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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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EBA III |
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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 virgin soil was not reached; but XVII levels were identified. Out of these levels; levels XI-XIII are dated to EBA. |
| Small Finds: Architecture (ascending order): Level XIII: This level yielded constructions consisting of small rooms with compressed clay floors; whitewashed plastered and mudbrick walls. Level XII: This level yielded remains of a big palace with mudbrick columns. It is dated to the ur Dynasty Period (EBA II). Level XI: This level yielded a big building with adjacent rooms capped by pseudo domed technique. The bricks erected on each other were put as to form a dome. The mudbrick wall doesn't have a stone socle. The architecture dated to EBA by a seal stamping of Akkads Period is claimed to have North Syrian and North Mesopotamian traditions [Özgüç 1947:360-361]. The 33.32 Trench which is opened in 2007 covering a field of 13 by 12 m have so far presented 3 main building layers. Phase 3b is accessed in 2009 which corresponds to Middle Bronze II Period. The position of the Phase 3c architecture and the wall thicknesses found out this year suggests that the building has a monument character, possibly used as a palace building. An adobe brick wall system divides the middle yard into two different spaces. A vessel filled with finely broken and carbonized grains is found near the wall in the space where many burnt girders are collapsed. A platform is elevated in the corner. The platform is filled with embankment and large storage vessels are buried and placed in this field. A furnace in the form of horseshoe is found in this field adjacent to the wall. It can be suggested that the excavated room is one of the kitchen/storage areas. Considering the findings and dates of radiocarbon analysis it became possible to determine the age of the Building Layer 3c as the first half of 19th Century BC [Yener 2011: 70-71]. In 2009 traces of a fire destruction is observed in in the building layer of Trench 32.57 which is destructed by a large pit which belongs to Phase 4. A small room is detected in the North of the trench which possibly is under the stairs. By the help of this trench it is determined that the Palace Layer VII extends East and that some monumental sized buildings interlinked with it. Individual street phases that belong to 3c and 3d are excavated above these layers. This layer is Layer VI in Wooley excavation system. Burial findings are also obtained from the trench of which the Layer 3 is defined as a chaos period [Yener 2011: 71-72]. In 2009 four phases in total are researched in Trench 32.34 that belongs to Later Bronze I Age. Furnace spaces are encountered in the West wing of an adobe brick wall which is constructed in Northwest-Southeast direction in the Phase 4 at the earliest. The remains from Phase 1 which are contemporary with the Palace Layer IV are observed in the Southwest corner of the trench [Yener 2011: 72]. In 2009 the activities in Trench 32.54 on Late Bronze II Period building which is named as "North Fort" Building after opening six trenches in total between 2006 and 2008 continued. An unknown building floor is unearthed under the North Fort building structure [Yener 2011: 72]. In 2009 in the Northeast corner of Trench 42.29 a stone founded building is identified representing Phase 1 [Yener 2011: 73]. The excavation work of Trench 43.54 is completed in 2009. The most remarkable finding is 5 large round rocks found parallel to the adobe wall constructed in East-West direction in the Phase 2b. These are possibly the foundation rocks of a wooden column and they point existence of an important building in the field. In Alalakh series of columns are elements that are seen earlier than the transition from Middle Bronze to Late Bronze Age. The age of Layer XII structure with 4 columns made of adobe bricks that is unearthed in Woolley's excavation is determined as Middle Bronze Age [Yener 2011: 74]. The high number of children graves in Trench 45.45 of Alalakh Necropolis field is notable. The stoneware samples that belong to Middle Bronze Age are captured as grave findings in 2009 [Yener 2011: 74]. Excavations of Late Bronze I casemate city wall and the adjacent domestic buildings representing Phase 2 architecture going on since 2007 in Trench 45.44 continued in 