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©The Archaeological Settlements of Turkey - TAY Project
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Melen Suyu Hatti |
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Type:
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Artifact Scatter |
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Altitude:
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m |
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Region:
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Marmara |
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Province:
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Sakarya |
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District:
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Karasu |
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Village:
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Camitepe |
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Investigation Method:
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Survey |
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Period:
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| Location: It is the artificial water pipeline carrying the waters of Melen River in Karasu District of Sakarya Province to Istanbul. It covers Camitepe Village and Körük Neighborhood [Kartal et al. 2016:392-9]. |
| Geography and Environment: |
| History: |
| Research and Excavation: During the construction of the pipeline, the Pleistocene (red soil) sections exposed. These sections and the plain areas in the vicinity were investigated during the survey conducted by M. Kartal and his team in 2014 [Kartal et al. 2016:392-9]. The survey carried out by M. Kartal and his team around Melen Suyu Hatti continued also in 2015 season. |
| Stratigraphy: |
| Small Finds: Camitepe Köyü 1: The flakes dating to Middle Palaeolithic and blade pieces with trapezoid section belonging to unknown period were found. Camitepe Köyü 2: The flakes were found in the area. Camitepe Köyü 3: There are blade pieces, a pebble knapped from sandstone, an end scraper, a Levallois flake, and flakes in various sizes and chips in the area. Camitepe Köyü 4: A pointed Levallois core, a few flakes, a core platform, and decortication flakes were found. The raw material from which these pieces were produced is in high quality. It was probably brought from outside of the region since there is no such flint source in the vicinity. Camitepe Köyü 5: In 2015, a large number of Palaeolithic finds were determined in the red dune in the field, in the east of Arifaga Cemetery, in the shore section of the pipeline. The area was not layered and the finds were clustered in pile. Pebble tools, large flakes, knapping waste and scrapers dated to Lower Palaeolithic; cores and scrapers belonging to Middle Palaeolithic, and unipolar prismatic blade cores dated to Middle-Upper Palaeolithic transition period or Upper Palaeolithic were found. It is suggested that this area was an occupation site [Kartal-Erbil 2017:89-90, 95]. Camitepe ve Körük Mahallesi Arasi 1: Scattered chipped stone finds belonging to Middle Palaeolithic and Epipalaeolithic were found on the surface of the red lan sections, which are revealed due to rain. Camitepe ve Körük Mahallesi Arasi 2: There are large flakes and cores dating to Middle Palaeolithic in the area. Körük Mahallesi 1: The flake and core fragments dating to Lower Palaeolithic were found. Körük Mahallesi 2: There are flakes and cores in the area. Körük Mahallesi 3: A lateral side scraper, which is thought to date Mousterian culture of Middle Palaeolithic, was found. The tools exhibiting similar technical properties with this are known from the Middle Palaeolithic layer of Karain Cave in Antalya. Körük Mahallesi 4: Flakes, Levallois cores, a hammer, a knapped pebble and a grooved pebble were found. Körük Mahallesi 5: There are flakes, decortication flakes, a broken blade piece and a flake with denticulated edges dating to Middle Palaeolithic in the area. They were produced in the Levallois technique, which is the strongest indicator of Middle Palaeolithic. Unlike other areas, the finds were not found in the sections but on a plain area. Körük Mahallesi 6: It locates 200 m west-northwest of Körük Mahallesi 5. This area was divided into 3 findspots by the researchers: the section, the plain area above the section and the plain areas at the direction of the motorway. It was determined that the soil taken for the construction of the canal poured into the sandy areas on the coast. The large flakes, Levallois cores, and a typical bifacial chipped stone tool showing Lower and Middle Palaeolithic characteristics were found in the plain areas at the direction of the motorway. In the plain areas on the coast and the section, chipped stone fragments were found in a quantity and quality that would suggest that the area might be a workshop. The soil here is grey colored by contrast with the red dune seen along the pipeline. The fact that the vast majority of the finds consists of knapping waste suggests that the area might be a workshop. It is believed that all the finds in the area are in situ. Among the finds, there are blades and blade fragments, end scrapers, retouched flakes, notched tools and a large number of unworked flake and knaping waste, decortication flakes, transparent grey retouched obsidian flake, blade-bladelet cores and core fragments. These finds indicate that the area was used during Upper Palaeolithic or Epipalaeolithic. Körük Mahallesi 7: A quite large and quality flint flake, Levallois cores, thin Levallois cores in high quality and a blade were found. It is believed that the finds belong to an advanced or late phase of the Middle Palaeolithic. Körük Mahallesi 8: There are end scrapers, side scrapers, retouched flakes, a broken leaf-shaped biface (the Balkan type biface or biface produced in the Bohunician and/or Szeletian technique), and a large number of unretouched flakes, cores, core fragments and raw material nodules in the area. High quality nonlocal raw material in various property and color was used in the production of these finds. Since the vast majority of the find flowed from the section due to rain, they are probably not in situ. It is believed that the blade with a truncated edge found in 3 pieces belongs to the post-Palaeolithic period. Körük Mahallesi 9: A large number of retouched and unretouched flakes, blade pieces, cores and core fragments were found in the red dune. A scraper knapped in the shape of a biface tool, which resembles the leaf-shaped biface tools seen in the transition period of Middle Palaeolithic to Upper Palaeolithic, was found in the cracks opened due to rainwater. The tool similar to this one was seen in the Sahinkaya Cave in Bursa Province. Based on this scraper, the area is dated to the advanced phase of the Middle Palaeolithic [Kartal et al. 2016:392-9]. Körük Mahallesi 10: It is the area, where the soil taken from Körük Mahallesi 5-6-7 and (possibly) 8 were dumped when the pipeline was opened. Therefore, none of the finds are in situ. Among the finds found during the studies carried out in 2015, there are chopping tools, Levallois core and various flakes belonging to Lower and Middle Palaeolithic [Kartal-Erbil 2017:89-90, 95]. |
| Remains: |
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