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©The Archaeological Settlements of Turkey - TAY Project
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Toptepe |
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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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7 m |
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Region:
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Marmara |
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Province:
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Tekirdag |
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District:
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Marmara Ereglisi |
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Village:
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Investigation Method:
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Excavation |
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Period:
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EBA II |
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| Location: The site lies east of Tekirdag; approximately 4 km west of Marmara Ereglisi; approximately 300 m south of the Tekirdag-Istanbul highway. Today; it is in the limits of a holiday site called "Kaptan 2". There is not much to see because of extreme damage. The mound is reached via the road from Istanbul to Tekirdag; but permission is required to enter the holiday site. |
| Geography and Environment: A very large part of the mound was destroyed during the construction of a casino of Kaptan 2 in 1989. The deposit of the mound was 10-12 m thick before the destruction. The terrace; extending towards north; was destroyed by buildings. The first settlers inhabited a 70 m wide rocky cape. The small indentations at two sides of the cape most probably functioned as a suitable small bay; providing shelter for the fisherman boats. |
| History: |
| Research and Excavation: The site was discovered by D.H. French in 1966. EBA and Classical Period finds were especially attractive. In 1988; it was first levelled; and then a casino; consisting of three stories together with a depot; was built on top of it. A salvage excavation was conducted by M. Özdogan in the 60 square meters undamaged area in 1989. In three trenches; architectural remains were revealed at an area of 52 square meters. |
| Stratigraphy: The surface collections carried out by D. H. French and M. Özdogan yielded pottery of EBA; Hellenistic Period and Archaic Age. During the excavations in 1989; it was noted that all the levels down to the Chalcolithic Period were almost demolished. The remaining deposit of 3 m covered layers called Toptepe culture dating to the Middle Chalcolithic Age in Anatolia. |
| Small Finds: Pottery: The surface collections revealed that the major part of the deposit forming the cone belongs to the EBA I and II. Dark colored and burnished pottery is compared with Kumtepe Ib; Troy I and Sveti Krilovo of Bulgaria. |
| Remains: |
| Interpretation and Dating: The pottery of Toptepe is dated to EBA I-II (Kumtepe Ib and Troy I). Although D.H. French states that some of the sherds should be dated to Troy II or III-IV; M. Özdogan claims that the sherds probably dating to Troy II-IV should be suspectfully evaluated. |