2009. A burnt room is found here in 2008. The traces of the same fire are observed in a second room opened in 2009. An axe with traces of textile, a spear, cross decorated arrow heads, and potteries are unearthed as well as skeleton of a woman died during the fire [Yener 2011: 74]. The 33.32 Trench which is opened in 2007 covering a field of 13 by 12 m have so far presented 3 main building layers. Phase 3b is accessed in 2009 which corresponds to Middle Bronze II Period. The position of the Phase 3c architecture and the wall thicknesses found out this year suggests that the building has a monument character, possibly used as a palace building. An adobe brick wall system divides the middle yard into two different spaces. A vessel filled with finely broken and carbonized grains is found near the wall in the space where many burnt girders are collapsed. A platform is elevated in the corner. The platform is filled with embankment and large storage vessels are buried and placed in this field. A furnace in the form of horseshoe is found in this field adjacent to the wall. It can be suggested that the excavated room is one of the kitchen/storage areas. Considering the findings and dates of radiocarbon analysis it became possible to determine the age of the Building Layer 3c as the first half of 19th Century BC [Yener 2011: 70-71]. In 2009 traces of a fire destruction is observed in in the building layer of Trench 32.57 which is destructed by a large pit which belongs to Phase 4. A small room is detected in the North of the trench which possibly is under the stairs. By the help of this trench it is determined that the Palace Layer VII extends East and that some monumental sized buildings interlinked with it. Individual street phases that belong to 3c and 3d are excavated above these layers. This layer is Layer VI in Wooley excavation system. Burial findings are also obtained from the trench of which the Layer 3 is defined as a chaos period [Yener 2011: 71-72]. In 2009 four phases in total are researched in Trench 32.34 that belongs to Later Bronze I Age. Furnace spaces are encountered in the West wing of an adobe brick wall which is constructed in Northwest-Southeast direction in the Phase 4 at the earliest. The remains from Phase 1 which are contemporary with the Palace Layer IV are observed in the Southwest corner of the trench [Yener 2011: 72]. In 2009 the activities in Trench 32.54 on Late Bronze II Period building which is named as "North Fort" Building after opening six trenches in total between 2006 and 2008 continued. An unknown building floor is unearthed under the North Fort building structure [Yener 2011: 72]. In 2009 in the Northeast corner of Trench 42.29 a stone founded building is identified representing Phase 1 [Yener 2011: 73]. The excavation work of Trench 43.54 is completed in 2009. The most remarkable finding is 5 large round rocks found parallel to the adobe wall constructed in East-West direction in the Phase 2b. These are possibly the foundation rocks of a wooden column and they point existence of an important building in the field. In Alalakh series of columns are elements that are seen earlier than the transition from Middle Bronze to Late Bronze Age. The age of Layer XII structure with 4 columns made of adobe bricks that is unearthed in Woolley's excavation is determined as Middle Bronze Age [Yener 2011: 74]. The high number of children graves in Trench 45.45 of Alalakh Necropolis field is notable. The stoneware samples that belong to Middle Bronze Age are captured as grave findings in 2009 [Yener 2011: 74]. Excavations of Late Bronze I casemate city wall and the adjacent domestic buildings representing Phase 2 architecture going on since 2007 in Trench 45.44 continued in 2009. A burnt room is found here in 2008. The traces of the same fire are observed in a second room opened in 2009. An axe with traces of textile, a spear, cross decorated arrow heads, and potteries are unearthed as well as skeleton of a woman died during the fire [Yener 2011: 74]. Seal: In 2009 in the very early Phase 4 of Trench 32.34 a seal imprint is found near the furnace area. The omega shaped seal is made of grey tile [Yener 2011: 72]. In 2009 in one of the children's graves found in Trench 45.45 a magnetite is found that is made with North Syria style reflecting a god kneeled down facing a sphinx with wings and a gryphon with wings [Yener 2011: 74]. |
| Remains: |
| Interpretation and Dating: Tell Açana is largely renowned with its second and first millennium BC finds. |
