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©The Archaeological Settlements of Turkey - TAY Project
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Aksirav Kale ve Yerlesimi |
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Type:
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Fortress |
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Altitude:
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m |
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Region:
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Eastern Anatolia |
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Province:
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Van |
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District:
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Ercis |
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Village:
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Aksirav |
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Investigation Method:
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Survey |
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Period:
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Early Iron Age |
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| It lies 400 m north of the Lake Van near the Aksirav (Bayramli) Village of the Ercis District in Van. The fortress has been heavily destroyedd. The height reaches up to ca. 60 m, and no information is available about the ground plan of the structures. Covering an approximate area of 300x60 m, it is entirely enclosed by a wall in rectangular plan. The wall thickness is 3 m in average with a total lenght reaching up to 700 m. The stones were erected using the cyclopean technique, and they are uneven although they had been roughly dressed. It seems that a wide area extending in the northeast-southwest direction of the fortress had been occupied as a residence area. On the southern slope of the fortress lie a few small-sized grave chambers, and a grave with a large chamber. This slope appears to have been the necropolis of the settlement. The large grave measures 120x5.5 m in dimensions, and it was covered by big capstones. It bears Early Iron Age characteristics, but it is distinct and interesting as it was surrounded by large stones in circle. Based on the analysis of the data on ceramics, the fortress and the settlement are dated to the Early Iron Age. |
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