KAZı SONUÇLARI - Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığı

the impressions of a straw or reed basket resting on a well preserved surface. Excavationin steps 2 and 3 concentrated on removing topsoil, sub-topsoil and layers of disturbedfill and mud brick collapse. At this point we estimate that the step trench is approximately50 to 60 percent complete. We will attempt to complete the exeavation ofthis unit in during the 2002 field season.Area BDuring the year 2000 field season UTARP team members opened two five by fivemeter trenches inArea B (Parker et aL. 2002a, 2002b). These trenches revealed thatKenan Tepe's main mound contains extensive remains dating to the Early Iron Age (ca.1100-900). In order to increase our exposures to this period we broadened one of ourexisting trenches from a 5 by 5 to a 10 by 10 meter trench in Area B and in Area C weopened two new 10 by 10 meter trenches (see below)._ Trench B4, ournewly widened 10 by 10 meter trench, is characterized by two levelsof stones scattered across the entire northern and eastern parts of the trench.These stones, which appear to have been founded on soft ashy tili, do not seem toform a coherent structure or foundation course. A well preserved oven, securely datedby numerous examples of Early lron Age corrugated wares, was discovered in the centerof the trench west of the stone features resting on the same ashy deposit. Our workinghypothesis is that the rocks may have toppled from a once-coherent structure orlarge wall that lies at least partially outside the trench.Area CDuring the year 2000 field season UTARP team members began two 5 by 5 metertrenches in Area C (trenches C1 and C2). Trench C2 initially produced architecturedated to the Early Iron Age by an abundance of Early lron Age corrugated ceramics.Late in the 2000 season we reached an earlier architectural phase dated by the so-called"Red-Brown Wash Ware" assemblage for which we now have three carbon-14 dates.Trench C1 also produced architecture dated by these ceramics. These findings ledus to open two new 10 by 10 meter trenches in Area C during the 2001 field season(trenches C3 and C4) and to continue work in the 5 by 5 meter trench C2 begun duringthe 2000 field season ( Fig. 2).Early Iron Age remains in this area (trenches C3 and C4) are characterized byseveral tandoor type ovens which are surrounded by earthen work surfaces. Severalof these contexts produced slag samples which are currently being analyzed at OxfordUniversity. A substantial stone wall was discovered traversing the entire length oftrench C3. The foundation of this wall is more than nine meters long and about one meterwide. A similarly large wall was unearthed in trench C4.In trench C2 UTARP team members excavated the northeastern corner of whatappears to be a well built domestic structure (Fig. 3). The archaeoloqical contexts inand around this structure contained large amounts of ceramics belonging to the so-calledRed-Brown Wash Ware assemblage (Fig. 4) and several carbon samples. The carbonsamples, which were taken from three different loci in and around this structure,yielded 2-sigma calibrated carbon dates of 1920 to 1680 B.C. (L2082 KT2584), 1950to 1670 B.C. (L2087 KT2614) and 1940 to 1740 (L2084 KT 2576 [Fig. 5]). These datesthus anehor the Red-Brown Wash Ware assemblage to the period around 1800B.C.Several slag pits and an apparent metal processing area were also discoveredin Area C. Although the analysis of these data is stili underway, remains of copper,bronze and, surprisingly, iron, have been discovered in reliable early second millenniumcontexts. The early date of the iron finds from Kenan Tepe is notable, as is the tactthat the iron slags lack most substances aside from iron and calcium carbonate. it is,3