©The Archaeological Settlements of Turkey - TAY Project

Salat Tepe

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Salat Tepe
Type:
 Mound
Altitude:
 510 m
Region:
 Southeastern Anatolia
Province:
 Diyarbakir
District:
 Bismil
Village:
 Yukarisalat
Investigation Method:
 Excavation
Period:
 Late

     

Location: The site is located southeast of Yukarisalat Beldesi; in the district center of Bismil in the province of Diyarbakir. Salat Tepe is situated where the Salat Çay; a tributary of the Tigris flowing from the north; begins to wind towards the east; 14 km from Bismil and 35 km from the town of Batman.
Geography and Environment: The mound measures 115x100 m and; at a height of 555 m above sea level; rises 30 m above the valley floor; overlooking the valley and the plain. To the east of the site is Misevre Tepe and to the south is Ziyaret Tepe. The north of the plain is known as the "Mollaali Gölü Mevkii" and the northwest as the "Sor Gölü Mevkii" [Ökse 1999:345].
History:
Research and Excavation: The site of Salat Tepe was first investigated by G. Algaze and his team in 1989 during their survey in the region [Algaze et al. 1991:213]. It was surveyed under the directorship of T. Ökse in 1998 and 1999. In 2000-2002; during the Salvage Project of the Archaeological Heritage of the Ilisu and Carchemish Dam Reservoirs; it was excavated for Diyarbakir Museum; by a team under the directorship of T. Ökse. Excavations continued in 2005; after two years of interruption [Ökse 2006:12]. The excavations were completed in 2012. It takes place in the registered archaeological sites list prepared by Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
Stratigraphy: During the 1999 survey; surface materials were collected from the slopes of the mound. The pottery from the slopes were collected in separate groups; but no significant distribution ratios according to periods were observed in the pottery from the south and west slopes; suggesting that there was a homogeneous settlement here in all periods during which the mound was occupied. Examination of the pottery indicates settlement at Salat Tepe from the 4th millennium BC to the end of the Hellenistic period [Ökse et al. 2001:620]. The 2000 season excavation had the objective of understanding the stratigraphy of the late occupation on the site. Four architectural levels were identified: Level I was dated to the Late Antique Period (5th-7th centuries AD) and levels II and III to 3rd and 2nd centuries BC and earlier. It appears that the summit of the mound was not settled from the 7th century AD onwards and it was used as a cemetery in the Medieval Period [Ökse-Alp 2002:668;669]. As a result of the 2012 studies, the stratigraphy is as follows; Period I Chalcolithic Settlement (6000-3000 BC): This period is divided into four sub-periods. Period IA Halaf-Ubaid Transition Period, Period IB Late Ubaid, Period IC Late Chalcolithic/Uruk, Period ID Late Chalcolithic-EBA Transition Period. Period II BA Settlement (2400-1400 BC): Period IIA Akkadian and Post-Akkadian period, Period IIB Old Assyrian Period, Period IIC Old Babylonian- Early Mitanni Period. Period III IA Settlement (1050-330 BC): Period IIIA Early IA, Period IIIB Neo-Assyrian Period, Period IIIC Post-Assyrian/Persian Period. Period IV Hellenistic-Roman and Middle Age Settlement (330 BC-1500 AD): Period V New Age-Modern Period Cemetery [Ökse 2013:45-46].
Small Finds: Architecture: During the 2002 season excavation; Late Chalcolithic levels including a great quantity of Late Ubaid painted ware were reached. The architecture is characterized by mudbrick walls and foundations. Large circular hearths and beneath them a floor and a mudbrick debris were encountered. Two floors belonging to the Late Chalcolithic were also revealed in the northern trenches [Ökse 2002]. Three Chalcolithic period levels were found on the north step of the south slope during 2008 excavations. There is an adobe wall slightly directed towards northwest, and other wall fragments that are in direct angle to this wall in the first level. Lower phases of the adobe storage rooms in this section are rectangular shaped and the upper phases are elliptical. The second level is underneath a dense cinder layer. The wall from this level which is in north-south direction is on the west side of the area and a second wall in parallel to the first wall is in the center of the trench. Lime and limestone powder tempered adobe was used in this level. The third level is located in the south of the north area and it consists of a northwest-southeast lying wall and two storage areas. Three levels were unearthed on the south step of the trench that belong to Chalcolithic period. The rough floor identified in the north section of the area and the adobe walled building with a stone foundation compose the first level. The level two consists of mud plastered cobble stone floor, adobe wall immediately south of it and the rectangular sections encompassed by adobe in its south. The level three consists of the northwest-southeast lying walls south of the area [Ökse et al. 2010:321]. The excavation campaign in 2010 was conducted in two trenches on the southern slope. A wall measuring 44x25 cm is located on the north of the pottery kiln belonging to Late Chalcolithic. The wall extends in the west-southwest and east-northeast direction and it is bonded with a single line of