©The Archaeological Settlements of Turkey - TAY Project

Hirbemerdon Tepe

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Hirbemerdon Tepe
Type:
 Mound
Altitude:
 522 m
Region:
 Southeastern Anatolia
Province:
 Diyarbakir
District:
 Bismil
Village:
 Mesudiler
Investigation Method:
 Excavation
Period:

     

Location: Hirbemerdon Tepe is located along the right bank of the upper Tigris River valley in southeastern Anatolia (Turkey) about 30 km east of Bismil in the Diyarbakir province.
Geography and Environment: At Hirbemerdon Tepe; the ancient settlements were built on top of a geological formation based on a Pliocene continental rock structure that characterizes the entire region. The site has a size of about 10.5 hectares. The site is bordered by the bed of the Tigris along the eastern side; while the northern side of Hirbemerdon Tepe has been eroded by a modern irrigation channel.
History:
Research and Excavation: The mound was discovered during the Tigris-Euphrates Archaeological Reconnaissance Survey conducted by G. Algaze in 1989. It was revisited in 2002 by a team conducted by N. Laneri and in 2003 an excavation started. It takes place in the registered archaeological sites list prepared by Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The Hirbemerdon Tepe Archaeological Project, lasted 10 years, was finished in 2012 [Laneri 2014:195].
Stratigraphy: Depending on the surface material collected during the survey it was thought that Hirbemerdon Tepe occupied from Neolithic to Seljukian Period. The ongoing excavations clarified the stratigraphy. According to this; the earliest phase of the settlement is dated to the Late Chalcolithic (Fourth Millennium BC); which is characterized by a local chaff-faced ware. The most important archaeological phase occurred between the late 3rd to the mid 2nd Millennium BC and was distinguished by a high presence of the so-called red brown wash ware ceramic assemblage; recognizable throughout the entire site. After a brief period of abandonment; Hirbemerdon Tepe was reoccupied during the Iron Age; and in a much later period; a final settlement occurred during the Islamic Period. The layers reached by the excavations carried out at the high mound (Area A) and the outer town (Area B) are Iron Age; Middle Bronze Age (Sub-phase A); Early Bronze/Middle Bronze Age (Sub-phase B) and Chalcolithic [Laneri-Schwartz 2008:137-138]. The studies conducted so far have confirmed that Hirbemerdon Tepe can be related to seven occupational levels: Level I: Chalcolithic period (LC 3, the first half of 4th millenium BC) Level IIa: EBA I (about 3100-2750 BC) Level IIb: EBA II (about 2750-2500 BC) Level IIIa: EBA III/IV (about 2500-2000 BC) Level IIIb: MBA I (about 1950-1750 BC) Level IIIc: LBA (about 1550-1350 BC) Level IVa: Early IA (about 1150-900 BC) Level IVb: Middle IA (Neo-Assyrian, about 900-610 BC) Level V: Late IA (about 610-350 BC) Level VI: Middle Age (about 11th-13th centruy AD) Level VII: Ottoman period (18th-19th century AD) [Laneri 2014].
Small Finds: Architecture: In Sub-phase B; the archaeologists discovered an area dedicated to craft manufacturing activities. This interpretation is based on the discovery of numerous small-sized stone nuclei used for making flint tools; as well as slag related to post-firing activities. Together with this discarded material; a few finished objects were found; such as a later type of Canaanean blade and a bronze pin with a pierced rectangle and two hollowed circles at the upper end. In terms of architectural features; the remains of a few badly preserved walls were brought to light. These narrow walls are constructed of small-sized stones whose function it was to separate the open space into defined areas. The overall architectural structure was founded on top of a thick platform composed of a compacted deposit of pebbles and small-sized stones. The discovery of a foundation deposit inside a niche embedded in the stone platform suggests a ritual importance given to the platform's construction by the ancient inhabitants [Laneri 2007:673]. The researches performed in the Outer Town defined as the 'B Area' in 2005 revealed the Iron Age; Middle Bronze Age; Early Bronze Age; and Chalcolithic periods [Laneri 2007:672-674]. The settlement phase containing Early Bronze II Age houses that have large yards with house-ovens and other elements of fire making in the middle, built around streets and corridors paved with boulders is unearthed in 2009 during the studies carried out in Field E [Laneri 2011: 67]. One of the most important finds of 2009 is a small ruin (around 1.8 hectares) from Middle Bronze Age. This place is very important that shed light on the socio-economic processes of those societies living in this region during 2nd Millennium BC. The most important archaeological phase in Hirbemerdon Hill is the first half of 2nd Millennium BC. Stone founded adobe or pizé topped architectures are worth noting during this period in the entire settlement and especially in the North of Upper City and in temporary settlements in the Lower City. A series of structures which are separated from large spaces by thin walls is identified mainly in the Outer City