©The Archaeological Settlements of Turkey - TAY Project

Tell Kurdu

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Tell Kurdu
Type:
 Mound
Altitude:
 160 m
Region:
 Mediterranean
Province:
 Hatay
District:
 Reyhanli
Village:
 Kürttevekkeli
Investigation Method:
 Excavation
Period:
 Early Middle

     

Location: The site lies northeast of Antakya; northwest of Reyhanli District; beneath the modern village of Kurttevekkeli (Tell Kurdu).
Geography and Environment: Although the mound is big and flat; it does not have high and steep slopes. The debris at the southwest causes the mound to appear in the shape of a hump. 450x380 m mound was greatly damaged like the rest of the mounds in Reyhanli Region. Villagers have cut a triangular part of the mound to widen the cotton fields [Yener-Wilkinson 1997:414]. There are fertile fields around the site; which lies east of the lake. No fresh water spring is reported around the site. Because of extreme damage at the site; the Chicago Oriental Institute plans to conduct excavations.
History:
Research and Excavation: Excavations were conducted by the Chţcago Oriental Institute during the Hatay Research in 1932-38. Further researches were carried out in 1996-1998 by the same institute under the directorship of A. Yener. It takes place in the registered archaeological sites list prepared by Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
Stratigraphy: Contemporary settlements and settlements from Medieval Age; Roman Period; Chalcolithic Age; and Neolithic Age are existent due to the collected pottery during the surface survey on Tell Kurdu; [Braidwood 1937:29] and the excavation has revealed: In an area of 45 square meters; 3 m thick deposit; belonging to the Amuq Phase C; In an area of 20 square meters; 4.5 m thick deposit; belonging to the Amuq Phase D; In an area of 153.5 square meters; 5 m thick deposit; belonging to the Amuq Phase E; and Mediavel Age and Roman Period remains on top of these layers. The site is thought to be deserted after the beginning of Amuq Phase E. Chalcolithic Amuq E ceramics (4800-4300 BC) that are contemporary with Obeid are abundant on the elevation to the south of the mound. On the northern section of the mound; Amuq C (5500-5000 BC) and Halaf ceramics were observed.
Small Finds: Architecture: On the northern section of the mound; an Amuq C building complex covering an area of 150 squaremeters was revealed. The architectural remains; which were found only 30 cm below the surface; are fairly destroyed. There are adjacent houses and courtyards on either sides of the streets. Different types of houses were observed on in different parts of the excavated areas. While the houses with niches; braces and plastered walls are common in one part of the village; across the same street are small; single-roomed and unplastered houses. There are at least two or three houses that are thought to be complexes with courtyards located in different parts of the settlement. The 2001 season excavation was focused on this area and carried out in seven trenches. Trench number 20 has yielded a 1 m thick street covered with garbage. The street cuts through the trench in the southwest-northeast direction. There are two rooms; a large room to the south and a small one to the north. In the southern room were found a clay granary placed at the bottom of the southern wall and a niche or a treshold. An antler; a shoulder blade and a long obsidian blade were placed in this niche/treshold. In trench 21; a street in the northeast-southwest direction and buildings on either sides of it were uncovered. Inside the buildings tendours and a hearth were found. Trench 22 includes numerous grave and garbage pits. Immediately beneath the layer that was destroyed by these pits were found two neatly plastered houses with projections like benches of braces. Three rooms and a courtyard were uncovered on the northeastern corner of trench 23 and there are traces of a deep irrigation channel to its south. Two tendours were encountered in trench 24 but no architectural remains related to them were observed. The walls found in trench 25 are thicker and better preserved than the other trenches. The material inside was also well preserved due to the high walls. The rooms are separated by a wide courtyard and traces of mat were observed on it. Trench 26 includes houses arranged on either sides of a street in southeast-northwest direction. The houses on the north side of the street are single roomed small structures. The houses on the south side consist of wider adjacent rooms. To the east of the trench were revealed an alley and a large room to the east of it [Özbal et al. 2003:502-505]. Pottery: Amuq Plain Phase C: Halafian wares are dominant. Sherds in fine pasted; dark-faced burnished ware were produced in Halafian technique. Incised and impressed decorated sherds of Phase B disappear. Bowls and jars with high necks are abundant. In addition; a little amount of non-burnished sherds were collected. Halafian painted ware makes up the 4-9 % of the pottery and the surface color is usually light orange buff ranging to crème buff color. Painted sherds of original Halafian ware; which is thought to be imported; are also existent. Dot; chain; band; chevron; intersecting lines; and schematic animals are the decorative motifs on the recovered Halafian sherds. According to Braidwood; Phase C is not exactly a Halafian Period level due to the lack of finds in Halafian ware and the limited decorations. The sherds from this level do not yield exact Halafian characteristics. Amuq Plain Phase D: As well as Halafian; the Ubaid finds begin to appear in this phase. Characteristics of dark-faced burnished ware are the same as the previous phase. The only difference is that burnishing was rather cautiously done. Burnished decoration is observed. Sherds of buff plain wares; cooking ware; rag* burnished ware; red slipped ware; fluted ware; local painted ware; and Halafian painted ware were recovered. Halafian painted vessels carry the characteristics of Phase C. Sherds that are neither Halafian nor Ubaid; are identified as Transition Period painted sherds. A very little amount of monochrome and bichrome sherds; resembling Ubaid Period; are also existent. There are no major differences in forms. Jar with convex neck is a new form of this phase. Amuq Plain Phase E: This is the last phase of the dark-faced burnished ware. Typical forms of this ware are vessels with deep bodies and high pedestals. Coarse cooking pots; which are orange-buff-faced; are still existent and red slipped ware is still in use; just like the rag* burnish-decorated ware; bearing no difference with the previous phase. A little amount of local painted and Halafian painted sherds are existent. Sherds of plain ware make up the 6-11 %; while sherds of monochrome paint- decorated ware; resembling Ubaid; make up the 72-77 % of the pottery assemblage. Moreover; sherds in bichrome ware were recovered. Clay: Few clay sling stones from Phase C; and a few schematic woman idols with projecting breasts were recovered from Phase E. Sheep and dog figurines are of standard types. The recovery of a clay pin at this period is surprising. Numerous seals with geometric decorations were encountered and among them the human and shoe shaped examples are interesting. Conical and rounded tokens and ceramic discs are also important clay finds. Chipped Stone: A change in flakes is observed at Amuq Plain Phase C; compared to the lower phase. Spearheads of Phase B do not exist at this phase. Tools such as sickles; perforators; carvers; and scrapers were found. It is observed that flintstone was used more than obsidian as a raw material at Phase D. Almost the same technique is observed at Phase E. Blades; sickles; perforators; end and side scrapers were used as cutters. In addition; a winged arrow head was recovered. The majority of the tools and debitage is flint. 30% of the chipped stone finds consists of obsidian. Ground Stone: Besides the stone vessels; flat stone axes were recovered from the building levels; which are dated to the Amuq Phase C. A stone vessel was also found at Phase D. The number of stone vessels increases at Phase E. Forms of stone vessels are bowls; large deep plates; and shallow jars. Some of them are decorated in Neolithic Age tradition. Some of them are pierced; while some have lugs. Beads were made out of various kinds of stones by carving and rubbing. Shaft hole axes appear; which is unique for this phase [Braidwood-Braidwood 1960:lev.164 / 5]. A cylindrical bodied mace with groove and relief decoration was found. Bone/Antler: Abundant awls; perforators; spatulas; buttons and ornaments were recovered from the various layers of Kurdu. There is no change in industry althrough the phases. Human Remains: To the northwest of trench 22 was found a skeleton in hocker position. Its head was leaned to south and face to west. A black burnished jar was left near the head. Another grave was recovered on the eastern corner of trench 23. Two painted jars and a painted bowl were found near the hocker burial facing the north. Trench 24 has yielded two graves. The walls of one grave were bounded with mudbrick and the skeleton was found in hocker position facing north. A painted jar was left as a burial gift. Two skeletons in hocker position were also found in trench 25. The third burial recovered belongs to a dog. In the middle of trench 26 was revealed a grave with a plastered floor. The head of the hocker burial is in east direction and it faces south.
Remains:
Interpretation and Dating: Excavations of Tell Kurdu provided information about the properties of Amuq Plain Phases C and D. It is believed that the streets and houses revealed on an area of 700 squaremeters are rare examples of Chalcolithic architecture. With the further excavations to be conducted in different parts of this Chalcolithic village; it is aimed to research the differences between the neighborhoods in Chalcolithic and Halaf societies.


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