Located in a fertile plain in Aydın, Türkiye, Tepecik Mound continues to be excavated under the direction of Prof. Dr. Sevinç Günel from the Department of Archaeology at Hacettepe University in 2004. According to the results obtained, the mound was inhabited until 7,500 years ago and agricultural products and obsidian were traded. During this year’s excavations uncovered a palace or temple-like structure and a granary with grain jars.
The remains inside the grain jars in the structure, which is thought to belong to the period of the Arzava or Mira Kingdom, a country affiliated to the Hittite Kingdom between 1350-1300 BC, will be subjected to archaeobotanical examination.
The excavations continue in layers as Tepecik Mound, which has been identified as the oldest settlement in the Aydın region, has been home to uninterrupted life for thousands of years. The settlement and cultural layers of the 2000s BC are being excavated at the mound, while remains of Late Bronze Age architecture were found during the work in the south of the settlement.
Prof. Dr. Sevinç Günel told AA; “The mound actually has a very long-lasting settlement process and we are currently excavating the second thousand BC settlement culture layer. In this area, architectural remains, a magnificent wall structure and finds from the 13th century BC, which we call the Late Bronze Age, were unearthed. Unlike the previous years, we come across a very thick and magnificent masonry technique in the architecture and it seems to be a very large structure. According to our first predictions, I can say that it belongs to a public building. Large pithoi were found associated with this structure, and these pithoi functioned entirely as warehouses. Therefore, we are working in a storage area belonging to a magnificent, public structure.”
“It is reminiscent of the remains of a building with a special meaning in the archaeology of Asia Minor, such as palace or temple architecture. We are at the beginning for now. We can speak more clearly when we expand in the area.”
Excavations in previous years had revealed that Tepecik was a trade center for obsidian used in tool and weapon making and agricultural products. The grain jars found this year also point to a storage system under the control of the local administration and a vibrant agricultural economy.
“Soil analysis has shown that barley and wheat were stored in Tepecik during this period.” She said.