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Kazane Höyük

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Kazane Höyük
Type:
 Mound
Altitude:
 560 m
Region:
 Southeastern Anatolia
Province:
 Sanliurfa
District:
 Merkez
Village:
 Konuklu
Investigation Method:
 Excavation
Period:
 Middle Late

     

Location: It lies 5 km southeast of the Sanliurfa Province. It is called Kazan Tepe; located 600 m south of the Kazane Village; recently named Konuklu.
Geography and Environment: It is one of the biggest settlements in this region; having an extraordinary dimension of ca. 1000x1200 m including both the lower city and the outer city. Inhabitants of this site probably chose it for settling because it is located at the mountain entrance between Northern Mesopotamia and Southeastern Anatolia and in a narrow valley where the trade road runs through. It has been surrounded by a fertile land. It is suggested that the culture of Northern Mesopotamia attained its summit in this region. On the basis of the distribution of pottery; excavation team claims that an area of 40 ha. was settled during the midst and second half of the third millennium BC [Wattenmaker 1997:83].
History:
Research and Excavation: Before starting the excavations; the excavation team carried out a systematic survey and determined the territory of the settlement and the periods it was inhabited depending on the distribution of pottery. One of the reasons why the excavations were started; under P. Wattenmaker of Virginia University; USA; is that the main irrigation channel built for GAP project passes by the lower town of the mound in the south and east and that the irrigation system connected to this channel would have threaten the lower city and some parts of the outer city. Three trenches were opened to verify the stratification of the mound and its surrounding territory; a stepped trench (Area H) aiming to locate particularly the settlements of the fourth millennium BC on the west; a trench at the "Lower City" (Area C) on the east and a trench at the "Outer City" (Area F) on the south. Early Halaf and Halaf layers were studied by R. Bernbeck; S. Pollock and C. Coursey during 1996-1998. It takes place in the registered archaeological sites list prepared by Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
Stratigraphy: Thea earlist layers of Kazane are dated to Pre-Halaf and determined as Late Neolithic by the researchers [Bernbeck et al. 1999:110]. Halaf Period; Late Chalcolithic; Early Bronze Age; and Middle Bronze Age levels are recovered in the areas excavated [Wattenmaker 1997:82]. Pre-Halaf and Late Halaf layers numbered by Romen numbers from top to the ground. It is not reported that whether the virgin soil has been reached at tha southwestren part of Lower City [Bernbeck et al. 1999:111].
Small Finds: Architecture: Late Halaf: An area paved with cobble and sherds during the soundings performed in 1994, 1996 and 1997. One of these bear hearth characteristics. The four trenches in the southeast of the settlement contain building remains over a deposit of alluvium and clay, in addition to burnt sections and again cobble paved areas, which suggest this section was delimiting the settlement [Bernbeck et al. 1999:119]. Among the building remains there is a hand-made round structure (tolos) 60 cm in diameter, some plastered and by cobbles fortified pise walls which are related with the cobble paved areas. The characteristics such as independently urbanizing sections in the city and paving the open-air areas with cobble stones which are typical to Halaf architecture are also valid for Kazane, on the other hand the lack of stone foundations under buildings separates it from general Halaf characteristics [Bernbeck et al. 1999:119]. Late Chalcolithic: The mudbrick constructions; architectural componants; and deposits of this period are recovered in the step-trench on the western slope. These remains in a small area consist of a room with two plastered niches on its southern wall; an oval hearth on the mud-plastered floor and an adjacent court. Two building levels of mudbrick exist above this architectural deposit [Wattenmaker 1997:82-83]. Halaf: Late Halafian architectural remains were found in two of the three soundings dug in 1996. A tholos made out of mudbricks shaped by handwork was recovered in one whereas a pise wall was found in the other. In the third sounding; no architectural remains were come across at a certain depth below the thick alluvial deposit [Bernbeck et al. 1996:5]. Pottery: Late Halaf: All Halaf ware were hand-made but some specimens suggest they were finished using a slow wheel. The paste was not sintered adequately and it is not as elaborate as the specimens of Kazane Late Halaf ware or as the typical Halaf settlement specimens. The researchers first tried to explain this situation by establishing a similarity between the Kazane pottery and post-Halaf and Halaf transformation periods [Bernbeck et al. 1996:5]; then they have decided that this is a common feature for all East Halaf settlements [Bernbeck et al. 1999:121]. The Late Halaf sherds of the settlement may be listed under five main groups which are the organic tempered, thick walled grey ware; bathtub slipped, burnished red slipware; Plain Buff Ware with painted Halaf characteristics, which