mudbrick. The quadrangular shaped storage rooms were added. It is assumed that this room was used as a potter's workshop. Under the ashy layers of the north step in Trench H12, the room which is the continuation of the mudbrick architecture exposed in 2010 was excavated. A pit contains multilayered ash deposit was found on the northern profile of the step. In the room called H12/050/M, a floor with several phases and a shallow hearth which is thought to be used for cooking were discovered [Ökse et al. 2012:180-181]. During the 2011 studies, the pits dug into the Late Chalcolithic layers on the north step of Trench I 12 on the southern slope were emptied. The mudbrick wall fragment, which was discovered in the upper level in 2010, was removed and Late Chalcolithic pits and walls were exposed under it [Ökse et al. 2013:369]. In 2012, the building level that represents the transition period of Late Chalcolithic-EBA was reached in the trenches of K 12-13 and J 12 [Ökse et al. 2014:113]. The architecture of Level 6 which was exposed under the thick ashy layer, where the building levels belonging to the last phase of EBA were built, belong to the last level of the Chalcolithic mound. It bears a resemblance to mudbrick features of Late Chalcolithic structures in terms of architecture [Ökse 2013:45]. A structure dated to Late Chalcolithic was exposed on the southern slope trenches of Salat Tepe. Another structure that reflects Ubaid architecture characteristics with its three-part plan was unearthed on the section of the slope trench which descends towards the skirt [Ökse 2013:45]. During the excavations carried out in Trench F12 in 2013, a structure in grill plan and finds were exposed. The room fill yielded an amulet and a great number of in situ vessels. Spindle whorls and burnishing stones were found on the floor. In Trench G12, a tripartite building dated to Late Ubaid Period was unearthed. The plan of the building is irregular. The rooms were separated from each other by mudbrick walls. The door opening found on the mudbrick walls were closed during the building was in use. The early level, exposed under the Late Chalcolithic floor in Trench I 12, is characterized by pits aligned in front of a series of rooms. It is possible that these pits were used for the posts supporting the roof. To the east of the room, an oven, the dome of which was built with clay blocks, is located [Ökse et al. 2015:21-23]. Pottery: The handmade Chalcolithic pottery found in the wash on all slopes were investigated in four groups: Pottery with Plant Temper: The distinguishing characteristic of this group is the traces of chaff and grass on the surface. These ceramics were divided into subgroups according to the size of the plant temper; either coarse or medium. Besides the examples that have only plant temper; there are sherds whose fabric also contains medium-sized lime inclusions; and grit; and sparse and dense mica inclusions can be seen in some examples. These sherds are fired medium-hard and most have a gray/black core. The fabric color is mostly light brown or light red brown; and in some examples yellowish red. There is abrasion on the surfaces as a result of being fired at a low temperature. Most sherds are slipped on the exterior surface; and three-quarters are burnished; on the slipped surfaces of some examples can be seen traces of chaff. The leveling of the exterior surface of one sherd with a hard implement is a technique known from the Upper and Middle Euphrates basins. The sherds of bowls and dishes contain coarse and fine chaff; as well as grit and mica inclusions; while two-thirds of the deep bowls contain chaff temper; the sherds of necked jars are also represented in all groups. One example of the dishes with direct rim has a straight body contour; while the second has a hemispherical body profile; and a third plate; with a vertical profile; has a rim thickened on the outside. The bowls can be divided into three types: those with direct rims; one with rim thickened on the outside and one with a carinated belly. The deep bowls whose rim diameters are almost twice the height of the bowls are of four types: fine quality bowls with a direct rim and a hemispherical body; a direct rim and a spherical body; and an angled rim thickened on the outside; and one of coarse quality with a hemispherical body and everted rim. The wars can be divided into four types according to their necks: short cylindrical; short concave; long concave and short inverted conical. Straw tempered and mineral tempered sherds from Late Chalcolithic Period were revealed inside the kiln identified on the south step of the south trench during 2008 excavations. These sherds belong to flat, monochromatic forms with slightly thickened rims similar to the local sherds observed at Arslantepe and Zeytinlibahçe [Ökse et al. 2010:321]. Grit-Tempered Pottery: The fabric of the examples in this group contains either sparsely scattered very large grit particles; mostly dense coarse or medium grit particles; or sparsely scattered large particles; usually with medium or fine lime and cut grass of chaff temper. The fabric colors are light brown; light red-brown; brown and grayish brown. Apart from one sherd; all are slipped; and one is self-slipped and mostly burnished; all are fired medium-hard and; apart from a few are reduced. The forms include a round bodied