©The Archaeological Settlements of Turkey - TAY Project

Ugurlu / Zeytinli

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Uğurlu / Zeytinli
Type:
 Mound
Altitude:
 0 m
Region:
 Marmara
Province:
 Çanakkale
District:
 Gökçeada
Village:
 Ugurlu
Investigation Method:
 Excavation
Period:
 Ceramic

     

Location: It lies on the western side of Gökçeada (Imroz); about 900 m east-northeast of Ugurlu village. The site has been truncated by the road which connects the village to the center. It is about 1400 m from Ugurlu harbor and 23-24 km from Gökçeada; the center of the island. The site does not have a local name; the villagers of Ugurlu call this area Zeytinli Mevkii.
Geography and Environment: The site has leaned against the eastern slope of Ayistrado Hill. There is a small stream to the north of the settlement; flowing in the north-south direction. According to the distribution of the ceramics; the settlement measures 300x100 m but the Neolithic Period pottery is scattered over an area of 100x100 m on the section facing the stream. The mound is about 1 m high and overlooks a wide cultivated valley. A drainage channel related to the Ugurlu pond; built by the State Hydraulic Works; has truncated the settlement in the north-south direction. On the profile of the ditch; which was caused by this destruction and still was not closed on September 1999; it can be observed that the mound is at least 2 m deep. Today the site is covered with sparse olive trees.
History:
Research and Excavation: The site was discovered in 1997 during a survey under the leadership of S. Harmankaya and was reinvestigated during the survey of Gökçeada in 1999. Collection was made on the surface of the mound and especially to the north of the motorway; on the soil taken from the drainage channel. It was visited during TAYEx Bizans Marmara in 2008, and sherds were frequently found on both sides of the road that leads to Ugurlu Village (TAYEx 2008). The mound is being excavated by Burçin Erdogu from University of Thrace since 2009 [Erdogu 2011:119].
Stratigraphy: According to the material collected from the excavations started in 2009 it is understood that the settlement is inhabited between Late Neolithic-Early Chalcolithic and Middle or Late Chalcolithic Age according to Anatolian Chronology (according to Aegean Chronology Early, Middle or Late Neolithic) [Erdogu 2011:120]. The 2010 excavation campaign shows the presence of 5 main phases in the settlement. Phase I is represented by the pottery which was found in the trenches of O11, O10 and P11. Phase II is also identified by the trenches of O11, O10 and P11. The finds belonging to Phase III comes from Trench P5 which was excavated previous year. This phase represents the transition period between Neolithic and Chalcolithic. Phase IV and V are dated to Neolithic. In addition; Phase V is the earliest phase of Ugurlu-Zeytinlik settlement [Erdogu 2012:366-368].
Small Finds: Architecture: A workshop is unearthed in the trench in the West which was among the test trenches opened in the excavations started in 2009. And in the trench opened in the Eastern part a wall is found which is made of two lines of stones extending in East-West direction. There is a yellow base leaning against the wall made of pressurized soil. The wall is approximately 8 m long, the West side of it is partially destructed and it continues towards North. An 80 cm wooden pole slot is found made of stones to house a pole to carry the ceiling where the wall is making a turn [Erdogu 2011:120-121]. Two levels belonging to this period were excavated in Trench P5 in 2011. In the first level, an oval shaped hearth with a dimension of 0.75x0.90 m that was heavily disturbed by the pits belonging to Neolithic-Chalcolithic period was found. 14 worked bones and a polished chisel were recovered from the plastered pit in square shape that was dug into the floor next to the hearth. In Trench P5, a heavily damaged structure extending in the north-south direction was exposed in the second level belonging to Phase IV. The half of the structure is in the unexcavated area outside the trench. Stone wall remains in 60 cm thick belonging to the structure, fragments of white solid floor that was renewed several times were exposed and a quite large storage pot was found in situ on the northeast corner of the structure. In Trench BB20-21, remains of a structure, which was heavily damaged during the construction of water channel, were recovered. Marble mace head, shell beads, celts, a hook, the upper part of which was formed in human head, were found on the damaged floor of the structure as well as in situ bone tools. A wall erected with large, straight stones and preserved up to 50 cm and a round hearth in dimensions of 50x50 cm located on a yellow solid floor were recovered at the depth of 2 m in BBCC19 test pit. In Trench BB 20-21, a building which measures 5x5 m is started to be excavate. Its walls were built in dry wall technique. The west and east walls are 1 m thick [Erdogu-Yücel 2013:188-189]. In 2012, Building 2 continued to be excavated. Building 2 was built on stone foundation and it measures about 5x4 m. The east and the west walls of which are 1 m thick. The south wall with a thickness of 70 cm has been damaged by water channel. In this section of the building, a bastion