©The Archaeological Settlements of Turkey - TAY Project

Hassek Höyük

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Hassek Höyük
Type:
 Mound and Cemetery
Altitude:
 475 m
Region:
 Southeastern Anatolia
Province:
 Sanliurfa
District:
 Siverek
Village:
 Yukari Tillakin
Investigation Method:
 Excavation
Period:
 EBA I EBA II

     

Location: Before it was inundated by Atatürk Dam; the site lied between Yukari Tillakin Village and Asagi Tillakin Village of Siverek District of Urfa; approximately 1 km north of Adiyaman-Urfa Road; south of Euphrates [Behm-Blancke 1987b:117]. The location code of the site is S 52 / 18.
Geography and Environment: The flat mound is on a terrace that descends evenly; on one of the old branches of Euphrates. Although it was damaged due to erosion; the site is reported to be covering an area of 350x150 m before the erosion [Behm-Blancke 1987b:117]. According to the observations on the animal bones; bones of goat; pig; and cattle are more than sheep in the Late Chalcolithic Age of Hassek. This suggests the existence of trees and bushes around the site. However; partly wooded areas; seen today near Euphrates; are not thought to be so broad in the Late Chalcolithic Age [Behm-Blancke et al. 1981:89]. Sources of clay; used in pottery making; and basalt; limestone; used for buildings; are located very near the site. The fresh water spring; approximately 100 m south-southwest of the site; is thought to be used as a water source by the inhabitants of Hassek Höyük [Behm-Blancke et al. 1981:93].
History:
Research and Excavation: The site was discovered during the 1977 Lower Euphrates Survey Project conducted by M. Özdogan [Özdogan 1977:148]. The excavations were conducted jointly by German Archaeology Institute at Istanbul and the University of Munich under the leadership of B. Hrouda and M.R. Behm-Blancke in 1978; and lasted until 1986. It takes place in the registered archaeological sites list prepared by Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
Stratigraphy: The mound yielded a colonial settlement belonging to the Late Uruk people arrived from the south during the end of Late Chalcolithic Age (3100-3000 BC) as well as an EBA I-II settlement. The EBA settlement has 4 building levels. The trenches opened in the western and eastern slopes of the hill expose the extent the EBA settlement. The cemetery on the west; probably; belongs to this settlement.
Small Finds: Architecture: The squares S-U/17-20 on the uphill yielded constructions belonging to the four building levels of EBA I-II which destroyed each other. A 3.5x10 m room in a long; rectangular plan with 2.5 m thick walls built on the virgin soil which is called buried home; and adjacent to it; a building consisting of small quadrangular rooms were revealed at the fourth level. The foundations are of limestone. The building levels 3 and 2 yielded a settlement plan of a series of houses located on both sides of a cobble paved street. The EBA settlement was guarded by a fortification wall [Behm-Blanche 1988:72]. Pottery: A wheel-made fine ware and reserved slip decorated ware were recovered from the upper level. S-profiled bowls were found [Behm-Blanche 1987:122]. The building level 2 yielded a hoard including wheel-made fine ware and reserved slip decorated ware. Exposure of metal and stone finds in the same hoard made it to consider as prepared for a cist grave. S-profiled bowls; spouted bowls; goblet-like cups with high pedestals and globular jars with ring stands and funnel-neck are common. Inside the ateliers uncovered at the same building level; there is a jar including residues of red paint and a spouted jug. Limited number of Karaz ware recovered from the EBA levels proves the relationship with northern regions. This industry is contemporary with the phase G of Amuq Plain. One of the amazing finds of EBA building levels is a group of pithoi stamped by a seal [Behm-Blanche 1984:pic.6]. Chipped Stone: Long and Cannaanean-style blades and scrapers in flint were recovered. Ground Stone: Various idols and seals made of stone were found. The perforated grinding stone recovered in the hoard of the building level 2 was carved with a fine work. Metal: Finds like a flat axe in copper/bronze; horizontally strangled; grooved; globular headed pin; a dagger/pocket knife with a concave blade and rivet pierce were recovered. Human Remains: Intramural Cemetery: The excavation on the western side of the hill yielded pithos graves; buried in such a depth that can destroy the architecture of the Chalcolithic Age. The pithoi are placed in the east-west direction; the openings oriented toward the east [Behm-Blanche 1981:105]. Among the graves including infant burials; a female infant was buried in hocker position like the other children in the pithos no. 2. A copper shroud pin was left beside her as well as a string of white; green and red limestone beads; quadrangular plaques perforated laterally; drop-like stones; perforated pendulums in limestone presumably parts of a string of necklace. Limited numbers of intramural cist graves were found. They were built by quarry stones. The square S 19 yielded the personal belongings of a 35 years old person accompanied with two spearheads in copper/bronze; two flat stones; a chisel and a pin at grave no.12 sized 190x130 cm [Behm-Blanche 1984:50-52; fig.7-8]. He was buried in hocker position leaning on one side; head oriented toward the east. A good quality baton/mace indicates that he was an important person in the society. The cist grave no. G 43 uncovered at square Q 21 on the NW part of the 1984 excavation belongs to a 18-20 years old person. Rich goods such as a bronze knife and a bronze pin were left into his grave [Behm-Blanche 1986:fig.5]. Extramural Cemetery/Western Cemetery/Agaç Tarla Mevkii: The slope on the south of the Euphrates; 700 m west of the hill was occupied as a cemetery both during EBA and Late Roman Period [Behm-Blanche 1984:fig. 9]. The upper graves belonging to late periods have destroyed the EBA I-II graves. 97 pithos graves were recovered from the EBA necropolis of 27x15 m. They were lined up in the east-southeast; west-southwest directions. The openings are slightly oriented toward the east. Usually oval pithoi 94-103 m high and 75-90 cm wide were employed as graves. The big ones are suggested to be produced for the cemetery. Likes of the small ones can also be found in the settlement. They are usually jars with rounded lips and without neck. Some of them are broken in the rim for placing the dead easily. To make the breaking procedure easier; some are perforated. They house burials interred in hocker position. The dead were laid leaning on their right side or left side; head oriented up. Following the burying; the pithoi were capped with sherds; enclosed by small stones and covered by earth. Grave Goods: Vast majority of the finds includes pottery like handmade Nineveh V-type four handled; footed cups of red and buff colored ware and footed cup with lugs of reserved slip decorated ware; and metallic finds nearly 50 pieces. Most of the vessels are wheel-made. Among the metallic finds are knife; chisel; flat axe; bracelet; spiral ring and beads. The metallic fibula employed to secure the cloth wrapping the dead was found near the breast. Bronze finds are probably tinned bronze. The pithos grave no. 14 yielded a terra cotta seal bearing a geometrical pattern on its stamp face. Ornaments like stone beads; perforated snail shells; belt buckle in bone were usually left into the graves of the female burials while the weapons only into the male burials. A cylindrical seal was recovered from the grave no. 70. It helped to the dating of the grave. Some grave goods were left out of the graves. The skeletons inside the pithoi were disarticulated. Therefore; it is difficult to identify the gender and the age although they were examined in detail.
Remains:
Interpretation and Dating: The excavator evaluates the cemeteries contemporary with Arslantepe VI B; Titris; Lidar and Kargamis; and dates them to the end of EBA I and the beginning of EBA II [Behm-Blancke 1984:53] based on the finds of the intramural cemetery and extramural western cemetery. Nineveh V-type cups are found at Arslantepe; Samsat; Hayaz and Büyük Saskan Tepe. The architectural remains uncovered expose that a cultural tradition of the Late Chalcolithic Age continues during EBA I. The site was; probably; abandoned at the beginning of EBA II.


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