Turkey: Survey in the Kilis Province

Systematic archaeological surveying of the complete province in a cooperation between the Istanbul Section of the German Archaeological Institute and the Archaeological Department of the Hacettepe University Ankara.

Archaeological survey in connection with the excavations at Oylum Höyük

Location

Kilis Province used to form the southern part of the province of Gaziantep and is in-dependent since 1994. It comprises the southern foothills of the Taurus mountains west of the Euphrates and the northern edge of the Syrian plain.

Objectives

Registration of all monuments that were either visible above ground or could be detected via extensive surveying, in order to reconstruct the regional settlement history throughout all periods. With regard to the related Oylum Höyük excavations, Bronze Age sites were thereby at the focus of attention. 

History of Research

John Garstang was the first archaeologist who visited Kilis in 1906 and bought several antiques in the local bazaar. During the 1960's, U. B. Alkım conducted archaeological prospections by travelling the area on horseback. A first registration of monuments in the complete Gaziantep Province was finally provided in 1970 by an Italian mission. Systematic surveying in the Kilis plain was again initiated in 1984/85 by Engin Özgen.
Since 1994 Kilis is the capital of an independent province. This has led to a dramatic increase in construction activities and with it, the destruction of numerous settlement mounds and other monuments. A full registration of the cultural inventory of the province is therefore even the more urgent.  

Previous Activities

In a first phase of extensive surveying, an inventory of visible archaeological sites and monuments throughout the province was established.  

Current Work

Following the extensive survey, selected research objectives will be studied in greater detail. First, an intensive walking survey along the Akpınar River should allow us to understand whether the settlement mounds registered in the extensive survey are representative for the Bronze Age settlement system, and whether not, at the same time, flat settlement and other, so far undetermined forms of settlement existed. Additionally, selected periods (Palaeolithic, Classical to Byzantine) will be treated separately by the respective specialists.  

Methods

The first project phase was an extensive, largely car-based survey. Visible ruins and monuments were documented and find material was collected from all of the surface. Additionally, the vicinity of the sites was subject to intensive walking survey. 

Results

At the end of the first project phase, 145 archaeological sites have been registered.Numerous palaeolithic stations are found especially on the edge of the upper basalt terrace above the Kilis plain. They mostly date to the Middle Papaeolithic, Upper Palaeolithic and Epipalaeolithic are missing so far. The Neolithic is represented by one single site with a pre-pottery neolithic occupation. Also the following Halaf, Ubaid and Late Chalcolithic periods are not well represented in the record. SIte taphonomy may explain this pattern: basalt is the major construction material in this area, and settlement mounds formed from basalt rubble have a well sealed surface, so that old material tends to be underrepresented.The Early Bronze Age brings a sudden increase in the number of sites, many of them being robbed stone cist cemeteries. The Middle Bronze Age is equally well repressented. The following periods are archaeologically less well known, hence a secure identification of Late Bronze and Iron Age assemblages is more difficult. This is the reason why these settlements may again be underrepresented in the record.In the hellenistic period, the region was densely settled, and for the first time is a system of interelated watch towers and small fortresses established. During the pax romana the area was considerably prosperous, and numerous small sites represent wealthy farmsteads. During the byzantine time finally, flat settlements and slope settlements are the preferred settlement type. 

Cooperation

The project has been carried out in cooperation with the Archaeology Department of the Hacettepe University (Prof. Dr. Engin Özgen, Dr. Atilla Engin). Since 2003, the Liverpool University is responsible for suvreying and planning of "Hellenistic castles and hilltop sites". 

Contact

Dr. phil. Barbara Helwing

Iranische Altertumskunde
Telefon: 03018-7711-311
Telefax: 03018-7711-313
Email: eurasien@dainst.de
Further Email Addresses: daiteheran@yahoo.de

Further Contact Partners

Prof. Dr. Engin Özgen, Hacettepe Üniversitesi, Edebiyat Fakültesi, Arkeoloji Bölümü, 06532 Beytepe - Ankara, Türkei. email: eiozgen@bilkent.edu.tr
Dr. Atilla Engin, Hacettepe Üniversitesi, Edebiyat Fakültesi, Arkeoloji Bölümü, 06532 Beytepe - Ankara, Türkei. email: enginatilla@hotmail.com
Dr. Alan Greaves, School of Archaeology, Classics and Egyptology, University of Liverpool, L22 5NZ Liverpool, UK. email: greaves@liv.ac.uk

Sponsors

2000-present: Turkish Ministery of Culture, General Directorate for Antiquities and Museums.
2000 -2002: German Archaeological Institute, Istanbul Section  

Bibliography

E. Özgen/B. Helwing/A. Engin, The Oylum Regional Project: Archaeological Prospection 2000. Araştırma Sonuçları Toplantısı 19/2, 2002, 217-228.

E. Özgen/B. Helwing/L. Herling/A. Engin, The Oylum Regional Project: Archaeological Prospection 2001. Araştırma Sonuçları Toplantısı 20/2, 2003, 151-157.