Area 759
Main Information
| Area ID | 759 |
| Site |
Tepecik-Çiftlik |
| Area type | settlement |
| Area NR | |
| Period | Anatolia: Early Chalcolithic |
| Dating method | material culture radiocarbon dating |
| Radiocarbon dated | yes |
| Earliest date: Lab Number | KN-5916, N°83 Level 3, 4 |
| Earliest date: 14C age (BP) | |
| Earliest date: Calibration | yes |
| Earliest date: 14C age calibrated (BC) | |
| Earliest date: Date of calibration | None |
| Earliest date: Standard deviation | 26 |
| 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 Öztan, A. - Özkan, S., , Çizgi ve Nokta Bezekli Köşk Höyük Seramikleri, 2003, None, None Bıçakçı, E. - Godon, M. - Çakan, Y. G., , Tepecik-Çiftlik, Istanbul 2012, None, None Godon, M., Cappadocia First Pottery production, Tepecik-Çiftlik Earliest Levels, 2012/in press, None, None Öztan, A., Köşk Höyük: Nidğe Bor Ovası'nda Bir Neolitik Yerleşim (Istanbul 2007), None, None Silistreli, U., Köşk Höyük'te Bulunan Kabartma İnsan ve Hayvan Figürleriye Bezeli Kaplar, 1989a, None, None |
| Comment | The Early Chalcolithic period corresponds to Level 3 in Tepecik-Çiftlik. It dates around 6000 cal. BC and is almost identical to the two earliest levels in Köşk Höyük and Pınarbaşı-Bor in pottery typology and technology. |
| Settlement type | tell |
| Settlement structure | |
| Settlement building type |
one-room |
| Settlement building shape |
apsidal |
| Settlement building technique |
stone socket |
| Settlement archaeological features |
oven storage building |
| 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 |
inhumation secondary deposition |
| Grave: estimated number of individuals | |
| Grave: age groups |
adult subadult |
| 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 | This period, maybe covering four centuries, had a very dynamic development in the architectural layout. Six main sub-levels of reconstructions can be distinguished, including numerous changes and extensions of architectural units. The settlement layout doesn't follow the static honeycomb organization of households. The buildings were much more dispersed and less rigid with separated households. There was a continuous self-reorganization, visible in added annexes, modifications of inner arrangements and the adding of an extra room in open areas. The settlement pattern seems to have kept its distinctive and consequent relation of the built and open areas. When a core building was abandoned, a new one was constructed according to the available space and not to the previous building-layout. Two main architectural phases can be distinguished in the six sub-levels: the lower phase (corresponding to a large occupation by structures) and the upper phase (corresponding to a major reorganization of the site). Lower phases: In the middle of the excavated area, there was a building complex belonging to the lower phases. It was oriented north-south, and in the west and east surrounded by open areas. Over time, several rooms, varying in size, were added on the west, which reduced the open area. Building U contained a cache with a numerous amount of stone axes, obsidian tools, deer antlers, pestles, stone hammers, and also limestone. The cache was covered or sealed by rhyolithic flagstones like a safekeeping place. It probably was the supply of valuables of a craftsman. Also, two well-preserved structures were found under partially destroyed remains of the upper phase (structures BK, BL). In both structures, a large oven is located in the apse. Because of the multi-layered burned clayey soil, the ovens were probably used over a long period of time with frequent refurbishment. Along the lateral side of each building, the space is divided into small rectangular units with kerpic walls. Those probably were storage facilities. In the west, between trenches 16L - M, there was a simple square building with evidence of obsidian knapping on its floor. In the upper phase of Level 3, using the open areas of previous phases for buildings became more common. New buildings were erected in the northern part of the settlement (AJ, L). At first, the original settlement layout was kept somehow, but eventually completely replaced. In the Early Chalcolithic, three main building-types can be distinguished: single large-roomed ones (e.g. structure O), with internal separations or external extensions added eventually (e.g. structures U, Y); multi-roomed ones with small stone-wall partitions in later phases (structure P-Q-R); buildings with apses; Some stone socle walls are well enough preserved to show variability and development throughout the sequence. On average, the walls were about 50 cm thick and set up by two stone courses, mostly joining each other at some point or being connected by a fill of small stones. Some stones were carefully selected (flagstones for foundations, large geometric square modules for the corners), the main body of the sub-basements are made of rough stones. Between them, there was untempered clay mortar. Particular care was given to the upper surface of the last row of stones in order to attain flatness for supporting the kerpic elevations, but these were almost never preserved. Kerpic was better preserved in the inner partition walls which are frequently made only of kerpic. There were common activities and pooling of food supplies (large storage and food processing buildings). Burial practices: rarely indoor inhumations, if so, generally new-born babies that are buried under the floor. There are frequent primary burials in the lower phase, outside the houses in a hocker position, with small gifts at their sides. Secondary burials increase during the upper phase. The bodies were either completely dismembered, or just the heads were removed. |
| Comment |
Location of the Site
Bibliography
Finds in this Area