the similar type of "completed tools" revealed in layer II; suggest that this location was not only kiln/workshop; but other activities were also performed [Balkan-Atli et al. 2007:130]. Layer III displays some similar characteristics with Yarimburgaz; and Karain lower layers (Yalçinkaya et al. 1992; Kuhn et al. 1996; Otte et al. 1998) [Balkan-Atli et al. 2007: 131]. The reconstructed two flakes; that were found side by side in layer IV; show that the layer preserved its originality. The presence of flake production from small and large cores in layer IV may be explained by the existence of a group of people with different technics; and behavioral patterns. It may as well be interpreted as a group with different technical objectives: on one hand they had very large flakes; or pillars; transported or brought from one place to another; on the other; very small tools that were left at where they belong after usage. But no matter what the relation was between those two attitudes and techniques; this layer belongs to Lower Palaeolithic; and not to the structure of Acheuléen. Kaletepe is the first protection zone to deliver finds in situ between the layers in terms of Acheuléen industry in Anatolia [Balkan-Atli et al. 2007:132]. The dating of the archaeological layers in Kaletepe is not complete. If the layer V and the lower layers are close to the date of the bedrock Kaletepe may represent the earliest Acheuléen group aside from Africa. This situation is extraordinary important for the last hypothesis on the dispersion of the Acheuléen technologies in Eurasia (Carbonell et al. 1999; Goren-Inbar et al. 2000; Anton and Swisher 2004) [Balkan-Atli et al. 2007:133]. A core which was used in the production of knives found during the 2006 researches suggests that the concept of Levallois is often related with the Acheul type group of findings. These examples found at Kaletepe maybe the earliest shapes implemented by the Levallois technique [http://cat.une.edu.au/page/kaletepe; 29.5.2008; 15:15]. The fact that different techniques were found within the Mid-Pleistocene at Kaletepe due to different groups of Homo erectus from different life conditions; suggests that Kaletepe currently represents the longest Palaeolithic sequence of Anatolia [Balkan-Atlı et al. 2008:59]. The lower layers of Kaletepe sequence between 160/200.00-1.000.000 are particularly important. A group that extracts large flakes from large andesite blocks; and did not use obsidian or knew the technique lived in the same region after the group which used obsidian to make bifaces (handaxe). In other words the group who knew the technique and made the design lived at Kaletepe chronologically before the more primitive group. This situation at least demonstrated the presence of technically different evolved groups within the Anatolian Lower Palaeolithic Period. Additionally the presence of choppers (Layers V.; VI. and VI'.) points out to the early Mid Pleistocene. This tool which is of North African descent could only be found at Kaletepe within entire Anatolia up to now. These tools have similarities with the choppers of Gesher-Benot Yacov in Israel. Therefore Palaeolithic of Kaletepe is rich but displays a complex situation [Balkan-Atlı et al. 2008:60].


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