was built at the corner. The north wall is 60 m thick and has an appearance of a terrace wall. The height of the wall is about 50 cm. A fireplace-like hearth inserted into the wall was found in this section. Another wall extending parallel to the north wall of the building was exposed. This 1 m thick wall joins the east wall. It probably functioned as a pentice-like courtyard in the east of the building. The building has a compacted earth floor [Erdogu et al. 2014:204]. In 2013, Neolithic levels in Trench P5 that were damaged by Chalcolithic (Phase III) pits were investigated. Three building levels belonging to Neolithic (Phase IV) were excavated. In the uppermost level, a hearth with a dimension of 50x50 cm was found. To the south the hearth, a storage unit dug into the floor was exposed. This feature measures 70x70 cm. It yielded 28 worked bones, 1 stone bowl, 1 worked shell, 1 bead and 1 stone chisel. Under this level, a stone wall extending in the north-south direction was seen. This wall belongs to a building. The thickness of the wall is 60 cm and both sides of it turn to the east. There is possibly a partition wall built with mudbrick and mud at the entrance of the building. A large storage pot was found at the northeast corner of the wall. In the lowermost level, a large hearth, a silo and a small platform were exposed. Quite thick and solid floor fragments, appear to be renewed several times, were encountered [Erdogu 2015:168-169]. Building remains were found in Phase IV in Trench O5 during the 2014 studies. The well-preserved mud brick north wall built on a stone foundation shows that the corners of this rectangular building were rounded. The floor of the building was plastered with a red colored plaster. The structures belonging to this phase were heavily damaged due to the Chalcolithic levels. In 2014, Trench P5 that was excavated in last year was expanded towards the east with Trench P6. In this area, plastered pits belonging to Phase III were found. The biggest of these pits is about 1 m in diameter. The depths range from 50 cm to 1.10 cm. Although they were damaged, plastered floors and a hearth with a dimension of 90x70 cm were found in Trench P5 [Erdogu-Yücel 2016:196-197]. In 2015, Building 8 dated to Phase IV (MÖ 6000-5650) in Trench P5 was partially excavated. The floor was highly well preserved. However, the walls were damaged. Only the south wall could be exposed. It was built in the drystone wall technique and the thickness ranges from 35 cm to 40 cm. A plastered storage pit was opened towards the wall. The stones belonging to the east wall were found scattered. It was seen that the corners of the building were rounded. A brace was found in the west of the building. The plaster of this brace is very thick and it bears traces of red paint. The floor of the building was plastered with quite solid and yellow colored clay. A 10 cm post hole was found in the center of the building [Erdogu 2017:119]. Pottery: The Neolithic Period ceramics are red and black slipped; fine burnished and thin walled. There are also some brown sherds. Red and orange mottled sherds are available in a small number. They are generally grit and sometimes plant tempered. The most common forms are S profiled and lipped deep bowls. The bowls have rounded; moon shaped or tubular pierced lugs. The tubular lugs are sometimes very long. Also; a sherd belonging to a zoomorphic vessel was found. Among the pottery unearthed in the trench opened in the West which was one of the test trenches opened in the excavations started in 2009, the spiral decorated lid forms and quadruped bowls with ear-like handles, and spiral decorated bowls are unique to the island. Similar samples are not encountered in other settlements of Western Anatolia and Eastern Aegean Islands. On the other hand spurred and button-shaped forms are common in Anatolia and Balkans during 5th Millennium BC. And forms such as line- or engrave-decorated box-like pots, and horn-shaped single-handle bowls are also common. In the East trench among the related forms are: red coated S-shaped bowls, tube-shaped handles which are placed perpendicular on the surfaces of the pots like and engraved decoration, four legged vessels, line decorated bows, shallow flute decorated pots and impresso decorated pieces [Erdogu 2011:120-121]. In 2011, red slipped burnished typical Anatolian traditional S profiled wares which are characterized by small, round, tubular or crescent shaped lugs were recovered from the fill of the building which was exposed in Trench BB20-21 [Erdogu-Yücel 2013:189]. %80 percent of the potsherds recovered from the fill and the floor of Building 2 in 2012 are red slipped and burnished. They bear similar characteristics with the ones found in previous years. These wares share similarities with the ones found in the early levels of Hoca Çesme in Thrace and Aktopraklik and Mentese in East Marmara. In addition, a sherd bearing a human figure was found in the same building. The woman figure was made on a red slipped sherds and applied in relief. The head was not depicted. The hip and breasts were exaggerated [Erdogu et al. 2014:205]. In 2014, an almost complete pot, a pestle and a stone mortar buried into the plastered floor in Trench P5 were found [Erdogu-Yücel 2016:197]. The 2015 studies conducted in Building 8 in Trench P5 yielded some finds. A box made out of yellow soil and an oval, shallow bowl (also from yellow soil) were found in the south of the brace. 