©The Archaeological Settlements of Turkey - TAY Project

Cafer Höyük

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Cafer Höyük
Type:
 Mound
Altitude:
 675 m
Region:
 Eastern Anatolia
Province:
 Malatya
District:
 Battalgazi
Village:
 Cafer
Investigation Method:
 Excavation
Period:
 Aceramic

     

Location: This site lies approximately 40 km northeast of the city of Malatya; close to the village of Cafer. It was possible to reach this site; which has since been flooded by the Karakaya Dam Lake; via the side road heading to the village of Cafer from the Malatya-Elazig highway.
Geography and Environment: The mound was a conical; 150x28 m; broad mound extending east-west which lay where the Degirmentepe Stream tributary emptied into the Euphrates. The cultural depositional layer was 3 m thick. The eastern side of the mound faced the seasonal Degirmentepe Stream and sloped gradually while the other three sides of the mound were steep. Irrigation channels and terraces built for agriculture could be found on these three steep sides. Especially the western and northern terraces yielded many finds. It is assumed that the original mound was larger in size and that it was leveled for agricultural fields. The excavations in Trench 4 on the western terrace; which were led by Cauvin; lacked architectural remains. Clay-like brown virgin soil was reached; surprisingly only 40 cm from the surface. The artifacts recovered from this trench were out of context finds which may have been moved as a result of the terracing activities. The exposed sections along the pits dug by villagers for soil to make mudbricks were cleaned and a decipherment of a stratigraphic sequence was attempted.
History:
Research and Excavation: The site was discovered during the surface survey conducted by M. Özdogan in the area expected to be flooded by the Karakaya Dam Lake. Excavations directed by J. Cauvin of the French National Science Foundation (CNRS) continued between 1979 and 1986. The entire mound has since been flooded by the dam lake.
Stratigraphy: The dark burnished ware recovered from Trench 3 during the 1979 excavations suggests that in addition to the Aceramic Neolithic there is also a Bronze Age component at the site [Cauvin-Aurenche 1987:68-69]. Some Medieval pottery may has also been found. The excavation team exposed the settlement pattern as much as they could by opening two large trenches east and west of the mound and a 40 m long corridor between. Especially the 50 square meter eastern trench which was excavated down to virgin soil was helpful in establishing a complete stratigraphic sequence. The western trench; on the other hand; was 310 square meters in size. The stratigraphic sequence of the eastern trench is as follows: New Period: Layers I-IV; Middle Period: Layers V-VIII; Old Period: Layers IX-XIII. The only layer that is demarcated as two layers is layer V; which is split into Va and Vb. It has been determined that the highest layers in the western trench are contemporaneous with the New Period Layers (I-IV) in the eastern trench.
Small Finds: Architecture (early to late): Early Phase: Layer X yielded a 5.40x4 m rectangular structure. The plan of this structure is different from the layer above. This building is believed to be contemporaneous with the Cell Planned Houses of Çayönü (Diyarbakir). Layer XI yielded basin-like oven fragments while a structure with walls made with a two rows of stone instead of mudbrick was found in Layer XII. This structures has two rooms; each with a horse-shoe shaped fire-place; for heating and for cooking. It is interesting that these elements are intramural even though the stoves and ovens are in external courtyard areas in other building compounds at the site. Middle Phase: Layer Va yielded very few architectural elements. The houses are multi-cell planned houses. The floors have been pebble-lined. In addition to extramural basin-like ovens; inset rectangular ovens were found. Basin-like ovens were found in the other layers of the Middle Phase as well. Layer Vb; on the other hand; yielded no architectural remains or elements. Instead; round post-holes and a large depression with a 2 m diameter was found. Mudbrick cell planned houses reappear in Layer VI. The cells are 1.7x2.4 m in size. The walls have been reinforced with mudbrick supports. Both walls and floors have been plastered. The floors of some of the small cells are stone-lined. The cells are interconnected by doorways. Layer VII yielded only one basin-shaped oven while a 7.10x4.80 m cell planned house was uncovered in Layer VIII. The inner parts of the walls have been buttressed with mudbricks. Two of the six cells appear to have been used for storage purposes. Another two of the cells have been lined with stones and clayey soil. Late Phase: The structures unearthed in the Late Phase are single or more commonly