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©The Archaeological Settlements of Turkey - TAY Project
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Tell Açana / Alalakh |
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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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160 m |
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Region:
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Mediterranean |
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Province:
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Hatay |
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District:
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Reyhanli |
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Village:
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Tayfursökmen |
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Investigation Method:
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Excavation |
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Period:
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Early |
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| Location: This site lies on the Turkish-Syrian border; east of the Amuq Plain; about 3 km away from the village of Tayfursökmen and northeast of the village of Varisli; southwest of Reyhanli District; northeast of the city of Hatay. |
| Geography and Environment: The Tell Açana Mound on the Asi River (Orontes) bank; which used to be called Alalakh; is one of the largest and most important mounds of the area. |
| History: |
| Research and Excavation: The mound was cited as site no 136 during the survey conducted on behalf of the Chicago Oriental Institute in 1936. Excavations were conducted by L. Wooley in 1937-39 and 1946-49; and by J. Matthers in 1978. The lower layers of the mound could be reached in Trenches 13-15 / L-K; and in the 13x25 m trench; labeled as "pit trench" in a wide area south of the big building called "Palace of Yarim-Lim". Recent excavations at Tell Açana started in 2000. Excavations conducted by A. Yener carried out at the areas that are untouched by Wooley and mainly focused on MBA; LBA and Early Iron Age layers. 2009 excavations continued in 8 trenches in total by A. Yener between 2 July and 9 September 2009. Surveys and geo-archaeological researches on Amik Plains are carried out and the stratigraphy of different parts of the mound is analysed. A new trench is added to the three excavations opened on going on systematically in the palaces section since 2006. Researching the archaeological building layers which covers the periods between Middle Bronze I and Late Bronze II and Half-Lim-Idrimi Dynasties and which is between Layers I and X based on the Wooley System. It takes place in the registered archaeological sites list prepared by Ministry of Culture and Tourism. |
| Stratigraphy: The cultural deposit could be recovered as far as Level XVII until the water table of the plain was come across at 13.75 m of depth. It is assumed that the cultural deposit continues below water table; considering the thickness of the alluvial deposit of Orontes. Wooley fixes the stratigraphy as follows: Level XVII 3400Ğ3200 BC Level XVI 3300Ğ3200 BC Level XV 3200Ğ3100 BC Level XIV 3100Ğ2900 BC [Wooley 1955:380]. |
| Small Finds: Architecture: Level XVI: Only two rooms and one half of another room could be revealed; because the trench became narrower as the depth increased; enabling the excavation to be conducted solely in an area of 8x10 m. The northeastern wall of this structure is interpreted as the enclosure wall. An ovoid kiln is located inside the half excavated space. The mud-brick walls are preserved to a height of 60 cm. The floor was plastered with clay. Level XV: It is observed that this building level is a renovation of the one below. The common walls of the rooms were removed; so as to form a single room. The older walls were used as foundation of the new walls; which were built thinner. These walls were made of 50x44 cm mud-bricks and they were preserved to a height of 40 cm. Level XIV: A house with two rooms; containing a broad courtyard; was revealed. Passage from the thick mud-plastered courtyard into other rooms is possible by two openings. An economical technique was used for the construction of the 145 cm thick wall by filling mud in between the two courses of mud-bricks. A mud-brick platform is also existent. Pottery: Level XVII: Among approximately 1300 sherds; sherds of mica tempered; pinkish yellowish dark gray pasted ware; buff and red pasted ware were found. 2 % of the sherds are painted. Shallow bowls; resembling those from Tabara el Akrad; were recovered [Wooley 1955:307]. Level XVI: Although the recovered sherds are less in number compared to the lower level; the amount of paint-decorated vessels are the same. Sherds of white grit-tempered; reddish-brown pasted; highly burnished vessels and reserved slip-paint decorated vessels were recovered. Level XV: There is no information; except for two sherds of black and red paint decorated over buff surface; and two paint decorated bowls; about the assemblage of this level. Level XIV: The pottery from this level; which is dated to the Uruk-Jemdet Nasr Period due to the existence of bevelled rim bowls with incised decorated rims and Jemdet Nasr wares; shows high variety. Painted vessels; which appeared many years later in Syria; are also existent. Schematic animal motifs are observed on vessels that are red-brown paint-decorated over light colored surface. |
| Remains: |
| Interpretation and Dating: The lower levels of Tell Açana are not dated precisely yet. Most probably there has been a disorder in the deposit; the sherds had rised to the upper levels from the lower levels within the water table and therefore were collected together with other finds by the researchers. Coba; Jemdet Nasr wares; and painted vessels from later periods are reported in a disorganized way. Levels XVI-VII of Tell Açana are dated to the EBA in the publications about Northern Syria-Southeastern Anatolia. Therefore; it is necessary to wait for new excavation results. Altough there is probably a Late Chalcolithic Age settlement at the site; this level has not been reached in the excavated area. |
