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©The Archaeological Settlements of Turkey - TAY Project
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Çavdarhisar / Aizanoi |
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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 and City |
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Altitude:
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980 m |
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Region:
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Aegean |
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Province:
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Kütahya |
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District:
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Çavdarhisar |
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Village:
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Merkez |
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Investigation Method:
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Excavation |
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Period:
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EBA I EBA II |
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| Location: The mound is located within the boundaries of ancient city of Aizanoi 2 km from Çavdarhisar District in Kütahya. It is north-northeast of Çavdarhisar-Emet road. |
| Geography and Environment: The city has been founded on both sides of the Çavdarhisar Stream. Karaçay (Pankalos) Stream flows from the south-southeast of the mound. However the mound where a Zeus Temple erected on the top hill lies in the ancient city; 200 m west of the stream. |
| History: |
| Research and Excavation: The first excavations in Aizonoi started in 1926 by M. Schede and D. Krecker of the German Archaeological Institute. The second phase of the excavations were launched by R. Naumann in 1970 and carried out by A. Hoffmann in between 1986 and 1990. From 1991 to 2007, K. Rheidt led the excavations. R.V.D. Hoff was in charge of the team in between 2008 and 2010. Since 2012, excavations are conducted by a team led by E. Özer. It takes place in the registered archaeological sites list prepared by Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Due to the existence of Middle Palaeolithic stone tools found near the North Necropolis in 2012, the survey carried out by B. Dinçer and O. E. Köse was initiated around Aizanoi in 2013 [Özer (Dinçer-Köse) 2015]. |
| Stratigraphy: The mound which lies under the Roman Period temple yielded prehistoric finds first in 1996-1998 excavations. Architectural remains and potsherds at the layers reached by now are dated to EBA I-II. |
| Small Finds: Architecture: A trench on the southern part of the temple revealed a building of 11.5x5 m. Comprising two chambers; it looks like a megaron. There are at least two floors. Inside; handmade big pantry and service plates of elaborately burnished ware; and three footed bowls were recovered. Some are decorated with reliefs. It is dated back to the EBA II; 2800-2500 BC. At first; excavators of Aizanoi claimed that the mound was roughly leveled before the erection of the temple and the upper parts were damaged during this process; but the excavations at the courtyard with the Dor columns showed that the Iron Age layers were directly standing on Bronze Age layers; so the mound was already had been damaged in Early Roman Period [Rheidt 2001:151]. Addition to this; a building with two rooms and five reconstruction layers uncovered. There is another building under this level. The mudbrick walls with wooden supplements; encircles the main room of this building and they extend towards the front room; which is rather smaller. The floor is paved with rubble stones probably to keep it dry. The main room is higher than the front room and it is need to be entered by one or two steps. There is also a wooden post that might belong to the door between two rooms. This building was dated to 2900-2600 BC according to the 14C analysis of the botanical remains. In 2001 season excavations EBA I materials were uncovered as well as the architectural remains and potsherds dated to the beginning of EBA II. It is reported that these finds; which resemble Beycesultan EBA I pottery; are the evidence of a thick EBA I layer at the site [Rheidt 2003: 320]. 2002 season excavations showed that Iron Age layers were directly lying on Bronze Age layers [Rheidt 2004:132]. As a result of the survey conducted around Aizanoi in 2013, 12 Palaeolithic findspots were discovered. All of these findspots are closely related to primary or secondary flint sources. The oldest findspot is dated to the Lower Palaeolithic. This findspot is located in Karabulut Mevkii in which the sanctuary of Meter Steunene is situated. Lower Palaeolithic finds mainly consist of Clactonian flakes. There are also Levallois cores. The rest of the Palaeolithic finds belongs to Middle Palaeolithic. Levallois technique was rarely used on these finds. Flakes and retouched flakes are common among these finds. During the survey, quite small sized (2-3 cm), bipolar cores were found as well. It is highly possible that these cores belong to Epi-Palaeolithic [Özer (Dinçer-Köse) 2015; see also Dinçer et al. 2014]. |
| Remains: |
| Interpretation and Dating: The architectural sequence of the EBA layers shows that the two roomed building has been enlarged and elevated by a podium in order to give a monumental appearance. Although the function of the building has not been understood yet; it resembles the two roomed houses known from Demircihüyük and Beycesultan. But this building does not have a direct connection with the settlement as it is in Demircihöyük and also there are no common ware samples in the fire pits and hearths on the rubble stone pavement. In spite of this a large number of potsherds found in the embankment layers as the evidence of a settlement in the surrounding territory. Considering all of these facts this two roomed building in Aizanoi is thought not to be an ordinary dwelling but having a more central meaning apart from daily life [Rheidt 2001:151]. |