4 sherds with impressed decoration were also found on the floor [Erdogu 2017:119]. Clay: Two of the pits, exposed during the studies carried out in Trench P5 in Phase II in 2014, yielded baked clay figurines. These are female figurines with buttocks like the ones found in the previous seasons. They were made with inserted headpieces and their arms join over the chest [Erdogu-Yücel 2016:196]. Chipped Stone: Flint tools are available. Blade industry is dominant. Few tools made of obsidian are found on the survey initiated in 2009 [Erdogu 2011:121]. During the 2010 excavation campaign, the technology mainly related to flake was observed as well as the industry for blade production. Among the studied 1060 samples belonging to the earliest Phase V, there are 15 obsidians. 95 blades, which 14 of them are made out of obsidian, were made with pressure technique. The chipped stone industry of Phase IV and V is the same. But in Phase IV, a few blade tools in "Karanovo I" Type which is typical for the Balkans were found [Erdogu 2012:369-370]. Among the stone tools recovered from Building 2 in 2012, there are obsidian blades. The obsidian was brought from Central Anatolia (Mount Nenezi) [Erdogu et al. 2014:204]. Based on this data, it is possible to suggest that Ugurlu-Zeytinlik is the westernmost settlement in which obsidian originated from Mount Nenezi was reached [Erdogu et al. 2014:207]. Ground Stone: Polished stone axes were found. Polished stone axes are captured in the West trench opened for test purpose in 2009 [Erdogu 2011:120]. Bone/Antler: Many bone tools including some perforator tools are captured in the workshop part of West trench opened for test purpose in 2009. In 2012, a figurine head made out of animal bone was found in Building 2. It was suggested that this figurine head belonged to clay figurines with inserted heads. This kind of bone figurine head is only known from Höyücek settlement. No examples were found in the Balkans. The nose of the figurine was made in relief and its eyes and eyebrows were depicted in red ochre [Erdogu et al. 2014:205]. Flora: Among the cultivated plants, Einkorn wheat (Triticum monococcum), barley (Hordeum vulgare) and green pea (Pisum sativum) were identified. Fruits species such as fig were also encountered [Erdogu et al. 2014:207]. The large storage pot, found during the studies carried out in Trench P5 in 2013, yielded Einkorn wheat, fig and grape seeds in small quantity [Erdogu 2015:169]. In 2014, there are peavines (Lathyrus sativus) and lentil (Lens sp.) remains dated to 6500-6000 BC (Phase V) among the carbonized floral remains obtained from flotation [Erdogu-Yücel 2016:198]. Fauna: The 2015 studies yielded a shark tooth and a mandible belonging to a wild cat [Erdogu 2017:121]. Other: Pieces of bracelets made of the Mediterranean shell known as spondylus are encountered in the West trench opened for test purpose in 2009. And in the settlement there is an intense group of figurines. All of the figurines are representations of women though there are many variations. Among the figurines captured are forms including one arm over the shoulder, other arm between the legs like in the Marki settlement in Thrace; women with wide buttocks in sitting position reminding the early Cucuteni figurines of Balkans; specific form of the island, flat bodied, flat bellied, and with line marked breasts. These types of figurines are made with inserted head pieces and one sample helped to understand the heads are made of shells and mounted on the slot carved in the body [Erdogu 2011.121].
Remains:
Interpretation and Dating: The pottery has similarities with the First Neolithic material of the Western Anatolia and Lake Region; and the first layers of Hoca Çesme. Ugurlu type long tubular lugs were also encountered in Coskuntepe; Barbaros and Ayio Gala. The Neolithic finds of Ugurlu are the only early finds encountered in the Aegean islands; after Ayio Gala. Spondylus bracelets are encountered during the excavations started in 2009. The goods made of spondylus are regarded as prestigious and therefore traded in Balkans and Central Europe until 5th Millennium BC. Spondylus workshops are unearthed during this period in settlements like Sitagroi and Stavroupolis in Dimini in continental Greece and Macedonia. A workshop probably existed in Gökçeada (Imbros) as well. Since there are no marble reserves in the island the marble that is used in the findings probably brought from Western Anatolia or other Aegean Islands. Obsidian on the other hand is believed to be brought from Melos Island as it is brought to other islands from here as well. This makes Gökçeada the farthest point that the Melos' obsidian is transported [Erdogu 2011:121]. The radiocarbon dating was performed on the samples. Two samples were taken from Neolithic Phase IV and one was from Phase V. The sample taken from Phase V has given the date of 6470 BC., while the ones from Phase IV have given the dates of 5970-5840 BC. These results suggest that Ugurlu-Zeytinlik is the earliest settlement which is discovered on East Aegean Islands [Erdogu 2012:370].


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