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©The Archaeological Settlements of Turkey - TAY Project
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Kavusan Höyük |
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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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558 m |
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Region:
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Southeastern Anatolia |
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Province:
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Diyarbakir |
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District:
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Bismil |
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Village:
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Yenice |
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Investigation Method:
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Excavation |
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Period:
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| Location: It is located in Inardi field; the village of Yenice; about 10 km southeast of the district of Bismil in the district of Diyarbakir. It lies immediately to the east of the joining point of Seyhan stream and Tigris; about 65-70 m south of the bank of Tigris. |
| Geography and Environment: The northern half of the mound is destructed by the inundation of Tigris. The southern foots are filled with the alluvium and mud layer carried by Seyhan stream. The whole surface of the mound is damaged by agricultural activities. According to the surface finds; the settlement measures 175 m in east-west and 75 m in north-south directions. It measures 8 m at the north and 2 m at the south. |
| History: |
| Research and Excavation: The site was first documented by a team under the directorship of G. Algaze during the survey conducted in the region in 1988 and later on. It was revisited in 2000 by G. Kozbe and H. Saglamtimur from Ege University; Department of Protohistory and Near Eastern Archaeology and K. Köroglu from Marmara University. It is being excavated by the same team since 2001. It takes place in the registered archaeological sites list prepared by Ministry of Culture and Tourism. |
| Stratigraphy: The surveys prior to the excavations and the campaigns in 2001-2002 and 2005-2006 indicate that for now the site can be dated back to the Late Chalcolithic Age although architectural elements representing this period have not been uncovered yet; finds related with this building level are only limited to pottery and flintstone tools recovered from the pits. Although the building level that had been inhabited at latest is dated to the Middle Age, there are also some Islamic tombs on the surface of the mound. It had been occupied as a cemetery during the Islamic Period, not as a settlement. In a publication dated to 2013, the stratigraphy was revised as it follows: - Kavusan I: Modern Period Islamic Cemetery (the end of the 19th century-20th century) - Kavusan II: Middle Ages (12th-14th century) - Kavusan III: Hellenistic Period (the last quarter of the 4th century BC-3rd century BC) - Kavusan IV: Post Assyrian Period (Late IA: the end of the 7th century BC-the last quarter of the 4th century BC) - Kavusan V: Neo Assyrian Period (9th-the end of the 7th century) - Kavusan VI: Early Iron Age (11th-9th century BC) - Kavusan VII: Mitanni Period-Middle Assyrian Period (Late Bronze Age: 14th-11th century BC) - Kavusan VIII: the end of the Early Bronze Age/Middle Brõnze Age (the end of the 3rd millennium BC-the first half of the 2nd millennium BC) - Kavusan IX: Early Bronze Age (the second half of the 3rd millennium BC) [Kozbe 2013:331-2]. The Post Assyrian Period represents the period in which the political existence of Assyria came to an end but the Assyrian culture continued. Ceramics, way of life and burial customs seen on the Neo Assyrian Period also existed during the Post Assyrian Period [Kozbe 2013:333]. |
| Small Finds: Architecture: The architectural remains of the building level IV; which are represented by a row of stones; were constructed by damaging one of the three pits located to the north of the trench. These pits were dug into the virgin soil and their floors were plastered with mud. The wall foundations of the building level IV were partially constructed on this virgin soil. The pit No. 1 is 70 cm deep and measures 2.15 m in diameter. The others are also about 2 m in diameter. In these pits were encountered ceramics that are mostly handmade [Kozbe et al. 2003:143]. In 2007, at the layer V in trench F12, the northwest corner of a stone foundation, which was belonged to a room west of pit No. 21, was uncovered. Pits No. 21 and No 3 damaged this building. The floor was dated to Late 3rd Millennium BC-Early 2nd Millennium BC as it was stated before in trench F13 and it was made of polygonal pieces of compressed mud of a very hard structure. 