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©The Archaeological Settlements of Turkey - TAY Project
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Mercimektepe |
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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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1335 m |
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Region:
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Central Anatolia |
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Province:
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Yozgat |
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District:
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Merkez |
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Village:
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Merkez |
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Investigation Method:
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Excavation |
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Period:
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EBA III |
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| Location: It is located immediate north of the Yozgat-Sivas motorway; 500 m east of the Yozgat Province. It is right across the Çengeltepe mound (See. Çengeltepe) |
| Geography and Environment: At present; the Yozgat-Sivas motorway runs through a gap between these two mounds. Concurrent (?) occupation of the two mounds recalls the possibility of having a big two-cored settlement. The eastern part of Mercimektepe has been destroyed by the cooperatives for mass residences while the western part was damaged by the water tank of the municipality and the piping pits. The western mound has a steep inclination towards the Yozgat Stream [Ünal 1968:120]; and covers an area of ca. 13 000 square meters [Özcan 1993:377]. |
| History: |
| Research and Excavation: It was excavated in 1975 under L. Zoroglu followed by the Yozgat Archaeological Museum in 1986-1987 and 1991. It takes place in the registered archaeological sites list prepared by Ministry of Culture and Tourism. |
| Stratigraphy: Two layers were found. |
| Small Finds: Architecture: The architecture of the upper level; out of the two levels dated to EBA; is scattered. They are mudbrick constructions with stone foundations. Presence of horseshoe-like hearths is amazing. Ruins of burned mudbricks; 40 cm thick; were recovered [Özcan 1993:378; pic.2]. The lower level yielded arranged mudbrick buildings with stone foundations. It is reported that buildings of this level all underwent a fire and a construction consisting of a big hall (?); a small room and a cellar was uncovered [Özcan 1993:379]. Pottery: Trench A yielded both painted (Alisar Phase III ) and plain pottery. Vast majority of the sherds belongs to the painted pottery. Red and brown washed and burnished vessels bearing decorations with geometrical patterns were recovered from the level II [Özcan 1993:pic.12]. Also found are plain vessels [Zoroglu 1977:197]. Clay: Plenty of spindle whorls in terracotta were recovered. Both these finds and terra cotta loomweights indicate the presence of an intense weaving. Ground Stone: The flat animal figurine datable to EBA recovered from the trench A is unfamiliar for this age [Özcan 1993:pic.3]. The holes on the figurine indicate that it was produced for some other purposes rather than an idol. Human Remains: A simple pit burial and a pithos grave were uncovered in the building level I. Out of these intramural graves; the mouth of the pithos grave; housed a skeleton in hocker position are oriented toward the east. Its relation with painting decorated and bucket handled kitchen ware recovered from the surrounding of the burial remains unclear. |
| Remains: |
| Interpretation and Dating: As the excavations held are rather salvage digs; no detailed information was obtained from Mercimektepe. For now; it can be dated to EBA III. |
