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©The Archaeological Settlements of Turkey - TAY Project
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Toptepe |
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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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7 m |
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Region:
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Marmara |
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Province:
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Tekirdag |
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District:
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Marmara Ereglisi |
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Village:
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Investigation Method:
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Excavation |
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Period:
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| Location: The site lies east of Tekirdag; approximately 4 km west of Marmara Ereglisi; approximately 300 m south of the Tekirdag-Istanbul highway. Today; it is in the limits of a holiday site called "Kaptan 2". There is not much to see because of extreme damage. The mound is reached via the road from Istanbul to Tekirdag; but permission is required to enter the holiday site. |
| Geography and Environment: A very large part of the mound was destroyed during the construction of a casino of Kaptan 2 in 1989. The deposit of the mound was 10-12 m thick before the destruction. The terrace; extending towards north; was destroyed by buildings. The first settlers inhabited a 70 m wide rocky cape. The small indentations at two sides of the cape most probably functioned as a suitable small bay; providing shelter for the fisherman boats. |
| History: |
| Research and Excavation: The site was discovered by D.H. French in 1966. EBA and Classical Period finds were especially attractive. In 1988; it was first levelled; and then a casino; consisting of three stories together with a depot; was built on top of it. A salvage excavation was conducted by M. Özdogan in the 60 square meters undamaged area in 1989. In three trenches; architectural remains were revealed at an area of 52 square meters. |
| Stratigraphy: 3 main cultural phases are reported due to the surface finds; before the construction: 1: It is a small settlement; belonging to the Ottoman-Byzantine Period; probably at the uppermost; with a sacred spring. 2: Hellenistic-Archaic Period: The settlement is observed to be large enough to cover the older mound cone; and also the slopes at the back. 3: EBA: The settlement belongs to Kumtepe I b and Troia I Period. During the survey before the 1989 excavation; these phases are observed to be totally destroyed at the southern part. However; unidentified layers were observed at the deeper sections. 14 building levels; consisting of 4 phases; were found in the 380 cm thick deposit. Starting from the top; Building Level 0 is identified as Phase 1; building levels from the 1st to the end of the 4th as Phase 2; the building levels from 5th to 7th as Phase 3; 8th and probable earlier building levels as Phase 4. |
| Small Finds: Architecture: Revealed architectural remains after the destruction are as follows: Waste pits; belonging to the destroyed layers; date to Phase 1. In Phase 2; the thickness of the deposit varies between 5-70 cm and there are no architectural remains. However; shells of eaten Crustacea were observed.. In Phase 3; a structure with a 7.5x3.1 m rectangular room and two other rooms; one of which is smaller; were revealed. They are observed to be attached together at the south. They are built in an old technique used in Thrace and Balkans; with compact mud and wooden posts. After the earth was dug to form a 30 cm wide ditch; thick branches were erected at the center of the ditch; and then yellow mud-brick loam was poured into the ditch. The upper structure is also thought to be made by placing loam mortar on the wood. Finds within the structure suggest that the walls were plastered with paint. Although there are no specific finds abouth the roof mesh; it is thought to be saddle-shaped; and covered with thatch. The location of the entrance is not known. There is a domed oven west of the large room; with an ash pit in front; and a platform is observed in front of the northern wall. Eastern section of the structure is divided by a sill and thin partition walls. The floor is clay-plastered. A big anthropomorphic vessel is the most important find of the structure. It was made of nonfired mud-brick soil. The vessel has four feet; two small breasts; twisted arms and hands depicted with reliefs below the breasts. Eyes; the little nose; and pierced ears are depicted with reliefs; too. The 85 cm high vessel is decorated with red patterns except for the feet. This structure was destroyed by a fire. Sherds of another vessel; decorated with a human face; were recovered on the floor. Remains of the earlier phase are also observed [Özdogan 1991:355-357]. The structural remains of Phase 4 could not be reached because the structure of Phase 3 could not be removed. Crustacea shells were found in the lower levels. Pottery: Kumtepe I a and Besiktepe pottery were recovered from Phase I. Sherds of fine ware; moderate ware; and coarse ware were found at Phase 2. These wares were named differently in the first reports of Toptepe [Özdogan 1991:355]. The surface color of the fine ware; which is agreed to be mica-slipped ware; is dark gray; and the burnishing is matt. Forms are carinated jars with high necks and single handles. Incised decoration with wavy lines is observed. Vessels with high pedestals and fruit-stands with many pencere* were usually in hand-made matt-faced ware. Coarse looking vessels of coarse ware become abundant in the lower layers. The interior surface is burnished; while the exterior surface is nonburnished. Closed vessels with spherical bodies are common. The decorations of this ware are nail impressions; barboutin; scratching; and relief bands with finger impressions on the exterior surface. Pottery of Phase 3 is very similar to Phase 2. However; the number of sherds of mica-slipped ware lessen; while the number of coarse ware increase. Pottery of Phase 4 is not very different from the upper phases. |
| Remains: |
| Interpretation and Dating: The excavation of Toptepe provided new information about the interrelations of Anatolia and Balkans; and the cultural chronology of Thrace. The formal and the decorational characteristics of the woman-shaped big storage vessel; recovered from Phase 3; resemble the statue-shaped vessels of Classical Tisza Phase in the Central Danube Region. The diffusion of this culture even to the shores of Marmara Sea is surprising. Phase 2 approximately belongs to a period between Vinca B-C Transition Period and Karanovo III-IV. Toptepe Höyügü is a very good example of archaeological sites in Turkey that are rapidly damaged. Remains of Hellenistic Period; Kumtepe I b; and Troia I; which are thought to be at the upper layers; were totally destroyed before they could be revealed. Intense urbanization in Marmara speeds up the destruction of such sites. Therefore; scientific researches are required in such endangered regions. Two 14C dates from Phase 3 date to 4205±40 and 4145±40 BC; while Phase 4 dates to 4460±180 BC. |