4 wood holes were found on one section of the floor, which were scattered randomly. This floor with no relation to any walls should indicate a courtyard floor [Kozbe et al. 2009:208]. In trench F12, at the layer V, which was uncovered in 2007, a floor of compressed soil was found, consisted of random shaped blocks filled with plaster. The fact that both the plaster used at the floor and one used on the silo were made of same material indicates these two architectural elements were coeval. The southern wall of the circular planned silo was left open probably to take the grain out more comfortably. Under this open section a sloping floor was made up by pebbles and potsherds due to protect the silo from moisture. After the floor was removed an architectural element found. This was a circular planned structure with a diameter about 1 m, exterior contour 3-4 cm plastered and heavy burnt marks. Together with the findings came from the same area, this circular planned architectural element was estimated to be a fireplace in a workshop that used for metalworking and casting. In another plan square of the same trench a compressed mud wall found in cornered "U" form. There were 11 plastered holes with a diameter of 5-6 cm around a pit of 30 cm diameter in the area enclosed by the wall. There were 4 floors detected in this area that was named "hole area no. 1" in behalf of the holes. In plan square c of trench F13 mud brick blocks were uncovered in a position that was forming a room. This room was stated to be the earliest architectural element that had been reached in the mound so far [Kozbe et al. 2009:208-210]. In 2008 at the building layer VI in trench F13, the layer of 3rd millennium BC that was corresponded totally to the EBA of mound was excavated. The room no. VI found in plan square F13a was square planned and had 50 cm thick mud brick walls. It was appeared that the room no. V found in plan square F13c in 2007 was also square planned. The floor was having two phases and there was an area with pebbles, which was enclosing the rooms no. V and VI in a and c plan squares and getting intense especially south of these rooms. After the rooms were removed it was observed that the pebbles did not continue under the room just bound their contour. Probably the pebbles paved consciously around the structures in order to isolate water. After the room no VI was removed a mud floor in east-west direction with 20 holes was uncovered and named as "hole area no.7". North of this again a small area was found with 13 irregular holes at two different levels. An ashy level was reached when the debris mud bricks removed under the room no. V. Mud brick walls turned around this ashy level. After this structure, which named room no. VII was removed a stone foundation formed by middle size pebbles was found just under the mud-walls [Kozbe 2010:186-188]. Pottery: Straw-tempered; handmade; coarse ceramics; which are thought to be Late Chalcolithic; were found. During the excavations in 2006 Va phase the objects that were revealed; at -2 m depth inside the area named 'Burnt Area'; dark color rimmed orange ware; metallic vessels; scarlet-brown coated ware with knobs; many sherds that belong to dark color varnished ware and a cylindrical seal in tact. These are typical ware groups to this period [Kozbe et al. 2008:396]. In 2007 a wide range of dark rimmed orange bowl parts found on the floor dated to Late 3rd Millennium BC-Early 2nd Millennium BC in trench F13 uncovered previously [Kozbe et al. 2009:208]. During 2008 excavations dense straw tempered coarse wares, single or double handled or no handled cooking pots, dark rimmed orange bowls, red-brown coated ware was found [Kozbe 2010:188]. Clay: A baked clay animal figurine was found. Chipped Stone: A little number of flint tools was encountered. Animal Remains: Animal bones were found in the earliest building level. Other: 3 carriage wheels were found in phase Va, inside the adobe compartment. 2 pieces of grinding stones and a mortar were found on the floor [Kozbe et al. 2008:397]. |
| Remains: |
| Interpretation and Dating: According to the preliminary results; the beginning of the occupation in Kavusan Höyük is dated to the Late Chalcolithic. Although the site was damaged by the floods of Tigris and Seyhan; it appears to have a settlement series from the Late Chalcolithic to the Medieval Age. Even though the architectural finds of the first season are not sufficient; it is reported that the site has a rich pottery repertoire belonging to each level. The crashed, scattered sherds, vessels lying upside down, and fallen adobe bricks suggest that this place was a storage building that went through an important fire [Kozbe et al. 2008:396]. |