that could be interpreted as workshops or barns. Remains of a wide group of architecture covering approximately 600 square metres in this field. The excavations carried out in Stepped Trenches AB and AC showed that this group of structures cover the entire Upper City and that the North edge is bordered with a sustaining wall which is built in parallel to the main street which is again a member of this group and built in Northeast - Southwest direction. This wall is about 100 m North of the Upper City. Wall foundations which are seated in the main rock are identified in the West edge of the structure group. This structure group is made of two main sections: North Section which is allocated for workshops and the Southeast Section which is allocated to ritualistic structures and large outdoor spaces. The use of third section in the West is yet to be identified as the excavations are still underway here. The main road physically divides these two main divisions which belong to this structure group apart. The irregular ground formation of the Upper City made it compulsory to build man-made terraces for a consistent structure construction. Therefore stairways, stepped corridors and outdoor spaces are utilized for connecting levels at different heights. From an architectural standing point an eclectic system is applied and double walls are used to separate the structure groups with special purposes. The Complex Structure sits completely collapsed, right in the middle of the slope of the mound. And the embankment is associated with limestone structures from Middle Bronze II/Late Bronze Period (1700-1350 BC) and Early Iron Age (approximately 1050-900 BC). The lower part of the stepped excavation (AB) helped finding the sustaining wall which sets the South boundary of the complex structure. This wall is entirely within the natural lime stones and is built for the purpose of covering the outer corridor which is partly unearthed in 2008 [Laneri 2011: 67-68]. The studies conducted so far show that the architecture of EBA I consists of buildings extending in the northwest-southeast direction and round siloi with ash deposit. This phase has also yielded a votive fill. Unbaked clay animal figurines were found in this fill. The occupation belonging to EBA I is located on the top of the mound. The remains of EBA II settlement were exposed in the center and the east of the mound. In the east section, a building bearing local characteristics was unearthed. The building consists of square shaped rooms, a narrow passage and a stepped corridor. One of the rooms yielded a couple of spindle whorls and clay animal figurines. Some areas that could have been used as fire place were determined outisde the rooms. The architectural remains of EBA III/IV have been severely damaged by MBA occupation [Laneri 2014:195-196]. Pottery: The deposit in Sub-phase B consists of a cache of two wedged fine ware globular bowls; both with a ring-base and club-shape rim. The larger one of these two belongs to the red brown wash ware assemblage; while the smaller one is a dark rimmed orange bowl. The dark rimmed orange bowl is a type of bowl with a distinctive dark red dusky colored band along the exterior rim. As a result of the researches performed in the Outer City in 2005; one of the most interesting aspects of Sub-phase B is related to the category of pottery represented by these two bowls: the larger one belongs to the Red Brown Wash Ware assemblage; while the smaller one is a Dark Rimmed Orange Bowl. The DROB is a type of bowl with a distinctive dark red dusky colored band along the exterior rim and chronologically belongs to a late Third Millenium BC horizon as demonstrated by comparions with other late Third Millenium BC (post-Akkadian) examples found at Tell Brak/Nagar; Tell Mozan/Urkesh; Üçtepe; Kavusan Tepe and Ziyaret Tepe [Laneri 2007:673-674]. The potteries found in 2009 in Field E represent the typical characteristics of Northeast Syria. In relation to this period a clay animal figurine and a weaving weight made of basaltic stone is found in the rooms [Laneri 2011: 67]. In 2010, fragments of damaged floor belonging to EBA IV and a few EBA II remains were recovered during the excavation conducted in Stepped Trench AC.In Area D, thin walled vessels and "Fingernail impressed Pottery"; which were rarely found; belonging to EBA were recovered. This kind of pottery was found in Area E as well [Laneri 2012:343]. The recent studies show that the EBA I wares comprise plain vessels and fingernail impressed pottery. Similar wares were known from Ziyaret Tepe and Kenan Tepe. Same kinds of wares were seen in North Syria (Girnevaz) as well. Among the EBA II pottery, brown burnished local wares and red burished wares are common. In addition, metallic wares, red-black burnished wares, Karaz and thin walled wares and a couple of Nineveh V type potsherds were found. The EBA III/IV wares, on the other hand, consist of pots, the rims of which were decorated with dark colored bands, that were known from the settlements in the Northeast Syria and Tigris region [Laneri 2014:195-196].
Remains:
Interpretation and Dating:


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