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©The Archaeological Settlements of Turkey - TAY Project
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S 63/7 Ayngerm Yani |
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For site maps and drawings please click on the picture...  |
For photographs please click on the photo...  |
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Type:
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Mound |
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Altitude:
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725 m |
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Region:
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Southeastern Anatolia |
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Province:
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Siirt |
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District:
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Kurtalan |
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Village:
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Ayngerm |
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Investigation Method:
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Survey |
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Period:
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Middle |
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| Location: The site lies 34 km west of Siirt; 12 km west-southwest of district of Kurtalan; 500-800 km northeast of the village of Aynger/Ayngerm. One can get to the mound via Kurtalan-Besiri road taking the road to Ayngerm Village. The site is not labeled and does not bear a local name. It is usually cited as Ayngerm Höyügü in publications. The location code is S 63 / 7. |
| Geography and Environment: The 7 m high; ovoid; and shallow mound has a diameter of 125-200 m. The site lies on a dried valley bed formed by Garzan Stream. There are numerous fresh water springs and small lakes in this valley; one of which is very close to the site. The systematic survey of this mound is an appreciable piece of work conducted at a prehistoric site in the Southeastern Anatolia. |
| History: |
| Research and Excavation: The site was discovered during the Southeast Anatolian Project supported jointly by the Universities of Istanbul and Chicago under Çambel and Braidwood's direction [Benedict 1980:115]. The site is one of the most carefully surveyed sites of this survey [Whallon 1980:193-206]. It is very close to the site of Ayngern Höyük. There is 500 m between these two mounds. These two sites have been confused with each other in various publications. The site of S 63-7 has a rich chipped stone industry. Further research or excavation at the site may provide valuable information on the local Aceramic Neolithic culture. |
| Stratigraphy: The stratigraphy fixed due to the surface finds consists of three main periods: 1st Level represented by the wheel-made pottery; 2nd Level dating to Ubaid Period represented by hand-made pottery; and 3rd Level dating to the Aceramic Neolithic. Sherds in hand-made wares are distributed at the centre of the mound and intensely at two other sections. (for Aceramic Neolithic level and finds see Harmankaya et al. 1997:S 63-7). |
| Small Finds: Pottery: Little is known about the Ubaid painted pottery of the site. The sherds from 2nd Level are reported to be in various wares such as lightly burnished chaff-tempered ware; burnished chaff-tempered ware; red slipped chaff-tempered ware; and sand-tempered ware with compact paste. Other: Some finds such as stone flat axe and mortar are not dateable. |
| Remains: |
| Interpretation and Dating: The systematic research conducted at the site has shown how helpful a survey can get in terms of understanding a settlement and has come up with guiding results for future excavations [Whallon 1980:pl.25-2]. The site is cited in ASPRO as a site yielding Halafian finds depending on the research by S.A. Le Blanc and P.J. Watson [Hours et al. 1994:64]. |
