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©The Archaeological Settlements of Turkey - TAY Project
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Yazilikaya |
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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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Habitation Site / Workshop |
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Altitude:
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m |
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Region:
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Eastern Anatolia |
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Province:
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Kars |
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District:
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Kagizman |
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Village:
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Camuslu |
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Investigation Method:
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Excavation |
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Period:
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ÜP |
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| Location: It lies in the section known as Yaylaalti Mevkii in the Elmali mountain pasture; on the eastern foots of 3134 m high Aladag; to the west of the village of Çamuslu in Kötek sub district; northwest of the district of Kagizman to the south of the center of Kars. |
| Geography and Environment: The mass with the rock paintings of basalt. The larger one of the panels on the steep and smooth surface of this basalt structure is about 4-5 m high from the ground level; and measures 14-15 m in length and 3.5-4 m in width [Karpuz 1977:res.1-3 and Kökten 1975:res.5;6;14;15]. 15 m far from this panel is a smaller one 4-5 m high from the ground. Kökten suggests that the small recess under the large panel may be a rock shelter. At a distance of 500 m is a water source called Sütlüpinar and another one 1 km west called Çamin Gözesi. |
| History: |
| Research and Excavation: Kiliç Kökten opened a small test trench in the area beneath the larger panel. Although he was expecting to uncover Palaeolithic finds (because he found Upper Palaeolithic obsidian burins; small pestles and other chipped stone tools on the surface); all the finds he recovered from his excavation dated to the Early Bronze Age. The larger of the two panels comprises of close to a hundred human and animal figures [Kökten 1975; fig.5-6]. In addition there were twelve members of the deer family (Cervus elaphus) and thirteen wild goats (Capra ibex) Kökten reports that there are 65 are human figures; 54 male. Karpuz adds that buffalo-bison and horse-donkey type animals are also depicted [Karpuz 1977:2]. The animal depictions are on average 10-13x7-8 cm in size. The small panel consists of seven male and three female deer; three human figures and a donkey [Kökten 1975:104]. One of the human figures appears to be holding a bow. Some of the depictions on the panel are engraved over earlier ones. Kökten assigns the tools that his survey yielded to the Upper Palaeolithic and thus concludes that the engravings probably date to the end of the Upper Palaeolithic Period. This claim should be viewed with scepticism because the chipped stone tools were not found at the foot of the engraved panel but were collected from nearby fields. Although the style of the figures appear to date to a post-Palaeolithic period; the site has been included in this volume to respect Kökten's assessment. It takes place in the registered archaeological sites list prepared by Ministry of Culture and Tourism. |
| Stratigraphy: |
| Small Finds: Kökten assigns the tools he found to the Upper Palaeolithic and furthermore concludes that the engravings are probably contemporaneous. More research needs to be done in this area. |
| Remains: |
| Interpretation and Dating: |
