©The Archaeological Settlements of Turkey - TAY Project


Çiledir Höyük

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Çiledir Höyük
Type:
Slope Settlement
Altitude:
m
Region:
Aegean
Province:
Kütahya
District:
Merkez
Village:
Aslanli
Investigation Method:
Excavation
Period:
EBA II

     


Location: It is located near Çiledir Creek, Çiledir Mevkii in Aslanli Village (in the border of Agizören Village) in Merkez District of Kütahya Province. It is situated within the borders of reserve zone belonging to TKI Seyitömer Lignite Company [Türktüzün et al. 2014:147].
Geography and Environment:
History:
Research and Excavation: The salvage excavation was initiated by Kütahya Museum in 2009. The excavations are being carried out by M. Türktüzün. Although the site was labelled as Çiledir Höyük (Mound) during the first excavation campaign, it bears the characteristics of a slope settlement rather than a mound. Due to the fact that the site was introduced as Çiledir Höyük, the name wasn't changed [Türktüzün et al. 2014:147-148]. In 2014 Directorate of Kütahya Museum took over the excavations.
Stratigraphy: Based on the studies carried out in 2009-2014, the stratigraphy of Çiledir Höyük as follows [Türktüzün et al. 2015:50]: Level I: Early Eastern Roman Period (394-602 AD) Level II: Roman Imperial Period (30-394 AD) Level III: Early Bronze Age (2700-2400 BC)
Small Finds: Architecture: The architectural remains of Çiledir Höyük were exposed on the west and east slopes of Aslanli Creek. The studies showed that the site was inhabited during the Eastern Roman period and Bronze Age. The rooms which were used as ranch houses in the Eastern Roman Period have destructed the rooms belonging to the Bronze Age. The architectural remains and the fragments of baked clay lamps exposed during the 2009 campaign indicate the existence of the Roman Imperial Period (1st and 4th century AD) settlement. When the lower elevations were reached, the settlement belonging to the Eastern Roman Period (5th and 6th century AD). In plan square C 3 in which the remains belonging to the Eastern Roman Period were exposed, the wall remains dated to the Bronze Age were found below the foundation level. At the edge of plan square B 4 in the north of the plan square C 4, another structure that could belong to the Bronze Age was exposed in the lower and upper elevations of the Eastern Roman settlement. Due to the fact that the area is slopped, it is possible to encounter interwoven remains of Eastern Roman and Bronze Age in the same level. Architectural remains belonging to EBA were exposed in the plan squares of F 1, F 2, F 3. These remains consist of walls constructed one after another and boundary walls (in the form of half crescent) that surround these walls. In addition to this, an oven exposed in the same area indicates the production of common wares. This level also yielded a soapstone workshop [Türktüzün et al. 2014:147-151]. In 2010, the studies were continued in the northern area. It was observed that the number of the walls surrounding the EBA structure located in the center of settlement increased. The excavations carried out in the southwest section of the settlement yielded more than thirty pits in different sizes. Some of these pits were dug into the virgin soil, while some of them dug into the cultural deposits. Some pits are in square form and it suggests that these pits could have been used as room, cellar or depot. The floors of these pits were paved with stones. The pits yielded mixed material. Therefore, it is not possible to date the pits for the time being. However, some of the pits could have been opened in EBA and continued to being used during Archaic, Classical and Roman periods [Türktüzün et al. 2014:151-152]. In 2011, it was observed that the EBA city / terrace walls that were exposed during the previous campaigns were preserved up to 3-4 m high. There are elevation differences between the foundation stones of these terrace walls that were built in pieces. The terrace walls surround the structure in the center. The structure in the center, on the other hand, is encircled by successively built walls. A room adjacent to the structure was found in the west [Türktüzün et al. 2014:153]. In 2012, the studies carried out in the north, east and northeast sections of the settlement yielded Eastern Roman and Late Roman remains. It was observed that the Eastern Roman walls unearthed in the plan squares of G-1, H-1 and H0 damaged the terrace walls belonging