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©The Archaeological Settlements of Turkey - TAY Project
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Gülpinar / Chryse |
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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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110 m |
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Region:
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Marmara |
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Province:
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Çanakkale |
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District:
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Ayvacik |
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Village:
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Gülpinar |
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Investigation Method:
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Excavation |
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Period:
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Late |
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| It takes place in the registered archaeological sites list prepared by Ministry of Culture and Tourism. It is situated approximately 25 km west of Ayvacik District in Çanakkale. The initial excavations conducted by Jean Baptiste Lechevalier at Gülpinar in 1785-86 revealed the existence of sanctuary Apollo Smintheus. R.N. Spratt, a British admiral who visited the site in 1853 to produce maps identified several remains at Gülpinar (former Külahli) as the remains of a temple dedicated to Apollo built in Ionic order. After Spratt's visit, R.P. Pullan excavated the site in the autumn of 1866 and found scientific evidence to prove Spratt's argument. 100 years later, in 1966 the remains were again declared to be a sanctuary by H. Weber. In the beginning of the 1970's Çanakkale Museum of Archaeology opened soundings in and around the sanctuary. The systematic excavations launched by C. Özgünel in 1981 are still going on at the site. Chalcolithic Age finds were revealed during the Apollon Smintheus temple excavations performed by C. Özgünel. Gülpinar settlement which is represented by a short period settlement, represents 5th Millennium BC Kumtepe 1a, Gülpinar and Besik-Sivritepe culture in the Troas Region. The Chalcolithic Period structures found in 2007 are antecedent to the storage facility unearthed during 2006. These buildings were preserved up to a height approximately of 50 cm and the masonry technique on the lowest course of stones which consists of vertically placed blocks is particularly intriguing. The two hearths and the pile of muscel shells on the compressed soil floor were found inside this building. This area also contains approximately 200 animal bones which belong to livestock, fishes and birds. A dozen bone tools, five small handaxes and a bronze piercing tool are among the finds. Approximately 10 vessels were found intact at Gülpinar where there are many very fine burnished grey-black or grey-brown hand-made vessels. 2000 vessels were listed in the inventory. Among the vessels which are intact there is a specimen with a single handle on the neck, and other pots with large bodies, in addition to circular bottom, horn handle bowls. The form of high bowls with handles which are chisel or bulb decorated and the high fruit displays constitute the majority of specimens. The vessels were generally burnish decorated inside. Among 2007 campaign finds the terra cotta statuette sherd of head with of nose and ear piercings is particularly interesting [Özgünel-Kaplan 2009:409-411]. That the Chalcolithic settlement was represented through only one single cultural level was verified during 2008 excavations [Özgünel 2010:76]. Pottery pieces, animal bones and grinding stones that belong to Chalcolithic Age were found in one of the soundings carried out in 2009. Chalcolithic Age materials and architectural building remains are encountered 2 m deep in the second sounding area. This architectural structure is 4.30 by 3.80 m in size and erected by using 40-45 cm wide mud-daub, double row, round river stones. One row of the wall is preserved to date. Among the finds in this region are 2 intact pots, 3 flat axes, a dozen bone tools, various ornaments/necklaces made of sea shells, 1 baked earth statuette head, 3 spindle whorls, 4 loom weights and many hand-made well-burnished potteries. And the fact that grinding stones in situ placed on the base of this building suggest that this area was being used as a workshop [Özgünel-Kaplan 2011:213-214]. As a result of the excavation which was conducted in the area with a width of 10x20 m in 2010, 3 large main rooms, small rooms which are connected with the large ones and a courtyard located between these two were exposed. This year's excavation campaign shows that the Chalcolithic settlement of Gülpinar is represented by one cultural deposit and this deposit has two architectural phases. Among the collected finds, there are 7 almost intact vessels, over 1000 potsherds, baked clay figurine fragments, 50 ground stones and grinding stones, a dozen of bone tools, animal bones and shells [Özgünel-Kaplan 2012:146-150]. During the excavations carried out in the area with a width of 10x15 m, 5 large rooms and small rooms related to these large rooms were exposed. The main room with stone paved floor located in the center of these rooms was discovered and the data about domestic activities performed inside these rooms were obtained. Among the finds, there are 60 ground stones and grinding stones, a dozen of bone tools, animal bones and shells [Kaplan et al. 2013:391-393]. In 2012, the studies were carried out in order to expose the continuation of the architectural remains with stone foundation, which were unearthed in previous years. Due to the fact that the prehistoric remains covers a larger area, the sounding system was abandoned and the grid system was initiated. The excavations yielded baked clay figurine fragments, potsherds, marble bowl, necklaces made out of shell, spindle whorls, bone tools, ground stones, flint cores and flakes [Kaplan et al. 2014]. |
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