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©The Archaeological Settlements of Turkey - TAY Project
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Metmenge |
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Type:
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Single Findspot |
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Altitude:
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920 m |
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Region:
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Southeastern Anatolia |
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Province:
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Gaziantep |
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District:
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Merkez |
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Village:
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Köksalan |
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Investigation Method:
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Survey |
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Period:
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AP |
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| Location: The village of Köksalan (Mertmenge) is 27 km northwest of the city of Gaziantep; and approximately 2 km northeast of the Gaziantep-Narli highway. |
| Geography and Environment: The village of Köksalan (Mertmenge) lies in a plain 870 m above sea-level and extends approximately 6 km north-south. East of the plain is 1;050 m high Mount Hik. The geological make-up of the surrounding hills northeast of the village and the adjacent areas north and west is iron rich basalt; which has caused the soil in the area to be reddish in color. There are a few caves on the flanks of Mount Hik facing the village. Another small mound mound lies 50 m north of the village. The rivers and streams in the region are seasonal. |
| History: |
| Research and Excavation: The site was discovered by Kemal Erguvanli and Kiliç Kökten during their 1945-1946 survey of the area. Later Halet Çambel also conducted another survey in the area. |
| Stratigraphy: |
| Small Finds: In 1945; 700 m northeast of the village; Erguvanli found a basalt biface handaxe which he assigned to the Lower Palaeolithic Period as a Chéelen (Abbevillien) tool. The handaxe; which has roughly worked edges; is 172x92x58 mm in size. Yalçinkaya believes that the tool carries Middle Acheuléen characteristics. Another biface handaxe; unlike the others because it is made from siliceous limestone; was found in a field 400 m east of the village. Because this field floods every spring; Erguvanli believes that the tool must have been brought to this location by a stream. The dimensions of this second biface; also categorized as Chelléen or Acheuléen; is 127x89x44 mm. Erguvanli adds that the tool resembles African; Palestinian and Indian examples [Erguvanli 1946:377]. Tomsky believes both bifaces found by Erguvanli are Upper Acheuléen [Tomsky 1982:361]. These handaxes are now kept together with the Narli finds in the Geological Engineering Department of Istanbul Technical University. Kökten's survey around the village of Metmenge yielded bifaces that resemble handaxes and a collection of flakes; now kept in the laboratory of the University of Istanbul; Faculty of Letters; Prehistory Department [Kökten 1947c:224; 235; 236]. Yalçinkaya adds that a more systematic survey of the Metmenge village needs to be conducted in order to understand whether the finds are in situ [Yalçinkaya 1985:416]. |
| Remains: |
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