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©The Archaeological Settlements of Turkey - TAY Project
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Hirbemerdon Tepe |
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Type:
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Mound |
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Altitude:
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522 m |
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Region:
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Southeastern Anatolia |
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Province:
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Diyarbakir |
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District:
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Bismil |
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Village:
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Mesudiler |
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Investigation Method:
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Excavation |
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Period:
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| It lies on the western bank of the Tigris, 40 km east of the Bismil District in Diyarbakir. The settlement is divided into two main sections; High Mound and Outer City [Laneri 2007:671]. In the Outer City (Area B) only the western section of the trench yielded traces of the Iron Age. A foundation wall strecthing from west to east and a heavily damaged floor were identified in this area. The finds recovered from this floor were attributed to the Iron Age. Among these finds are a sherd with a grooved rim, a spouted vessel, a sherd of a deep bowl, a basalt bowl with a ring base and grooved rim, and a fragment of a grooved basalt ground stone [Laneri 2007:672]. The third excavation campaign at Hirbemerdon revealed that the site had a significant role throughout the late 3rd Millennium BC and the first half of the 2nd Millennium BC within the wide terrains of the Upper Tigris Valley [Laneri 2007:677]. It takes place in the registered archaeological sites list prepared by Ministry of Culture and Tourism. During 2009 excavations a large room which extends in North-South direction (approximately 5 by 2 m) is unearthed in Field D. The boundaries of the room were set by two limestone walls. The founding walls which set the West boundary of the building comply with the natural formation of the rocks are constructed in a section within the main rock. Two sets of elements found within the building (two furnaces, two grinding stones, a millstone, a small well and a water bottle) are possibly used for cooking food and especially bread [Laneri 2011: 68]. The architecture of Area D is represented by pseudo-circular rooms which are interconnected with a straight channel. The ash deposit found in each room suggests that these rooms were used as siloi. A stone was found near the beam of the trench. A large number of unbaked clay zoomorphic figurines which mostly consist of bull figurines were placed on the stone for ritualistic purposes. There is a large base of the pithos which were filled with fragments of hearth (andiron) on these finds. In this area, garbage pits with full of pottery belonging to Grooved Ware have been exposed [Laneri 2012:344]. In 2009 pottery findings collected in Field D from the ground demonstrate marks of a severe fire in Early Iron Age (approximately 1050-900). Especially the local pottery type which is named as Grooved Ware was plenty [Laneri 2011: 69]. The recent studies show that the settlement, which was temporarily abandoned, was re-occupied at the end of the 2nd millennium BC and the beginning of the 1st millennium BC. The architectural remains belonging to Early IA consist of scattered architectural elements and pits. These remains were exposed in the northern edge of the Upper City and the area that was used for food processing in the south. In the room that was used for food processing, mortar, pestle, ground stones, two hearths and cooking pots were found in situ. This room was probably used as a station by pastoral groups heading to the highlands. Next to the room, a large and deep pit containing a thick layer of ash. The pit might have initially been used as a dwelling. However, it functioned as a rubbish pit in the later phases. Similar way of use is known from the dwellings found in Salat Tepe and Müslümantepe. The pottery of this period consists of local wares with horizontal groove decoration. The remains belonging to Middle IA were exposed in the Lower City. These remains comprise some wall fragments, Neo-Assyrian common wares and grooved wares. The remains dated to Late IA were unearthed in the Upper City. The architecture has been severely damaged. Several pits were found. Late IA pottery consists of common wares, painted wares and burnished wares [Laneri 2014:197-198]. |
| 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. |
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