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Degirmentepe

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Deðirmentepe
Type:
Mound
Altitude:
m
Region:
Eastern Anatolia
Province:
Elazig
District:
Içme
Village:
Kiraç
Investigation Method:
Excavation
Period:
EBA III EBA II

     


Location: It was located 2 km southeast of the Kirac (Ilemil) Village; 22 km east of the Elazig Province before it was flooded by the Keban Dam.
Geography and Environment: It was looking like a natural hill from a distance; located on the edge of the soft ridges bordering the Murat Suyu on the west on the eastern end of the Altinova Plain. Therefore; it went unnoticed by the scientists conducting surveys in the vicinity of Elazig. It was reported to be a slope settlement [Duru 1979a:4]. The eastern side was severely damaged by a modern irrigation channel. The mound was named after a mill on the eastern part. It was reported to measure 11 m in height and 130x120 m in dimensions. The height was decreased down to ca. 9 m due to erosion (R. Whallon reports it as 7 m).
History:
Research and Excavation: It was discovered by R. Whallon and S. Kantman under code no. 0 54 / 3 [Whallon 1979:188-194; fig.90] during a survey. The site yielded pottery of the Late Chalcolithic Age; the EBA I and II; a suspectfull IIIa and the Early Iron Age. As the mound was submerged within a short period of time after it was discovered; the excavation started under R. Duru lasted for one season only in 1973. The virgin soil was not reached.
Stratigraphy: For Duru; the top hill trench yielded 4 building levels; all dating from the EBA while on the slope; 2 building levels dating from the Iron Age were identified. It was excavated until a depth of 4.5 m only [Duru 1979a:8].
Small Finds: Architecture (ascending order): For the excavator; there are three construction phases of level IV. The houses with stone foundations exceeding up to 50 cm. thick were partly uncovered on the slope. The superstructure of the walls is of mudbrick. Although no exact plan was drawn due to the smallness of the excavated area; a multi-roomed structure or buildings is observed. The floors of the rooms are of compressed earth or cobbles spread out. The people resided here after the building level IV; had partly embanked this area with fillings. A distinctive feature of level III is that no stone foundations were used. The walls of the house uncovered were built by pisé or fence. Exposure of two rows of beam holes inside the walls in the lower levels of the building level III proves the presence of fence walls [Duru 1979a:10]. The house in the building level IIIa has a crooked quadrangular shape. The corners are rounded. The walls are 15 cm thick. In the centre of the northern room lies a hearth. The building level II has only one phase. Two structures were uncovered. One is a square room. The walls are built by neatly cut mudbricks. Among the earth platforms on the northern wall; there is a circular hearth and on the southwestern corner; there is a kiln with ashtray. Except this structure; traces of some other structures are observed. The phase Ib of the building level I on the top yielded a 4 x 4 m square room. This room also has fence walls like the building level III. It was built by the same technique. The corners are rounded again. The plaster of the floor and the walls combines. Both movable and immovable hearts were found. Ceramics: The excavation report published in detail [Duru 1979:] indicates that no distinctive groups of ware were recovered from the building levels dating from the EBA; but the building levels IV-III and II-I can be evaluated separately in terms of the painted ware. The building levels IV-III are dominated by the Karaz (Early Transcaucausian/Kura-Aras/ Khirbet-Kerak/ black-red burnished) ware. This group of ware demonstrates some distinctiveness in type and form within the building levels. The most common form is bowls. Plates; jars; pithoi and lids are popular. Groove/relief decorated vessels were recovered from building level III. The paste characteristics of the straw-faced ware resemble the kitchen ware of Karaz. Samples of the pink-beige pasted wheel-made ware and the pink-beige pasted; red washed ware are very rare. In other contemporary settlements in the vicinity; this group of ware is called the plain simple ware or the Syrian-imported ware. Samples of the gray pasted ware called Akkads or metallic ware in the archaeology of Eastern and Southeastern Anatolia are largely mugs. The deep traces of wheels on those bell-shaped vessels give an impression of wavy appearance. The cream or greenish-beige painting decorated ware [Duru 1979a:21] belongs to the building levels IV and III only. Although there are rare samples in the building level II; these are considered to come from preceding level. Besides the ones giving the impression produced by slow-turning wheels; there are handmade samples. Some are slightly burnished. As decoration; series of triangles; chevrons between two lines or bended lines were preferred while the empty spaces on the body were decorated with wheel patterns; animals and bands [Duru 1979a:pl.33-34]. The reserved slip decorated pottery; even tough rare; is also found at lower building levels. Again the upper building levels identified as II and I are dominated by the Karaz ware with a percentage exceeding 90%. The number of groove-relief decorated vessels increase while the straw-faced ware decreases drastically. Other groups of ware continue. A new group of ware introduced at building level II is the painting decorated ware varying from brown to black applied on a light beige background. The decorations are different than the lower building levels. Sometimes hatched quadrangles and triangles; horizontal parallel lines and pointed motifs are common [Duru 1979a:pl.35]. Clay: Among the terra cotta figurines; an animal figurine of which the gender was not identifiable was recovered. A wheel of toy cart and an amulet are interesting at building level II. Chipped Stone: An obsidian and flint blade industry is observed. The excavator reports the presence of Canaanean blades. Tanged and winged spearheads in obsidian were recovered. The industry has no distinctive characteristics compared to the other contemporary settlements of the Elazig-Malatya region. Ground Stone: A poor industry is observed. Finished or semi-finished shaft-holed axes and mace heads are important finds. Bone/Antler: Shuttle pins and awls are largely found like the other contemporary settlements. A single spindle whorl was found. Plenty of awls-pins in deer bone were found in mass in one of the rooms of the building level III. Another example of bone hammer; the function is unknown; was recovered from Degirmentepe. Metal: A copper/bronze pin is the only important metallic find.
Remains:
Interpretation and Dating: R. Duru proposes that the mound had been occupied by insignificant settlements upon comparing the finds of Degirmentepe with the other settlements in the vicinity. The wattle and daub houses were only used in the summer. Although uncertain; the excavator tends to date the building levels IV and III to the midst of EBA and building levels II and I to the end of this age [Duru 1979a:48]. Likewise; C. Marro shares this opinion based on the comparison of the painting decorated ware of this region; but with minor difference of dating the building levels II and I to 2350 BC [Marro 1997:102].


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