|
©The Archaeological Settlements of Turkey - TAY Project
|
|
|
|
|
|
Çengeltepe |
|
|
For site maps and drawings please click on the picture...  |
For photographs please click on the photo...  |
|
Type:
|
Mound |
|
Altitude:
|
1335 m |
|
Region:
|
Central Anatolia |
|
Province:
|
Yozgat |
|
District:
|
Merkez |
|
Village:
|
Merkez |
|
Investigation Method:
|
Excavation |
|
Period:
|
EBA II EBA III |
|
|
|
  |
|
| Location: It lies south of the Yozgat-Sivas motorway; about 500 m east of the Yozgat Province. |
| Geography and Environment: Çengeltepe stands on a volcanic rocky hill at the end of a soft and curved slope. Right across it lays Mercimektepe on the north. Through this low pass between the twin-settlements area runs a motorway. Almost two third of the hill have been destroyed by the brick quarries. |
| History: |
| Research and Excavation: Among the two settlements claimed to be contemporary; Çengeltepe was priorly selected for salvage excavation because of the heavy damage incurred. The excavation was carried out in 1966 by A. Ünal of the Alacahöyük excavation team. It takes place in the registered archaeological sites list prepared by Ministry of Culture and Tourism. |
| Stratigraphy: The site is called Eski Yozgat. It had been inhabited during the EBA; the Phrygian; Hellenistic-Galat periods. The top hill trench yielded 5 layers of EBA (8-4 of all) while the slope trench revealed 2 layers. The virgin soil was reached at 5 m. |
| Small Finds: Architecture: Due to the restrictions of the trench size; no good results were obtained about the architecture of layers 8-7. A floor and a clay coated hearth base were uncovered. The layer 6 is represented by a partly burnt mudbrick wall. The foundations uncovered at layer 5 evidence the presence of a construction. The layer 4 which underwent a fire yielded a better plan as it was excavated in a larger area. A stone base housing; a 2 m long wooden post in the center of the 3x2.5 m room; grinding stones and other house items were uncovered. Also found is a basin-like pit coated on sides. Pottery: Sherds of the black coarse ware were found at the lower layer. Red surface colored vessels increase in number at layers 5 and 6. Also found are sherds of the ware with a red interior surface and brown exterior surface; gray-brown interior-exterior surfaces; black interior-exterior surfaces; brown exterior surface and black interior surface; etc. Forms of jars; fruit-stands; mugs; vases; plates; cups; funnels and composite vessels are common. Sherds of squat handled vessels were recovered. Although plenty of Alisar III type sherds were found on the surface; they were not well-related with the layer. They are decorated with thin and thick lines and zigzags in dark brown on a cream background. The sherds of the incision decorated fine ware of Çengeltepe resemble the ones recovered from the layers 5-6 of Alacahöyük. Clay: Hangers and spindle whorls were found. They have standard forms. Chipped Stone: Objects like blades and spearheads in white and cream colored flint were found. It is questioned if the restricted number of obsidian flakes was used. Bone/Antler: A spearhead in bone and an ornament in pig bone were recovered. Human Remains: A pithos grave housing a child burial was found. |
| Remains: |
| Interpretation and Dating: The EBA stratification of Çengeltepe is dated; although uncertain; to 2600-2000 BC. A. Ünal particularly dated the layer 4 on the basis of the massive fire which destroyed many of the EBA cities and villages at the end of the third millennium BC. |
