©The Archaeological Settlements of Turkey - TAY Project

Hasankeyf Höyük

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Hasankeyf Höyük
Type:
 Mound
Altitude:
 m
Region:
 Southeastern Anatolia
Province:
 Batman
District:
 Hasankeyf
Village:
Investigation Method:
 Survey
Period:

     

Location: The site is located on the left bank of the Tigris, about 2 km east of the well-known medieval site of Hasankeyf, in Batman province, Turkey.
Geography and Environment:
History:
Research and Excavation: Hasankeyf was declared a first-degree archaeological site in 1981. Excavations were initiated by the Directorate of Mardin Museum, with M.O. Arik as the scientific supervisor in 1986. Excavations were suspended for a while due to military conflict and lack of funds. Excavations at Hasankeyf started again in 1991 with the support of GAP Administration of Regional Development under the name of Hasankeyf Historical and Archaeological Site Survey, Excavation and Salvage Excavation Project with a broadened scope. The lower city center, the kilns and the area near the kulliyahs (Ottoman architectural complex for social buildings) around Sultan Süleyman Mosque and Koç Mosque were excavated while Mardinike and Yamaç Quarters and the Tomb of Zeynel Bey were only examined through soundings. A portion of the sanctum sanctorum of Er-Rizk Mosque was unearthed during the excavations conducted by P. Schneider and his team between 2001 and 2003 [http://www.hasankeyfkazġlarġ.org.tr/hasankeyf/#arastirma, 11.02.2019; 14:58]. The settlement which is going to be submerged by Ilisu Dam in near future was excavated by A. Uluçam between 2004 and 2017 within a new protocol under the "Long Term Action Plan". Since 2017 excavations are conducted under the directory of M. Eliüsük.
Stratigraphy: Except for ephemeral occupational evidence from the Iron Age and the Hellenistic periods in the form of pits dug into the prehistoric layers, all the archaeological deposits are from the 10th millennium cal. BC.
Small Finds: The site forms a roughly circular mound about 150 min diameter and 8 m high above the surrounding plain. In 2011 five 10 x10 m squares were excavated at the centre of the mound. Architecture: Structures recovered at the highest level of the mound (Squares G12 and H12) are stone walls from a subterranean building (Str. 3), which probably has a semirectangular plan. Several pits which had been dug into the fill of Str. 3 were excavated as well. Stratigraphically, these structures belong to the latest phase of the prehistoric occupation of this site. Some of these pits contained large stone blocks including ground stone and large stone slabs, one of which has an eye-shaped-like relief decoration. In Squares G12, G13 and H13, a series of distinctive, subterranean round buildings was recovered, at a level lower than the structures and burials in Square H12. Although the uppermost part of these buildings has in most cases been eroded, some of them still stand more than 1 m high. The construction technique of each is basically the same. First, a round dwelling pit was dug, then its inner wall was reinforced with courses of stones up to the mouth of pit. Usually, larger stones are used for the foundation, on which several courses of smaller stones are placed using yellow-brownish clay mortar, and the upper part of the wall is often built of flat river cobbles. Finally, the stone wall is mud-plastered using the same clay as the one used for the mortar. No distinctive floors were identified except for one in Str. 7, where the floor is paved with stones about 20 cm. The diameter of these buildings is usually 3.5 m to 4.5 m but the largest one is about 6 m. Although it is likely that not all of these buildings were in use at the same time because their base levels vary to a large extent, they are densely laid out and often adjacent to each other, sometimes superimposing on earlier structures. A large number of animal bones, chipped stones and unworked stones was recovered from the fill of these buildings, except for Str. 7, which was probably deliberately infilled and includes virtually no objects. Chipped Stone: The general character of the core reduction processes is similar throughout the assemblage so far recovered. However, of note is that there are chronological changes in the typological features and the relative frequencies of each type of tool between the assemblage from Str. 1/Str. 8 and that from Square H12. The assemblage from Square H12 includes Nemrik points and end- and round scrapers made on large flint blades that often show signs of heat treatment. Geometric microliths, particularly scalene triangles, are very rare. On the other hand, the assemblage from Str. 1/Str. 8, which is dated slightly earlier than that of Square H12, has no Nemrik points but more geometric microliths, made of both flint and obsidian. The size of flint blades and scrapers made on flint blades is smaller than that in Square H12. Human Remains: Within and around Str. 3, 12 human burials were discovered. Particularly of note is a multiple burial of three individuals near the east wall of Str. 3. One of them, buried in a tightly flexed position, shows clear signs of black-coloured lines on its limb bones. Interestingly, the whole skeleton is in a correct anatomical position, suggesting that it is a primary burial. How these lines were painted (or left) on the surface of the bones is not clear, but similar examples are also known from Körtik Tepe and Demirköy Höyük. Fauna: A large number of animal bones was recovered, mostly from the fill of subterranean round buildings. Among the medium-sized mammals, sheep is dominant, comprising about 50% of the identified specimens. Wild goats, wild boar and red deer are also common. Gazelles are also included but wild cattle have not been found in the assemblage. Dogs are the only domestic animal at the site; there is no evident sign of domestication among the ungulates. Foxes and hares are common among small-sized animals as well as tortoises. Flora: A preliminary analysis of the botanical remains demonstrates rare use of cereals at this site. Virtually no wheat or barley has been identified in the water-flotation samples so far analysed. The scarcity of cereals is also known from Hallan Çemi, Demirköy Höyük and Körtik Tepe. The species so far found at Hasankeyf Höyük include almonds, pistachio, hackberry, lentil and indeterminate nut species.
Remains:
Interpretation and Dating: Hasankeyf Höyük, dated to the 10th millennium cal. BC, is one of the earliest sedentary settlements in southeast Anatolia. It is interesting that there is little evidence for use of cereals, whether wild or domestic, when continuous construction of a series of solid round buildings suggests the establishment of sustainable sedentary life at this site. This picture is very different from that in the Middle Euphrates, where large seeded grasses were extensively exploited as early as in the PPNA so that "pre-domestication cultivation" has been discussed. Together with the evidence from other contemporary sites in the upper Tigris Valley, further investigation of Hasankeyf Höyük would contribute to our understanding of the origin of sedentism in this area, for which a quite different scenario from the Levant can be drawn.


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