to EBA. In 2013, the excavation studies were paused due to the privitization of TKI Seyitömer Lignite Company [Türktüzün et al. 2014:156-157]. Pottery: A great number of potsherds beloging to EBA II were recovered from the site. In addition, a few EBA I and EBA II wares were also found. The paste color of EBA II wares ranges from buff to brown. All of these sherds are burnished. Among the forms, there are single handled bowls and jugs and straight handled jugs. These wares show similarity with the ones found in Beycesultan, Elmali-Karatas, Bademagaci and Kaklik. There are also wares with pod base, bowls with loop handle, bowls with black colored rims that are known as black-top, miniature bowls and tankards. It is believed that these wares were used as common wares. The oven and production wastes found in the settlement indicate the production for domestic use during EBA II. Similar wares were found in Demircihöyük, Limantepe, Kusura, Elmali-Karatas, Beycesultan, Küllüoba, Karaoglan-Kaklik, Troia, Küllüoba and Bademagaci. The EBA III potsherds found in small quantity consist of red slipped tankards and red-black slipped depata. These kinds of wares were found in Seyitömer which is the nearest settlement. It is believed that these wares could have been brought from Seyitömer. Therefore, it is possible to say that the settlement was not immediately abandoned during EBA III [Türktüzün et al. 2015:52]. Small Finds: A great number of small finds were found in the settlement. The areas dated to EBA yielded goddess figurines, stone idols, baked clay zoomorphic figurines, cups, jugs and bowls, stone axes, flint tools, soapstone beads, spindle whorls, grindstones, baked clay brushes (possibly used for painting pots), seals, bone awls and borers, bronze pins, loom weights and a bronze arrowhead [Türktüzün et al. 2014:150; Türktüzün et al. 2015]. In 2011, a large number of potsherds and fragments belonging to mother goddess figurines were recovered from the area in which the EBA structure and terrace walls were exposed. The high quantity of soapstones found in this area indicates the production of seals, beads and pyramidal objects made out of soapstone which meets the requirement of the settlements in the vicinity [Türktüzün et al. 2014:153]. Çiledir Höyük yielded 14 baked clay women figurines and 9 figurine heads. Apart from the baked clay figurines, there are samples made out of sandstone, marble and soapstone. These figurines in the form of stylized humans. The zoomorphic figurines, on the other hand, probably represent bulls. Baked clay seals comprise of two samples. The stamp faces of these triangle shaped seals were ornamented with incised decoration. A seal made out of soapstone was found as well. This seal is similar with the baked clay ones in terms of form and decoration [Türktüzün et al. 2015:52, 58, 60]. Human Remains: The skeleton remains that were collected from the pits dated to EBA and Eastern Roman period were studied by Anthropology Department of Ahi Evran University (see Surul et al. 2012:179-190). The studies showed that the skeletons belong to 15, 10 and 9 year-old individuals [Türktüzün et al. 2014:154]. Fauna: The majority of the faunal remains belongs to the Bronze Age. 1332 bone samples were examined. The analysis shows that %90 of the identified material belong to domestic species. Cattle bones are dominant. It is followed by sheep, goat and pig bones. Fallow deer, dog, equidae (horse or donkey) and rabbits are in small quantity. The studies show that the subsistence economy of EBA settlement was based on domestic animals. It was also concluded that cattles were exploited for their meat, milk and skin, while sheep, goat and pig were mainly consumed for nutritional purposes [Türktüzün et al. 2014:154-155].
Remains:
Interpretation and Dating: In the western slope of the settlement, the architectural remains dated to the EBA II were mainly exposed. The studies on the eastern slope, on the other hand, were conducted in limited area. The EBA II architecture of Çiledir Höyük consists of walls built in herringbone technique and independent rooms. These walls show no particular plan. The most significant features are the terrace-city walls. The pottery and small finds reveal that the EBA II settlement of Çiledir Höyük show similar characteristics with Demircihöyük, Küllüoba, Karaoglan, Kusura, Beycesultan, Elmali-Karatas and Bademagaci [Türktüzün et al. 2015:70].


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