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©The Archaeological Settlements of Turkey - TAY Project
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Toptepe |
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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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Marmara Ereglisi |
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Village:
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Investigation Method:
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Excavation |
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Period:
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Archaic |
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| It is situated 300 m south of the Istanbul-Tekirdag motorway, 4 km west of Marmara Eregli and east of Tekirdag. It lies on a small rocky cape of 70x70 m extending towards the Marmara Sea. It has been entirely destroyed during the construction of a vacation resort in 1989, leaving only a tiny spot in the core of the hill, and a three-story restaurant was built atop [Özdogan 1999: pic. 18]. Toptepe was discovered by D.H. French in 1966. M. Özdogan conducted a survey and a salvage excavation in the name of Tekirdag Museum following the destruction. Although it is known with Early Bronze and Classical Age finds, it also reflects connection of the Troian cultures with Thrace. It appears that the settlement used to cover a very wide area during the Archaic and Hellenistic Periods, and besides the cone and hagiasma, it spreaded onto the ridges to the north of the peninsula [Özdogan 1991:351; Özdogan-Dede 1990:5]. Classical Period sherds were collected during the surveys [Özdogan 1982:40, pic. 5], as well as black figure decorated sherds with elaborate craftsmanship [Özdogan-Dede 1990:5]. |
| Location: The site lies east of Tekirdag; approximately 4 km west of Marmara Ereglisi; approximately 300 m south of the Tekirdag-Istanbul highway. Today; it is in the limits of a holiday site called "Kaptan 2". There is not much to see because of extreme damage. The mound is reached via the road from Istanbul to Tekirdag; but permission is required to enter the holiday site. |
| Geography and Environment: A very large part of the mound was destroyed during the construction of a casino of Kaptan 2 in 1989. The deposit of the mound was 10-12 m thick before the destruction. The terrace; extending towards north; was destroyed by buildings. The first settlers inhabited a 70 m wide rocky cape. The small indentations at two sides of the cape most probably functioned as a suitable small bay; providing shelter for the fisherman boats. |
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