multi-roomed structures with mudbrick walls and stone foundations. The floors have been lined with pebbles. Layer I yielded stone lined floors; immediately beneath the mound surface. The mudbrick structures of these stone lined floors have been eroded. A mudbrick structure with stone foundations and pebble floors was found in Layer IV. Clay: Only a few baked clay finds were uncovered at Cafer Höyük. A baked clay bird figurine was found in the western trench while the eastern trench yielded three female idols and one male idol in the Middle Phase. Male figurines are rare in the Near East in this period. Chipped Stone: The stone industry at Cafer Höyük has been carefully analyzed. Obsidian was less common than flint in the Early Phase. 2/3 of the total chipped stone finds in this stage were flint. 35 % of the chipped stone industry is microlithic while blades with silica sheen comprise 15 % of the total chipped stone assemblage. Geometric tools are rare in this phase. Obsidian use increases in the Middle Phase. There is also an increase in "Çayönü tools"and points. Obsidian usage in the "Late Phase" approaches 90 % of the total tools. The tools resemble typical Near Eastern PPNB Byblos points; "Çayönü tools"; sickle blades and scrapers. There are fewer burins and microlithic. No geometric microlithics were found. Ground Stone: Circular; bifacially convex stone bracelets with protrusions and polished celts made from a green-colored stone have been found. The pile of marble bracelets found in Layer IV are perhaps the most interesting ground stone finds. It is interesting that bracelets were used in all phases at Cafer Höyük. Marble and limestone worked bowls; various grinding stones and other type ground stone tools have been found. Bone/Antler: The bone industry at Cafer Höyük is similar to the Middle Euphrates traditions and the Southeast Anatolian traditions. Bone needles; awls/perforators; burins; pierced shields and antler sheath were found. Human Remains: A skeleton was found in a shallow oval pit in Early Phase; Layer XI. Layer IX yielded a small child skeleton lying on its left side. The burial was covered by a large stone slab. The skeleton of another child; 8-9 years of age; was found lying in flexed position. The grave was covered with a white; plaster type material. Fauna: There were no domesticated animals at Cafer Höyük except for dogs. The fauna that has been analyzed has been divided into two different groups. The Early Phase includes Layers XIII-VIII and VII of the general stratigraphic sequence while the Late Phase includes Layers VI and II. Hare seems to be the most common hunt animal in the Early Phase (31.1 %); while this percentage falls to 3.4 % in the Late Phase. Fox; roedeer; wild pig and cattle are among the other animals frequently hunted in the Early Phase. It is interesting that wild pig and cattle hunting dramatically increases in the Late Phase. Sheep and goat hunting is almost the same in both stages; while deer hunting begins in the Late Phase. Very few bear and panther bones were found. The differences between the layers are described as follows: Instead of hare the most commonly hunted animals in the Late Phase are wild pig and cattle. This indicates that larger animals were preferred in the later phases. The fact that wild pigs; one of the most difficult animals to catch were hunted increasingly in the later phase suggests improvement in hunting techniques and social group hunting dynamics. The presence of sheep and goat in the faunal assemblage along with wild hunt animals suggests that the inhabitants of Cafer Höyük had two different bioscopes that they could utilized: the upper hills and the flanks of the hills. Flora: Even the earliest phases of the Neolithic flora from Cafer Höyük included domesticated Emmer and Einkorn wheat together with wild varieties. Lentils (Lens sp.) and Peas (Lathyrus sativus) were also found in both wild and domesticated varieties. Rye is present. Barley begins to be used in the later phases. Wild varieties appear to increase in the later phases. This may suggest either a difference in subsistence patterns; that the fields were not well cleaned or that the wild faunal remains were brought to the village with dung patties.
Remains:
Interpretation and Dating: Cafer Höyük; along with sites such as Boytepe and Çinaz III; are important in terms of a socio-economical understanding of the Aceramic Neolithic Period in southeast Anatolia. Since neither of the latter sites have been excavated; of the three; Cafer Höyük provides the most detailed information about this period. The excavations here were especially helpful in trying to clarify the relationships between southeast Anatolia and eastern Anatolia. Many of the unknowns could not be answered since the site has now been flooded by the dam-lake.


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