©The Archaeological Settlements of Turkey - TAY Project

Han Ibrahim Sah

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Han İbrahim Şah
Type:
 Mound
Altitude:
 800 m
Region:
 Eastern Anatolia
Province:
 Elazig
District:
 Merkez
Village:
 Esenkent
Investigation Method:
 Excavation
Period:
 EBA III EBA II EBA I

     

Location: It was located beneath the village it was named after; which was recently renamed Esenkent; northeast of Balibey Sub-District; about 40 km northwest of the Elazig Province. It was flooded by the reservoir waters of the Keban Dam. It is coded under N 55 /3.
Geography and Environment: The conical mound was spread until the underlying streams and onto the steep slopes on the north; west and east. The thickness of the cultural deposit is 12 m while the dimensions are 125x60 m. It rose on a flat rocky platform. It was situated between the Ergüzek stream and a small stream. The mound is reported to be located on a secondary road running from Elazig to the northwest passing by the mounds of Hulvenk Kalesi; Erzürük Kalesi; Payler Tepe; Avcili Kalesi [Ertem 1982:plan].
History:
Research and Excavation: It was discovered by K. Kökten under the name of Han and introduced in 1967 by R. Whallon and S. Kantman [Whallon 1970:10; Whallon 1979:178-179]. Before it was flooded by the Keban Dam; it was excavated in 1970 and 1971 under H. Ertem. The excavation on the western slope aimed to identify the stratification while the one on the top hill to uncover the settlement plan.
Stratigraphy: 14 building levels were identified. It was laid out that the site had been occupied intermittently from the EBA to the Seljucks Period. Layers I-II: Seljcuks-Byzantine Period Layers III-IV: First millennium BC Layers V-XIV: EBA [Ertem 1972:64-65; Ertem 1982:13].
Small Finds: Architecture (descending order): The latest EBA settlement of the mound is the layer V. This layer yielded two rectangular-planned rooms of a big building. The houses were built by mudbrick walls on two lined stone foundation. The big room is entered through a doorstep. The presence of a doorpost indicates that the entrance was closed by a wooden door. No significant architecture was uncovered at layer VI except the circular structures used as sheep fold. A rectangular hearth was recovered. It is dated to the EBA III. Layer VII yielded circular ended horseshoe-like hearths in a building underwent a fire. They are not decorated. Also found are circular; simple and plain hearths. Debris of mudbrick suggests the presence of mudbrick walls. The houses are single-roomed; and built on a single lined stone foundation. A low mudbrick wall was uncovered at layer VIII. Layer IX is dominated by stone as a raw material. Only two or three rooms were excavated. Half of the walls are in stone and the other half in mudbrick. Traces of a massive fire are observed at layer X identified as EBA I by the excavator. Exposure of a wall also used at layer VIII is an indication of the building levels rather than layers. The most amazing archaeological find of this layer is a charred honeycomb. Depending on these finds; H. Ertem claims that the inhabitants of this period were very advanced in agriculture and apiculture. 5 pithoi were found. Layer XI also yielded houses of mudbrick walls on a stone foundation. The lower layers (?) are represented by floors without any architectural remains. Ceramics (descending order): The ware decorated with brown and purplish brown on a beige background found at layers V and VI dating from the EBA III of Khan Ibrahim Sah is observed to continue at lower layers of IX-VII. Applied decorations are triangular patterns filled in with incisions; water and stylized animal patterns. Their paste is tempered with mica and small grit. They are well fired. Particularly the samples recovered from the layer VIII are significant in reflecting the local fauna of this era. Depictions of animals like chamois; camel; stork; tiger (?) and eagle are associated with the cult animals of gods and goddesses. A new painted ware is introduced at layer V. It bears geometrical decorations elaborately applied on beige background with black paint. The paste is tempered with plant; a distinctive feature compared to the previous ware. It is usually handmade; and rarely wheel-made [Ertem 1982:14-15]. The inventory list of pottery includes vessels with out-rolled rims; jugs with bulging belly; cups and medium-sized pithoi. Pottery of the Karaz ware still continues in the upper layers. Also found are jugs with or without lids; bowls and pithoi. Layers VII-IX dating to EBA II yielded the presence of the brown; purplish brown painted ware on beige background. Samples of the Karaz ware are still found at this layer as all the other EBA layers. The Karaz vessels decorated with relief figures recovered from layer VIII are very interesting. A distinctive find is a cylindrical seal stamp found on a sherd of the kitchen type coarse ware; identical to the seals of Jamdat Nasr Period depicting animals and geometrical decorations. The layers X-XIV identified as EBA I by the excavator are dominated by the Karaz ware. Layer XI yielded Akkads ware suggested to be imported. Also found are samples of the kitchen ware. Clay: Layer V yielded pierced objects and spindle whorls in terra cotta. The spindle whorls are distinctive than the production of the first millennium BC in work; form and decorations. A small female idol depicted rising her hands was recovered from layer VI; and bull figurines were found at layer VII. Terra cotta seal stamps are rare. Chipped Stone: No technical differences are observed all through the layers. Some spearheads in obsidian are winged. Ground Stone: The numbers of chisels increase particularly at layer X. But; there is no specific type. Bone/Antler: Various types of awls; pins in bone and shaft-holed hammers in antler were found. Metal: The small knife recovered from layer X is rare among the Anatolian metallic finds. With its triangular blade; it was; probably; used as a pocket-knife. There are two rivet holes on it.
Remains:
Interpretation and Dating: H. Ertem concludes that the site had been inhabited throughout all the phases of EBA. Insignificant changes in the cultural finds do not provide a basis for differentiation. The presence of the Akkads ware/stone ware at layer XI identified as EBA I remind the problems related with dating. The excavator reports that the stratification and the cultural elements of the mound is comparable with the stratification of Pulur/Sakyol and the settlements in this region are only small villages [Ertem 1982:21]. The continuation of the paint decorated ware of EBA II in the EBA III as well as the introduction of a distinctive painting decoration during EBA III contributed much to the archaeology of Eastern Anatolia. Nevertheless; it was encountered at the other settlements yielding samples of the decorated ware in the vicinity of Elazig-Malatya.


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