Anatolian Civilizations and Historical Sites - TEDA

ANATOLIAN CIVILIZATIONS:10x19 antik kentler 8/1/11 10:49 AM Sayfa
cell plan structures have been identified side by side. A sacred
structure, adorned with embossments and sculptures, discovered on
the fourth layer is remarkable.
Göbeklitepe, which is to the south east of fianl›urfa, bears similar
characteristics to Nevali Çori. This settlement which spans a large area
is seemingly a place for devotional visits and has multiple layers. The
two structures here are predicted to be related to a cult. A figure of a
roaring lion on each of the two pillars supporting the hall of the
structure of a later date was carved in the form of low relief. New
excavations have revealed that the Neolithic Age in Anatolia traces
back about two or three thousand years earlier than what was
previously known.
Another Non-Ceramic Neolithic settlement is Gürcütepe in fianl›urfa.
Six houses, which are rectangular-planned and contain two stories,
have been discovered here. After South Eastern Anatolia, the earliest
sedentary communities began to be sighted on Konya Plain and its
surroundings. Among these, Afl›kl›höyük, Musular, Can Hasan III, and
Suberde are the locations which have been best studied. Afl›kl›höyük
near Aksaray K›z›lkaya is dated back to 8000-7500 BC. In this
settlement, where three layers have been identified so far, people
resided in neighborhoods made up of blocks of houses separated by
small courtyards and narrow passages. Houses with adobe walls had
two or three compartments, quadrangular or trapezoid plans, and an
entryway through an opening on the roof. Musular, which is situated
near Afl›kl›höyük and which was a Non-Ceramic Neolithic Age
settlement, is notable with its distinct architecture. Structures having
red-painted floors, rectangular plans and wood pillars, which are
thought to have possessed religious significance, have been found here.
The tumulus of Can Hasan III is the embodiment of the Neolithic Age
in Central Anatolia. Seven building levels have been found here. The
tumulus which is dated to approximately 7500 BC has two-room
houses made from mud walls and without stone foundations, where
walls and floors were daubed with clay. Carved stone tools were mostly
obsidian. Animal bones were used for making needles, spatulas and
beads. Evidently, they valued cultured plants as well as cattle animals.
Suberde, which is in the Lakes Region (Göller Bölgesi), has three
cultural layers while the bottom two layers point to the Neolithic Age.
Some of the houses have stone foundations, where as some are directly
made from adobe walls. The tools, most of which were made from
volcanic glass, include arrow heads, scratchers and sickles. Having
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