|
©The Archaeological Settlements of Turkey - TAY Project
|
|
|
|
|
|
Tille |
|
|
For site maps and drawings please click on the picture...  |
For photographs please click on the photo...  |
|
Type:
|
Mound |
|
Altitude:
|
470 m |
|
Region:
|
Southeastern Anatolia |
|
Province:
|
Adiyaman |
|
District:
|
Kahta |
|
Village:
|
Geldibuldu |
|
Investigation Method:
|
Excavation |
|
Period:
|
Late Iron Age Post Assyrian Period |
|
|
|
  |
|
| Location: Tille Höyük is situated on the western of the Euphrates River, east of Adiyaman, near the spot where a modern road passes over the river [Summers 1998:399]. It has been occupied by a modern village called Geldibuldu (Tille) at present. It is a small village with 17 houses on the east, west and south slopes of the mound, 30 km east of Kahta, north of the Urfa-Diyarbakir motorway [Moore 1993:199]. |
| Geography and Environment: While somewhat high and steep mountains to the north of Tille separates Adiyaman from the Malatya Region, the Euphrates River runs through deep rocks down in the valley. In a similar way, the river runs through high rocks in the south till it reaches the plain at Samsat Region [Summers 1998:399]. The mound lies on a narrow and deep bank composed by a stream spilling into the Euphrates River. Including the eastern terrace, it covers an area of 200x140 m. It reaches up to a height of 26 m above the plain level. The base diameter of the mound's conical section is approximately 130 m, and before the excavations, the flat hill was measured around 40x33 m [Moore 1993:199]. |
| History: |
| Research and Excavation: Material of various periods were collected from the hill during a survey conducted in 1977 to determine monuments and findspots which would be flooded by the reservoir waters of the Atatürk Dam. The salvage excavations were carried out under the direction of D. French by the British Archaeological Institute at Ankara in 1979 and continued until 1990 [Summers 1998:399]. Furthermore, M. Özdogan and Ü. Serdaroglu conducted topographic and archaeological surveys on the settlement in 1977 [Moore 1993:199]. |
| Stratigraphy: The Middle Age remains are followed by the ruins of the Hellenistic Period (323-30BC), which overlies the Achaemenid Period level (4th or 5th centuries) [Mellink 1985:557]. It is followed by the Neo- Assyrian Level (8-7th centuries) [Uçankus 2000:476]. Two Iron Age levels were identified with two phases called phase 1 and phase 2. These two phases are connected with the enclosure wall to the north of the settlement. The Phase 2 has not been well preserved in the western and northern sections. All three main building levels of Late Iron Age belong to the 10th and 8th centuries BC. The main phase of the final level suffered a fire (or demolished by Sargon in 708 BC?). The second phase of this level is thin and unstable. That phase was dated to the 7th century BC [French 1988:336-37]. |
| Small Finds: Architecture: Four trenches reached down to the floors of the Neo Assyrian buildings. Mudbrick walls of this period were also found at various spots. Several phases of the earliest Iron Age levels are located in patches among the debris found to the north of the burnt level of Late Bronze Age [French 1987:206]. Evidence for construction of the building from the Achaemenid (?) or Post-Assyrian Period, which was uncovered earlier, was found during the 1985 campaign. It was found out that the group of rooms to the west of the columned hall was planned and built at the same time, which resulted in separation of the settlement into a few zones from south to north. There are at least three Iron Age levels, which in turn are represented by three phases on their own between the construction of the Achaemenid (?) building's and the building which went through a fire [French 1987:205]. The excavations in the Neo Assyrian buildings yielded 3 iron weapons, 1 sword, 2 spearheads, 1 bone tool and a group of vessels inside a pit. Three vessels were found on the floor of the adjacent building. The Early Iron Age levels that were dated to the 10th or 11th century BC on the northern section of the mound were exposed on terraces downwards along the edge of the mound [Summers 1990:305-306]. All of the earliest levels reached during the excavations in 1989 were dated to the Early Iron Age. The principal finds of the burnt level are sherds. Based on these sherds, the building is dated to the Early Iron Age. Despite undergoing a great fire, there are evidences suggesting that the settlement at Tille started during the Early Iron Age and lasted until the Assyrian invasion by Sargon II in 708 BC throughout the Late Hittite Period [French 1991:313] The courtyard decorated with mosaics at Tille dating to the Neo Assyrian Period should have been dated to the period right after Sargon's Kummuh campaign in 708 BC [Mellink 1989:116]. French reported two excavations on the Iron Age phases during the 1986 campaign on the large fortress at the West Pass of Euphrates. The lower phase provided more satisfying information. This phase was terminated by a great fire possibly caused by Sargon. Sherds, iron tools and weapons, bone tools and a stamp with a scene of a worshipping to a deity were delivered to the museum [Mellink 1988:111]. Pottery: A restricted number of Iron Age material was found. Among them, a plate with a depiction of a goddess (?) and a very small statuette in Egyptian Blue color are noteworthy. They are dated to the 8th and 7th centuries. A round pit was dug for access to the deep fire level. The sherds recovered from that pit resemble the 1st Millennium pottery of the Elazig region. The main finds recovered from the burnt building are of ceramic vessels. A total of 45 vessels were found in three areas. They have similarities with sherds uncovered at the Late Iron Age level at Tille. Painted sherds are reported to be noteworthy. The building probably belongs to the Early Iron Age. In 1989 French and Summers reported that the Iron Age buildings were removed and several Iron Age painted ware datable to the 11th or 12th century were uncovered from the burnt level [Mellink 1991b:123-153]. Seal: A cylindrical stone seal was found among other Neo Assyrian Age finds [French 1985:250]. |
| Remains: |
| Interpretation and Dating: The Early Iron Age known as "Dark Ages" in Anatolia and rarely recognized is represented at Tille Höyük by handmade, black burnished, spouted, handled jugs with bulges on its body, and iron handicrafts produced during the early periods, and these finds complete the missing data on the region. It was found that Tille Höyük was a border fortress that constituted a ring in the chain of the border system of the Commagene Kingdom along the Euphrates River [Uçankuş 2000:476]. |
