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©The Archaeological Settlements of Turkey - TAY Project
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Tell Açana / Alalakh |
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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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160 m |
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Region:
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Mediterranean |
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Province:
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Hatay |
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District:
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Reyhanli |
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Village:
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Tayfursökmen |
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Investigation Method:
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Excavation |
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Period:
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| It is situated 18 km west-southeast of the Reyhanli District on the bank of the Asi River, northeast of Antakya. It is adjacent to the Antakya-Reyhanli motorway. It is 500 m far from Asi River, measuring 9 m in height (10.5 m in some publications) and 750x305 m (54 acres) in dimensions. The site has an open-air museum status, including remains such as the palace ruins from the ancient city of Alalakh, lion statues, human reliefs, various architectural elements. Tell Açana was excavated under the direction of L. Woolley under the auspices of the Chicago's Oriental Institute and the British Museum in 1937-39 and 1946-49 campaigns. The Oriental Institute resumed the excavations in the region in 1995. The 2003 and 2004 campaigns were directed by A. Yener and as of 2005 D. Schloen is the director of the excavations [http://oi.uchicago.edu/research/projects/amu/alalakh.html 5.6.2007 16:00]. A total of 17 levels were identified on the mound. The bottom level XVII belongs to the Chalcolithic Age, i.e. between 3400-3100 BC. On level VII written documents were found which are dated to the period of Hammurabi, the King of Yamhad, a contemporary of the Babylonian King Hammurabi, and it was found out that the city of Alalakh used to be the administrative center of the land of Mukish, part of the Yamhad Kingdom, of which the capital was Alleppo. On the upper level IV, on the other hand, Alalakh was the capital of a small Hurrian Kingdom, which was dominated by the Mittani Kingdom during the 15th century BC. Alalakh was captured by the Hittite King Suppiluliuma in 1370 BC. Therefore, the Level 0 is dated to the 12th century BC, which is the transition period from the Late Bronze to the Early Iron Age [Woolley 1955:5-32]. Most of the scientific problems at Tel Açana are similar to the other sites in the East Mediterranean Basin, and the answers to these problems shall particularly clarify the transition period of regional states into empires (ie Hittite) and then break down of these empires into smaller local kingdoms. The excavations at Açana, which is more famous with its 2nd Millennium BC finds, yielded a very few Iron Age finds. It takes place in the registered archaeological sites list prepared by Ministry of Culture and Tourism. During the 2010 excavations, the presence of IA (12th century BC) in Alalakh was illuminated since the material belonging to Mycenean IIIC Middle 1 Period has been discovered after a hundred years of hiatus [Yener 2012:7]. During the 2011 studies, a building level belonging to Early IA was discovered in Trench 32.42 in Area I. It is thought that potsherds were used as a building material in the foundation of Early IA structure built in caisson technique and the material is earlier than IA material found in Tayinat Höyük [Yener-Akar 2013:339]. The 2012 studies yielded the building levels belonging to IA II in Alalakh [Yener-Akar 2014:43]. In 2012, IA wares found in the temple area of Alalakh were studied. The analysis of the pottery recovered from the last three building levels of Trench 42.10 shows that the pottery assemblage of the last building level includes Amuq O wares. Therefore, it is revealed that the last building level should be dated to the 8th century BC. Amuq N wares found in the second building level indicate the 10th and 9th centuries BC. Although the earliest building level yielded LBA wares, there are also Amuq N sherds. So, it is possible that this building level represents a transition period [Yener-Akar 2015:352]. |
| Location: This site lies on the Turkish-Syrian border; east of the Amuq Plain; about 3 km away from the village of Tayfursökmen and northeast of the village of Varisli; southwest of Reyhanli District; northeast of the city of Hatay. |
| Geography and Environment: The Tell Açana Mound on the Asi River (Orontes) bank; which used to be called Alalakh; is one of the largest and most important mounds of the area. |
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