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©The Archaeological Settlements of Turkey - TAY Project
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Takyan Tepe |
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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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376 m |
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Region:
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Southeastern Anatolia |
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Province:
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Sirnak |
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District:
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Silopi |
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Village:
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Bugdayli |
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Investigation Method:
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Survey |
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Period:
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Early |
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| Location: The site lies east of Surik Stream; approximately 2 km southeast of Bugdayli (Nerivan) Village; 10.7 km southwest of Silopi District; south of Sirnak Province. |
| Geography and Environment: It is a 15 m high round mound, measuring 350 m in east-west direction and 680 m in north-south direction, lying on the Silopi Plain, on the bank of Surik Creek. The site, surrounded by fertile lands, is reported to be covering an area of 12 hectares. The annual rainfall in Silopi Plain is estimated as 40-50 cm, which is located in a zone rich in water sources. The Tigris passes through the Mount Cudi, forming deep valleys, and irrigates the Silopi Plain along with the Habur Stream, which flows from the northeast. |
| History: |
| Research and Excavation: The site was discovered during the surveys conducted by G. Algaze for the Southeastern Anatolia Project in 1988-89. A systematic surface collection was made. Halafian finds were recovered on the mound and also at the slopes. The abundance of this period's finds suggest a big Halafian settlement at the site. Takyan seems to be a central settlement considering the locations of the other Halafian sites around the plain. The site has been revisited by a team under G. Kozbe; during the Survey at Cizre-Silopi Districts of Sirnak Province in 2004. |
| Stratigraphy: The exact stratigraphy is not known yet; due to the lack of excavations. According to the surface finds; besides the Halaf and Ubaid Chalcolithic Age; IA and later period finds suggest the existance of more than one layer at the mound. |
| Small Finds: Pottery: The recovered sherds show ware and formal characteristics of the Halafian pottery in Silopi Plain. Paste of the Halafian painted pottery in Takyan Tepe resembles that from the other Halafian settlements in Northern Syria and Southeastern Anatolia. The thin paste is observed to be tempered with organic materials such as plant fibers and inorganic material such as very thin sand particles. The color of the paste changes due to the clay color and firing temparature. Light brown, buff, reddish buff colors are observed to be common. Some painted vessels were buff and pinkish slipped first, and then bands and hatched rhombs were applied in brown or red paint. Dominant forms are spherical, semispherical, shallow bowls [Togul 1996:41]. It was revisited and surveyed by G. Kozbe et al. in 2006, and new material were collected from the surface [Kozbe 2008:179]. Other: Metal slags, pottery slags, flint tool, grindstone, stone pot, jamb stone, bone, perforated round stones, mortar, obidian and stone beads are found as well as potsherds [Kozbe 2004]. |
| Remains: |
| Interpretation and Dating: Takyan and other Halafian settlements in Silopi Plain are qualified enough to explain this culture's diffusion into Southeastern Anatolia. Some conclusions may be drawn about the social order (eg. Takyan being the central settlement of the plain due to its dimensions and other features) Maybe Takyan was uninterruptedly inhabitated, and the surrounding small settlements were used as temporary campsites by the small stockraising Halafian communities. Takyan Tepe is thought to be dated to the late Middle Halaf and the early Late Halaf Period based on the pottery finds, particularly painted vessels. It was also found out that the northeastern quarter of the mound was inhabited during the Ubaid Period in a narrow area. According to the finds collected by G. Kozbe Halaf, the Ubaid, Nineve V, Early and Late Assyrian Periods are observed at the settlement. |
