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©The Archaeological Settlements of Turkey - TAY Project
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Belpinar Karain |
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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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Cave |
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Altitude:
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m |
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Region:
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Mediterranean |
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Province:
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Antalya |
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District:
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Kemer |
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Village:
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Beldibi |
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Investigation Method:
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Excavation |
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Period:
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EP |
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| Location: This cave site is southwest of the city of Antalya and northwest of the village of Beldibi. It is close to the site of Belbasi and lies on the northern slopes of the Belpinar Stream Valley; by the cliffs where the Belbasi Rock-Shelter is located. It is 3 km from Kumbucagi Rock Shelter. Although Bostanci has named this site Karain; in order to avoid confusion with the other Karain Cave in Antalya; he has differentiated this site by calling it the Belpinar Karain. The approximate location of this site has been shown in the schematic plan above. |
| Geography and Environment: Villagers informed Bostanci of the existence of another cave with wall paintings known as Yatakyeri east of this cave. Bostanci; however; in publications on this site does not address this cave. Yatakyeri; as a result; has not been included in this volume. Neither dimensions of the Karain cave nor a geologic explanation of its formation has been reported. The name of the site is probably local. |
| History: |
| Research and Excavation: This site was discovered in 1959 by Enver Bostanci. Even though Bostanci has announced that he opened a test trench in the cave; the results of this excavation have not been published. There were wall paintings in this cave but today all that remains are the antlers of a deer-type animal. An area of the cave floor which had been abraded by water resembled an animal figurine. Looters who thought this indicated a treasure broke the stone. Bostanci also mentions cross-shaped human figures painted with red ocher but it is not clear whether this refers to this site or to the nearby Yatakyeri Rock-shelter [Bostanci 1975:69 end note 3]. The area needs to be resurveyed before more definite descriptions can be given. |
| Stratigraphy: |
| Small Finds: The holes dug by looters in front of the entrance of the cave yielded blades and microliths removed from a flint core. Although no geometric tools were among the finds; the researcher believed that these tools must have been left by the Mesolithic/ Epipalaeolithic hunter gatherers who camped here. Specific information on the characteristics of the tools has not been reported. |
| Remains: |
| Interpretation and Dating: |
