Palaeolithic/Epipalaeolithic
Age of Anatolia Turkey
The longest of the cultural periods, beginning from the dawn of humanity until 12,000 before present. We know that during this age, humans were using tools made from pebbles, flintstones, animal bones, wood, etc., and they were living in caves or under rock shelters as 'extended families'. They were accessing 'ready-to-consume' food through hunting and gathering; no food production was taking place yet. Fire was discovered in this age and was being used for cooking, heating and protection from wild animals. One distinguishes Lower, Middle and Upper Palaeolithic subperiods. Epipalaeolithic phase corresponds to times when humans started to control nature, just before the advent of food production.
Yarimburgaz (Istanbul) and
Karain (Antalya) are the most representative examples of the Palaeolithic/Epipalaeolithic sites have been discovered in Anatolia and Thrace.
Neolithic
Age of Anatolia Turkey
During this age the humankind went through a transition from intensive hunting-gathering to food production, from a nomadic existence to settled communities. The Neolithic started around 10,000 BC and it is considered as a "revolutionary" period in human cultural history. During this age, many plants and animals have been domesticated; agriculture has been substituted for gathering and husbandry for hunting. Settled life that came with the food production led to the establishment of villages, and later of cities. Archaeologists divide the Neolithic into the Pre-pottery and Pottery subperiods according the technology of utensils used for the storage and preparation of food. The most significant sites in Anatolia and Thrace (based on artefacts recovered and architectural remains, as well as on the artistic and ritual creativity) are
Çayönü
(Diyabakir), Cafer Höyük (Malatya),
Asikli Höyük
(Aksaray), Kuruçay (Burdur),
Çatalhöyük (Konya) and
Hacilar (Burdur).
Chalcolithic
Age of Anatolia Turkey
The term “Chalcolithic” is made up of two words,
khalkos meaning copper and lithos meaning stone, and is also known as Copper Age due to the use of copper besides stone in tool making technology. Although the recent data has proved that the earliest use of copper dates back to the Pre-pottery Neolithic, it is widely used in this Age. This era is roughly dated to 5,000-3,000 BC and is studied in three stages as Early, Middle and Late
Chalcolithic. Developments as advanced agriculture and animal husbandry accelerated the changes in the social organization of man resulting in proto-urbanization, the establishment of various social groups as priests, craftsmen, etc. and also monumental architecture as temples, ceremonial buildings, defence systems, irrigation systems, long-distance trade, trade of luxurious goods etc. Consequently, such developments ended up with 852 Chalcolithic sites in Anatolia.
Bakla Tepe (Izmir),
Liman Tepe (Izmir),
Hacilar
(Burdur), Beycesultan (Denizli),
Ikiztepe (Samsun),
Alisar (Yozgat),
Domuztepe (Adana),
Yumuktepe (Içel),
Arslantepe (Malatya),
Degirmentepe (Malatya) and
Girikihaciyan (Diyarbakir) are among the important sites of this age to be mentioned.
Early Bronze
Age of Anatolia Turkey
The Early Bronze Age of Anatolia and Thrace covers a period approximately 3.000-2.000 cal. BC. It is characterized by a network of independent city-states cantered on fortified towns and dominated by palaces and temples. During this period new social and religious ideologies, new technologies and modes of production take place. The alloying of copper with tin represents a great step forward in metallurgy. Appearance of cemeteries with rich grave goods of prestige items of gold and silver suggest the existence of division of the society. The Early Bronze Age society developed a long-distance trade which linked the Aegean, Middle East and the Balkans. The Early Bronze Age of Anatolia and Turkish Thrace is divided into 3 phases and it is represented by over a thousand settlements such as
Aslantepe (Malatya),
Alacahöyük (Çorum),
Acemhöyük
(Aksaray), Troya (Çanakkale),
Karaoglan (Ankara),
Alisar (Yozgat),
Karahöyük (Konya),
Kültepe (Kayseri),
Demircihöyük (Eskisehir),
Mahmatlar
(Amasya), Horoztepe
(Tokat),
Ikiztepe (Samsun),
Gözlükule (Tarsus),
Beycesultan
(Denizli), Semsiyetepe (Elazig),
Kuruçay (Burdur).
