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©The Archaeological Settlements of Turkey - TAY Project
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Menekse Çatagi |
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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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7 m |
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Region:
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Marmara |
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Province:
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Tekirdag |
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District:
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Merkez |
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Village:
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Gazioglu |
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Investigation Method:
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Excavation |
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Period:
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Early Iron Age |
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| Location: It lies on both banks of the Menekse Stream on rocky terraces; on the shore of the Marmara Sea; 50 m south of the Tekirdag-Istanbul motorway; 12 km east of the Tekirdag Province. |
| Geography and Environment: Flat hills lying on both banks of the Menekse Stream are named as West and East hills. In the section where the eastern and western mounds are located; shores of Marmara constitute a seaside cliff; 10 m high; formed by sandstone rocks. Beneath the cliff lie small beaches. There are two fresh water springs near the mound. The western mound measures 100x60x3 m while the eastern mound has two elevations; one measuring 2 m in height and 60 m in diameter east to the stream; and the other one being a flat elevation situated 200 m east of the stream. A portion of the eastern settlement has been truncated by the Marmara Sea. |
| History: |
| Research and Excavation: It was first introduced by M.A. Isin in 1960s and then documented by the Department of Prehistory of the Istanbul University during daily excursions. Excavations were initiated in 1993 by M.A. Isin, who is now the director of the Tekirdag Museum and A. Erim-Özdogan and under consultation of M. Özdogan of the Department of Prehistory of the Istanbul University. In 1993 M.A. Isin, the Director of the Tekirdag Museum initiated a salvage excavation in order to investigate the influence of Trojan cultures on the Thracian shoreline, which revealed an earlier layer of the Toptepe culture underlying the Early Bronze Age, and continued in the following year. Since 1995, the excavations have been continued by A. Erim Özdogan in cooperation with the Museum of Tekirdag [Özdoğan 1999:13]. It takes place in the registered archaeological sites list prepared by Ministry of Culture and Tourism. |
| Stratigraphy: The uppermost stratum of the Western settlement at Menekse Çatagi is dated to the Hellenistic Period (306-280 BC). The excavations yielded EBA I-II and Toptepe Culture bearing local Thracian features as well as Anatolian influence, and proved presence of Middle Chalcolithic Age, which is contemporary with the 3rd layer of Kirklareli/Asagi Pinar. Also found are evidences of the 2nd Millennium and Iron Age settlements with uncertain distribution. The 2001 campaign which focused on the East Çatak yielded 4 strata: 1. The pits and votive pits from the Hellenistic Period 2. The upper phase of the Early Iron Age 3. The phase with pit dwellings 4. The phase with rectangular mudbrick structures |
| Small Finds: Architecture: The 2001 excavations conducted in the East Çatak yielded various size of hearths and kilns, all damaged in the uppermost layer of the Iron Age [Özdogan (A)-Isin 2003:379, pic. 5]. Dimensions of only one kiln could have been obtained (3x2 m). The 2002 excavations at East Çatak yielded a large garbage pit at trench 39M at a depth of 2.52 m, and 2.9 m at deepest point which enlarges up to 3.5 m at the top [Özdogan (A) et al. 2004:422]. Pottery: Very limited number of Early Iron Age sherds were recovered from the trench 39M during the 2001 campaign at East Çatak [Özdogan (A) et al. 2004: 422]. There are two prominent pits from the Early Iron Age at trench 40M. These pits yielded fragment of a typical bucket handled and decorated Early Iron Age ware and fragment of a red figure vessel from the Classical Period [Özdogan (A) et al. 2004: 424, drawings 1, 2]. Furthermore, southern sections of the trench 40N yielded Early Iron Age pottery [Özdogan (A) et al. 2004:425]. Metal: Fragment of a decorated bronze bracelet, known from the Early Iron Age pits at Asagi Pinar, was uncovered on the southern section of the trench 40N during the 2002 excavations at East Çatak [Özdogan (A) et al. 2004:425, pic. 12]. Jewellery: The 2002 excavations at East Çatak yielded a group of 29 pieces of white Cerastoderma glaucum shell, gathered for producing a necklace, and placed in a sac or basket at trench 39M. Sixteen of them were pierced [Özdogan (A) et al. 2004:422, pic. 8]. Statue: The 2002 excavations at East Çatak yielded a statuette similar to the ones recovered from the Early Iron Age pits at trench 39M [Özdogan (A) et al. 2004:422, pic. 9]. The head is blunt with the top slightly pressed and hollowed, as slightly bending. The eyes and nose are imperceptible. The neck was made prominent being slightly pressed while the arms are short, blunt, pointy ended, and spreaded. It is decorated with bands consisting of small impressed circles, wrapping cross the chest and back. There is a row of necklace on the neck. Grave: The 2001 campaign at East Çatak revealed that a pit with a diameter of 0.83-0.9 m was dug into the floor of the kilns, which was plastered three times, uncovered in the uppermost layer of the Early Iron Age and it was used as burial place [Özdogan (A)-Isin 2003:379, pic. 3]. It seems that the first burial belonged to a young adult while the other to an old individual. Other: The 2001 excavations at East Çatak yielded spindle whorls at trench 39L in the upper layer of the Early Iron Age, indicating spinning activity as they are high in number [Özdogan (A)-Isin 2003:379]. |
| Remains: |
| Interpretation and Dating: The excavations which focused on the West Çatak until 2000 revealed presence of the late 2nd Millennium BC and Early Iron Age as well as the Middle Chalcolithic Age, EBA I-II and Hellenistic Period [Özdogan (A) et al. 2004:412]. A few Buckel and Pseniçevo type of fragments, usually used as votive goods gave rise to question whether the Early Iron Age settlement of this site was a votive place or sanctuary. At the end of the 2001 campaign, it was concluded that Menekse Çatagi was an important site in the northern shores of the Marmara Sea as it is the only center providing information about the Early Iron Age in this region [Özdogan (A)-Isin 2003: 383]. The 2002 excavations conducted at East Çatak revealed that the Early Iron Age settlement persisted longer than expected. And the 2002 workshops showed that the number of long-necked pots at Menekse Çatagi is limited, and they don't have handles and some are nippled [Özdogan (A) et al. 2004:427, drawing 3]. |
