Area 659
Main Information
| Area ID | 659 |
| Site |
Mersin-Yumuktepe |
| Area type | settlement |
| Area NR | |
| Period | Anatolia: Early Neolithic |
| Dating method | material culture radiocarbon dating |
| Radiocarbon dated | yes |
| Earliest date: Lab Number | |
| Earliest date: 14C age (BP) | |
| Earliest date: Calibration | no |
| Earliest date: 14C age calibrated (BC) | |
| Earliest date: Date of calibration | None |
| Earliest date: Standard deviation | 90 |
| Earliest date: Delta 13C | None |
| Earliest date: Dated by | |
| Latest date: Lab Number | |
| Latest date: 14C age (BP) | |
| Latest date: Calibration | None |
| Latest date: 14C age calibrated (BC) | |
| Latest date: Date of calibration | None |
| Latest date: Standard deviation | None |
| Latest date: Delta 13C | None |
| Latest date: Dated by | |
| Period Reference |
Özdoğan, Mehmet, The Neolithic in Turkey. New Excavations & New Research. Central Turkey, None, None Caneva, I., Mersin-Yumuktepe in the Seventh Millennium BC: an updated view, 2012, None, None |
| Comment | lowermost layers of the tell (ca. 8 m thick), correspond to levels XXXIII - XXVIII; room A25: C14 7280 +/- 70 BP |
| Settlement type | tell |
| Settlement structure | |
| Settlement building type | |
| Settlement building shape | |
| Settlement building technique |
plaster wall stone lining timber wattle and daub |
| Settlement archaeological features |
fireplace pit stone setting storage vessel |
| Cave/rockshelters type | None |
| Cave/rockshelters: Evidence of graves/human remains | |
| Cave/rockshelters: Evidence of occupation | |
| Quarry exploitation type | None |
| Quarry raw material | |
| Cemetery/graves topography | |
| Cemetery/graves mortuary features | |
| Grave: number of graves | |
| Grave type | |
| Grave: type of human remains | |
| Grave: estimated number of individuals | |
| Grave: age groups | |
| Grave: sexes | |
| Grave: number of female sex | None |
| Grave: number of male sex | None |
| Grave: number of not specified sex | None |
| Grave: disturbance of graves | |
| Description | Early Neolithic finds were mostly made on the north-western side of the mound. The deposits were heavily reworked by intersecting terraces and storage pits from various periods that cut through these levels (from Middle to Late Neolithic, also Middle Chalkolithic and Middle Ages). The Early Neolithic deposits that were still in situ, were limited to small areas and contained remains of wattle-and-daub dwelling structures. They seem to have been destroyed by fire: the layers alternated between ash, burnt floors and strata containing reddish soil and crumbled wall plaster fragments (with imprints of reeds/Typha sp., chaff and cereal grains) Apparently, stone foundations were only used when the structure was partially sunken into the soil, stone linings reinforced the edges. A construction was found in the southernmost part, next to an excavated Middle Neolithic building almost at the same elevation. The Early Neolithic construction was delimited by massive stone foundations and consisted of a badly burnt small room. It was filled with burnt plaster and timber (from collapsed roof and walls). Room A25 dates to 7280 +/- 70 BP and had an uncompleted plan because its southern side had been cut by an old excavation trench. The room was very small despite its thick walls, and contained unfired clay fragments (some with basket imprints)--> remains of non-mobile storage containers. The findings (plate, hemispherical bowl, stone grinder, stone celt, bone seal), combined with the limited space and heavy architecture suggest that this room was a storeroom (earliest storage architecture at settlement). The furniture was probably made of perishable materials (the same as the walls). Fireplaces and large chaff-clay containers with straight walls (coil technique) were found, containing carbonized seeds (mainly lentils) Botanical analyses: domestic cereals and cultivated legumes were abundant (lentils, peas, bitter vetch), there also were wild fruits (olives, figs, pistachios); domestic animals: mainly cattle and caprovines, some pigs, more goat than sheep. The earliest assemblage contained mostly adult caprovines and cattle, most of the suids were killed young --> pigs were being kept for their meat. caprovines and cattle also for milk and wool. Pigs were more frequent than in other Neolithic settlements in the Near East which could indicate a damp environment around the site. There was almost no hunting (except fish). This site was founded in the Early Neolithic within the phenomenon of the Neolithic "colonization" by newcomers from neighboring areas (probably from the Amuq Plain and related places because of similarities in the pottery). |
| Comment |
Location of the Site
Bibliography
Finds in this Area
Interpretations related to this Area
| Interpretation |
ID 85
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