was revealed in large amounts; Mid Quality Painted ware and Fine Painted Ware. The colors which are used for paint decoration are various tones of black/dark brown and red. The round rimmed forms of cooking vessels with large openings are typical and the fact that these were not unearthed out in the open areas but inside the buildings suggest that the meal preparation process took place inside domestic buildings [Bernbeck et al. 1999:120-122]. Late Chalcolithic: A few Uruk sherds were encountered besides the mostly chaff-faced local Late Chalcolithic pottery finds recovered in the ashy deposit in the court of the Late Chalcolithic Age building. Thin-walled bowls; vessels; and small jars are also recovered in the same area. The scholars date these finds to the Early/Middle Uruk regarding the South Mesopotamien chronology [Wattenmaker 1997:82-83]. Halaf: The fine; painted pottery of Halaf are poorly represented in the assemblage. The finds are rather similar with post-Halaf or transitional Halaf periods [Bernbeck et al. 1996:5]. In 2004 work took place in several areas within the threatened lower town. Everywhere Halaf remains were discovered and the Halaf site appears to have covered some 20 hectares. To the south-east of the mound two tholoi were found just under the surface, with pebbled floors outside. A bowl with perforated base ("killed") was used as one of the foundation stones. Finds included a Halaf seal and Halaf pottery. In a separate area a rectangular house was associated with Halaf sherds, bones including onager and deer, and a headless painted female figurine of Yarimtepe type [http://cat.une.edu.au/page/kazane%20hoyuk; 16.11.2009, 16:37]. Clay: Some Late Halaf sherds were pierced in the center, their edges were rounded or denticulated to be reused; some bore black paint traces on their surfaces [Bernbeck et al. 1999:121;124]. The function of such finds were not clarified. Clay spindl whorls were also found. Clay seals; symbolic finds; and spindle-whorls are recovered in the Late Chalcolithic deposits [Wattenmaker 1997:83]. Chipped Stone: Late Halaf: Cores; core rejuvenation flakes; debitage; retouched flakes; blades; piercers; chisels; chisel burins; drills and scrapers were revealed but no sickle blades were found. Varieties of cherts were found as material. The most often observed ones are fine textured dark grey cherts which were brought from the rocks nearby. Blade technology is common among very rare found obsidian tools [Bernbeck et al. 1996:5; Bernbeck et al. 1999:122-123]. Late Chalcolithic: Blades and debitage were found [Wattenmaker 1997:83]. Halaf: Perforators; burins; and burin debitage were present; and yet sickles could not be found. Obsidian is rare; various cherts are observed [Bernbeck et al. 1996:5]. Ground Stone: Grind Stone: Late Halaf: A stone flat axe, a plate, rounded cube-like objects and basalt pestles, and ground stone finds are among finds. Besides these there is chlorite-like stone button formed pierced seal with concentric circles on the impression surface; a pendentive made of a black stone in the form of a bird; another long and very thin pendentive with holes on both ends made of obsidian by grinding technique and two fallic objects which are among other intriguing finds [Bernbeck et al. 1999:124]. Beads and probable micro-perforators recovered in a room in the uppermost Late Chalcolithic level have led to the thought that this room might have been a workshop that produced beads. Grinding stones are also existent [Wattenmaker 1997:83]. Bone/Antler: This group of finds are represented by a single awl for now, and when the researches on the bones are finalized the remaining worked pieces may also be added in the same group [Bernbeck et al. 1999:124]. Human Remains: A flexed infant burial is recovered south of the Late Chalcolithic mudbrick construction [Wattenmaker 1997:83]. Animal Remains: It was reported that the bones found were not yet researched [Bernbeck et al. 1999:124]. Flora: Flora is known only from the Late Chalcolithic deposit [Wattenmaker 1997:83]. Other: Fresh water shells are found in a room in one of the structures of the uppermost Late Chalcolithic Age level [Wattenmaker 1997:83].
Remains:
Interpretation and Dating: Kazane; inhabited from the 6th Millennium BC to the beginning of the 2nd Millennium BC; seems to be a cult centre around 5000 and a fortified large settlement covering an approximate area of 100 hectares in the middle of the 3rd Millennium BC. Bernbeck mentioned that unlike common Halaf researches the socioeconomic situation at the settlement was researched and not the relation between settlements. He stated that there was a community which had settled at Kazane and lived on agriculture and animal husbandry and that separate locations were allocated for different types of work. The question whether the Late Halaf settlement was as large as the dispersion area of the finds or if the settlement center changed its location within the boundaries of the settlement within a period of time can not be answered [Bernbeck et al. 1999:110]. The corrected 14C dates suggest that the Late Halaf settlement belongs to the 3rd quarter of the 6th Millenium. The settlement was abandoned after Late Halaf for a brief period.


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