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©The Archaeological Settlements of Turkey - TAY Project
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Sakçagözü Magarasi |
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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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Cave |
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Altitude:
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750 m |
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Region:
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Mediterranean |
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Province:
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Gaziantep |
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District:
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Nurdagi |
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Village:
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Sakçagözü |
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Investigation Method:
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Excavation |
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Period:
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Middle |
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| Location: This cave-site lies west-northwest of the city of Gaziantep; 250 m east of the village of Sakçagöz (old Keferdiz). Sakçagözü Magarasi is one of the caves along the road that goes from this village to the graveyard. Today the site is in an area where there has recently been much modern development. |
| Geography and Environment: Although the site is described as a cave; in some publications researchers have also referred to it as a rock-shelter. The dimensions of this cavity have not been reported. Garrard and crew report that a total of 13 caves were found during their 1994 survey in the area. These caves and the area in front of each cave yielded a lot of Neolithic and later material and ceramics. |
| History: |
| Research and Excavation: The excavations were conducted in 1949 by J. Waechter; S. Gögüs; and V. Seton-Williams in the cave labeled Sakçagözü although it actually bears no name. The three trenches were opened at the skirts; in the interior of the cave; and at the centre of the cave. |
| Stratigraphy: The same stratigraphy was recovered in all of the three trenches. The main rock was met 150 cm from the surface soil and the fill was reported to be light brown. There are two levels dating to the Chalcolithic Age and the 2nd Millennium BC due to the recovered sherds. On the other hand some chipped stone tools show traces of Neolithic industry and therefore it is suggested that there is a Neolithic Age level in the cave as the earliest layer [Harmankaya et al. 1997:Sakçagözü]. |
| Small Finds: Pottery: The painted sherds recovered in the lower layer within the cave show Ubaid affinities. These are hand-made; buff or brown in paste; and brick red on the surface. They are decorated in black; red; or brown paint with motifs such as chevrones; rosettes; continuous wavy lines; and cross-hatchings. The general forms are bowls with direct rims; necked jars; and jars with everted rims. There are also cooking vessels in coarse ware and plain ware; both typical of Ubaid Culture. Chipped Stone: Flintstone is the dominant material together with a small amount of obsidian tools. Blade and flake cores are recovered besides tools such as arrowheads; end scrapers; burins; perforators; backed blades; and sickles. Ground Stone: The level of the recovery of flat axes; beads; and discs is not reported and it is typologically not apparent if these belong to the Chalcolithic Age or not. Fauna: The sheep; goat; and pig bones are evidence that the inhabitants of the cave had domesticated these animals. |
| Remains: |
| Interpretation and Dating: The most interesting thing about this cave is that the trenches could not be found by the scholars who were surveying the region years later. Probably the cave labeled SAK 7 by Garrard was the excavated cave due to the dating of the surface finds on the cave floor recovered during his survey. |
