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©The Archaeological Settlements of Turkey - TAY Project
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Dilkaya |
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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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1660 m |
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Region:
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Eastern Anatolia |
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Province:
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Van |
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District:
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Edremit |
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Village:
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Dilkaya |
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Investigation Method:
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Excavation |
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Period:
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EBA II EBA III |
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| Location: It lies immediate west of Dilkaya Village of the Edremit Sub-District; 24 km southwest of the Van Province [Çilingiroglu 1985:159]. The mound is reached through the Dilkaya (Horkum) exit on the west of the motorway running from the district to Van [See Çilingiroglu 1986:map at plan1]. |
| Geography and Environment: It stands on a natural sand dune on the northern bank of the Hosap Suyu where it spills to the Lake Van [Çilingiroglu-Derin 1992:topographical plan at pic.1]. The mound has been destroyed by the waters of the Lake and the local villagers. The thickness of the cultural deposit is 7 m since the virgin soil; sand in fact; was reached at 7 m [Çilingiroglu 1990:247]. |
| History: |
| Research and Excavation: The excavation was started in 1984; following a detailed survey conducted in 1983; and continued until 1991 for seven seasons under A. Cilingiroglu under the context of the Survey Projects of Van. It was excavated because sherds of both the third millennium BC and the Urartu Period were collected from the surface. A. Cilingiroglu expected to excavate a civilian settlement unlike the castles of Urartu Period largely excavated in the vicinity. The excavation revealed that the destruction is more severe than expected since the villagers in the neighborhood preferred to use the stones of the mound in the foundation of their houses. It takes place in the registered archaeological sites list prepared by Ministry of Culture and Tourism. |
| Stratigraphy: The site had been intermittently inhabited from the third millennium BC to the Middle Age. The layers are as follows from past to recent [Çilingiroglu 1993:table at pic.11]: Layer Va and Vb: EBA II (The excavator names this period as Early Transcaucasian II and dates it to 2600-2300 BC) Layer IV: EBA III-beginning of MBA (2300-1750 BC) Layer III: Early Iron Age (Principals Period of Urartu) (1100-800 BC) Layer II: Middle Iron Age (Kingdom Period of Urartu) (800-600 BC) Layer I: Middle Age The beach located 200 m north of the mound has laid out a cemetery belonging to the inhabitants of the Early- Middle Iron Ages and the Middle Age [Çilingiroglu 1986:153]. EBA pottery was also found in this cemetery. |
| Small Finds: Architecture: The trenches of squares N5; M5; M6; M7; N7 and L6 yielded architectural remains of EBA II and III. Two building levels were discovered in the settlement of EBA II. Although the excavator reported the presence of circular buildings in the lower level; and four-cornered buildings in the upper level in his preliminary reports [Çilingiroglu 1988:230]; he doesn't refer to any phase differentiation in his final reports. On the other hand; he reports rectangular; quadrangular and circular houses at the earliest level of trench N5 [Çilingiroglu 1993:471]. The houses were renewed in several building levels. There is a construction plan of adjacent rooms with courtyards in between. The houses are entered from an open courtyard on the south. They are built of mudbrick on a stone socle of 30-50 cm. They are suggested to have flat roofs same as the present Southern Anatolia traditions. It is noted that the earth floors were covered with matt. Although the presence of quadrangular and horsehoe-like hearths is reported; movable hearths and kilns are not mentioned [Çilingiroglu 1986:153]. There are garbage; snow (?) and storage pits in the courtyards. Trench M5 revealed long rectangular houses again belonging to EBA II [Çilingiroglu 1993:plan at pic 2]. The houses are built in the north-south direction by the same technique. As a distinctive feature; they have benches on the short laterals. The hearths are placed alongside the eastern wall. A mudbrick fortification wall on a stone socle was found to the south of the mound. The architectural remains of EBA III were almost demolished. Pottery: The pottery industry of Dilkaya was analysed in detail [Kozbe 1990:533-554]. As a result; samples of pottery industry called Early Transcaucausian by Çilingiroglu and Kozbe or Karaz during the excavations of the Erzurum and Elazig regions were identified. All of the vessels locally produced are handmade. The paste was prepared tempering with sand; grit and mica into the slightly thin clay. Samples of the plant tempered paste are very rare [Kozbe 1990:537]. The 98 % of the samples analysed are washed. The wash is usually applied very little. It is of different clay. The surface color is black; brown; red; buff or grey. Black and brown are dominant. The vessel was burnished well after dried. The percentage of the burnished samples is around 87 %. Only 20 % of the total vessels bear incised; grooved/corrugated; relief and impressed decorations. Decoration was applied particularly on elaborately produced vessels. Big jars and pithoi are largely decorated. Patterns like hatched and empty triangles; squares; zigzags and parallel lines were applied [Kozbe 1990:537]. They are moderately fired. Forms of bowl; dish; jar and pithos were preferred [Kozbe 1990:pic.1-6; Çilingiroglu 1987:83]. Plenty of samples of finger holed handles called Nahçevan/Nakhichevan are found. Also found are string holed; pseudo holed and strap handles [Çilingiroglu 1986:155]. A. Cilingiroglu evaluates this ware largely as EBA II and partly as EBA III [Çilingiroglu 1993:475]. Clay: Terra cotta spindle whorls; bull figurine and wheels of toy carts were found. Chipped Stone: Arrow and spearheads in obsidian and scrapers were recovered. Among the spearheads are tanged and winged types [Çilingiroglu 1987:pic.10-11]. Bone/Antler: Among the amazing finds are a handle of a knife in bone found near a skeleton at trench N5 [Çilingiroglu 1987:83]; a perforator and a pin [Çilingiroglu 1988:234]. Human Remains: The skeletons of a male 35 years old were recovered from the room no. II. It is certain that the cemetery of this settlement is extramural. Even tough recovery of EBA pottery from the cemetery on the north [Çilingiroglu-Derin 1992:41O] indicates the probability of using that area as a cemetery during EBA; A. Cilingiroglu reports that no graves dating from this period were found. |
| Remains: |
| Interpretation and Dating: Dilkaya Höyügü is one of the rare settlements excavated among the restricted number of the third millennium settlements in the Eastern Anatolia region. The progress of pottery called Karaz/Early Transcaucasian was not identified since there was no EBA I settlement in the mound; yet it contributed to the EBA II. A. Cilingiroglu reports a monumental fortification wall exceeding 3 m high at trenches L6-L7 [Çilingiroglu 1992:404]. If the wall belongs to this age; it can be suggested that the community defended itself with this wall and they had a mixed economy depending on fishing other than agricultural products. |