beaker; dishes with rims thickened on the inside and with a rim distinguished from the body by a groove on the outside; bowls with hemispherical bodies and direct rims; bowls with hemispherical bodies and rims distinguished from the body by an external groove; bowls with spherical bodies and direct rims; jars with a short cylindrical neck and direct rim; jars with a concave neck and direct rim; jars with a long concave neck; jars with a short inverted concave neck and neckless jars with spherical bodies. Fine Ware: This group is represented by a sherd from a dish made from a finely porous fabric containing a small quantity of fine lime and sparse fine grit inclusions; light red-brown in color; with a red-brown slip on the outside and red slip on the inside. Painted Ware: The three sherds are of a fabric containing fine plant temper; and are fired without reduction. One of the sherds is wheel-made; the other two handmade. The sherds are of a red-brown colored fabric; with a light-brown slip; and painted decoration on the outside in a dark brown color. The sherd from a round-bodied beaker with direct rim is decorated on the rim section with painted horizontal bands; three straight and one zigzag. One of the body sherds bears only a painted horizontal band; while on the other only a small part of three thick vertical bands with rounded upper ends are preserved [Ökse et al. 2001:632-637]. In 2010, a vessel, 33 rim sherds, 3 base sherds, plant-tempered vessels with thickened in and thickened out rims, Coba wares and gray burnished vessels were collected in the room I12 / 35 / M of Trench I12. These sherds are dated to after the Ubaid Period and the early period of North Uruk. Although the majority of 176 rim sherds and 5 base sherds, which were collected from the room H12 / 53 / M, are dated to the Ubaid Period, two of them belong to the Halaf Period, one is dated to the transitional period of the Halaf-Ubaid. While most of the Ubaid potsherds are chaff tempered and some of them have sand and thin limestone temper in their paste. Most of the sherds consist of carinated bowls, incurving or excurving bowls, deep bowls with hemispherical body, beakers, splayed bowls with straight or inrolled rims and necked bowls [Ökse et al. 2012:180-181]. A small number of gray, burnished potsherds belonging to Post Ubaid Phase B5 were recovered from Trench I 12 on the southern slope in 2011. The vast majority of potsherds found in this area were used in the early phase of Late Chalcolithic period [Ökse et al. 2013:369]. During the 2012 studies, in Level 6, Late Chalcolithic chaff and grit tempered, handmade local wares, as well as burnished and slipped sherds were found on the last level of Chalcolithic mound which was exposed under the thick ashy layer where the building levels belonging to the last phase of EBA [Ökse 2013:45]. Chipped Stone: On the south slope of the mound; a piece belonging to a broad flint blade was found. The technique of this type of flint tool had its origins in the Upper Palaeolithic; although in geographical terms and method of usage; flint tools are represented in high numbers from the beginning of the Neolithic to the end of the Bronze Age. As a result of this; the dating of the tool is not clear [Ökse et al. 2001:637;638]. Human Remains: An infant pot burial was found on the southern slope of the Hill. Another infant burial was unearthed on on the section of the slope trench which descends towards the skirt. The necklace found on infant's neck was formed with four rows of small beads in black and white colors [Ökse 2013:45]. In Trench I 12 that is dated to Late Chalcolithic, a skeleton belonging to a 10-20 year-old individual was found in the fill [Ökse et al. 2015:22].
Remains:
Interpretation and Dating: According to the density of the Late Chalcolithic (Late Uruk) pottery; it is believed that there was an extensive settlement of the 4th millennium BC in the settlement. Close parallels of Salat Tepe pottery are known from sites in the Upper and Middle Euphrates basins; Northern Syria; the Balih Basin; the Upper Habur Basin and the Middle Tigris Basin. Although the sherds examined bear resemblances to the handmade pottery of Northern Syria and Northern Mesopotamia; there were no finds at the site of the "Uruk ware" of Mesopotamian origin [Ökse et al. 2001:637]. It was built in Chalcolithic Age; on a block of pebbles formed by the Salat Brook during the Holocene Age; based on the data from the analysis of the virgin soil which was accessed by excavating the waste cinder layers inside the trenches E-F 12 during the 2005 excavations [Ökse et al. 2007:55]. Interpretation and Dating: Based on the pottery found during the 2012 studies in Level 6, on the last level of Chalcolithic mound which was exposed under the thick ashy layer where the building levels belonging to the last phase of EBA, this level may have been used during the last two centuries of 4th millennium BC. (EBA IA), the transition period from Late Chalcolithic to EBA [Ökse 2013:45]. It is believed that the hill was abandoned after the transition period of Late Chalcolithic-EBA. The settlement was reoccupied during the Level 6 and 5 belonging to the EBA III-IV periods. Based on the radiocarbon analysis, the structures exposed in Level 5 are dated to 2200-2100 BC (EBA IVB) [Ökse et al. 2014:116].


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