14C
(Radiocarbon)
The element carbon is present in various archaeological finds uncovered in excavations. These also contain traces of the radioactive isotope
14C (radiocarbon), the density and radioactivity of which can be measured for dating purposes. Since its discovery in 1950, radiocarbon dating has become the principal method by which archaeological, paleobotanical, and geological events of the last fifty thousand years have been definitively dated. All archaeological finds containing traces of carbon can be dated using this method. Items collected for dating are called ‘samples’. Some examples to what can be radiocarbon dated include pieces of wood, charcoal, dried plants, preserved seeds and grains, fabric and strings, animal skin and shells, bones, and food scraps. Note that all of these items are organic in nature (M. Ozbakan).
Archaeology in Anatolia
(Turkey-Türkiye)
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Palaeolithic, Neolithic, Chalcolithic
Yarimburgaz
Karain
Gaziantep Area, Hatay
Tigris Area Survey
Çayönü
Nevali Çori
Asikli Höyük
Ceramic Neolithic: Kösk Höyük-Nigde
Coskuntepe
Marmara Ereglisi-Toptepe
Ilipinar
Höyücek
Kuruçay
Burdur-Senirkent Area
Eskisehir
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Bronze Age Sites
Kültepe
Bogazköy
Çorum Area
Alaca Hüyük
Balibagi-Çankiri
Ikiztepe
Acemhöyük
Karaman-Eregli Area
Porsuk
Kaman-Kalehöyük
Karahöyük-Konya
Kütahya-Bilecik-Eskisehir
Troy
Besiktepe
Troad
Arslantepe-Malatya
Oylum-Hüyük
Girnavaz
Harran
Van-Dilkaya
Bayburt-Kelkit
- Euphrates Area, Salvage Excavations
Samsat
Tille
Ikiztepe
Çavi Tarlasi
Semsiyetepe
- Euphrates and Tigris Area Survey
Metallurgy
Taurus Mountains
Acemhöyük
Tepecik and Tülintepe
Malatya-Arslantepe
Weapons
- Dendrochronology
- Minoan and Mycenaean Sites and Finds
Kas-Uluburun
Cape Gelidonya
Panaztepe
Gavurtepe-Alasehir (Philadelphia)
Troy
Urartu
Van
Altintepe
- Neo-Hittite and Phrygian Sites
Karatepe
Malpinar
Kaman-Kalehöyük
Gordion
Gordion, Mama Deresi
Gordion, Kizlarkayasi
Phrygian Art
- Classical, Hellenistic, and Roman Sites
Pamphylia, Pisidia
Perge
Side
Sagalassus
Lycia
Xanthos-Letoon
Patara
Limyra
Arycanda
Caria
Iasos
Labraunda
Alabanda
Datça Peninsula
Knidos
Nysa
Aphrodisias
Ionia
Miletus
Didyma
Herakleia under Latmos
Magnesia on the Maeander
Ephesus
Klaros
Metropolis-Torbali
Klazomenai
Lydia
Sardis
Aeolis-Mysia
Pergamon
Phocaea
Kyme
Troad
Troy
Assos
Smintheion-Gülpinar
Propontis-Thrace-Bithynia
Prokonnesos: Saraylar
Daskyleion
Kyzikos
Phrygia
Aizanoi
Pessinus
Amorium
Docimium
Hierapolis
Cappadocia
Kayseri Tumuli
Cilicia
Meydancik
Kelenderis
Rock Reliefs
Tarsus: Donuk Tas
Pontus
Satala
References and Useful Links
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Archaeological
Settlements (Sites) of Anatolia Turkey-TAY
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Dept. of Archaeology-Hacettepe University
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Dept. of Archaeology-Ankara University
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University of New
England-Current Archaeology in Turkey
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Anatolian Iron Age Ceramics
Project
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Archaelogy's Interactive Dig
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Deutsches
Archaologisches Institut
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Osterreichisches
Archaologisches Institut
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Ausgrabungen in
Milet
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Misart Italy
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Project Troia
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Hattuscha
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The Neolithic site of Çatalhöyük
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Acemhoyuk
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UNESCO's Memory of the World
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Unesco World Heritage List
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Unesco World Heritage List-Turkey
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The Page of Nazli Evrim Serifoglu
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Archaeology
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Archaeology Dictionary - Index
- Institutum Turcicum-Scientiae
Antiquitatis (Tűrk Eskiçağ Bilimler Ensititüsi-TEBE)
- TEBE Useful Links
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TransAnatolie Tour
- A - Group
License N°4938 - The Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism
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