Early Bronze Age
The Early Bronze Age remains at Çaltılar Höyük have been studied in excavations carried out in the north and south of the plain and on the northeastern slope of the mound. It has been found that the 10 m part of the northern cone of the mound, which is 11 meters above the plain, consists of Early Bronze Age layers. These strata currently form eight layers (IV.0-7). However, at the bottom is IV.7. architectural layer and V.0 from the Late Chalcolithic Period excavated on the northeastern skirt of the mound. Based on the data that the fill between the architectural layers also belongs to the Early Bronze Age, it is certain that the number of architectural layers dating to the Early Bronze Age is higher.
The north and northeast part of Çaltılar Höyük
The oldest of these layers is IV.7. It is an architectural layer. In this architectural layer a glacis surrounding the settlement was excavated. It was observed that the glacis, consisting of collected stones of different sizes, surrounded the lower part of the slope of the mound at an angle of 45°, the lowest part was at the beginning of the slope and sat on the Late Chalcolithic settlement. Although the thickness of this glacis, which can be observed from the surface along the slope of the mound, is weak in the excavated area, it is believed to have been thicker than the stones in the piles at the bottom of the skirt. During the excavations carried out on the slope to the south of the upper part of the glacis, holes belonging to tree plantations, a small number of pieces of mud (pisé) with tree branch/reed negatives on them, a floor with very small stones and a destroyed plastered floor were unearthed. From the ruins in question, it was understood that the walls of the buildings in this section were formed by filling vertically stuck trees and branches with straw-added mud (wattle and daub technique). When the positions of the floors and the holes of the tree plantings are examined together, it can be seen that they belong to at least two rooms and that these structures are quadrangular. It seems to be planned. Among these rooms, the one in the west, which has a stone floor, has hand-made light brown, reddish brown and black self-lined materials with terracotta beads, bone beads, stone hammers, flint blades and bone spatulas; red and reddish brown real coated bowls, jars, jugs, lids and fragments of Cycladic pans were unearthed. A terracotta stamp seal, radiolarite cores, Central Anatolian obsidian and flint blades, and a piece of slag were excavated from the room with a plastered floor to the east of this site. The fragments of Cycladic pan found at the base of these structures reveal the overseas relations of the settlement; obsidian blades of Central Anatolian origin are important as they show that the settlement continued its relations with the Central Anatolian region since the Late Chalcolithic.
Northeastern slope of Çaltılar Höyük, Early Bronze Age IV.7. stone glacis surrounding the architectural layer settlement
Northeastern slope of Çaltılar Höyük, Early Bronze Age IV.7. stone glacis surrounding the architectural layer settlement
Northeastern slope of Çaltılar Höyük,
Early Bronze Age IV.7. Terracotta seal found in the architectural layer
Early Bronze Age IV. 6-1. Architectural layers were identified in narrow areas on the northeastern slope. In these architectural layers, fragments of small stones, compacted soil and white lime floors, holes belonging to the tree plantations of the walls made with the wattle and daub technique, and pieces of pisé with tree-branch/reed negatives on them were unearthed. In addition, IV.6. From the burnt pieces of pisé, stones and small finds found in the architectural layer, it was understood that this layer settlement suffered a major fire.
Northeastern slope of Çaltılar Höyük, Early Bronze Age IV.7. stone glacis surrounding the architectural layer settlement
Northeastern slope of Çaltılar Höyük Early Bronze Age IV.6. uncovered in the architectural layer terracotta miniature pot
Northeastern slope of Çaltılar Höyük Early Bronze Age IV.1. uncovered in the architectural layer terracotta jug
IV.0, which represents the last phase of the Early Bronze Age. It has been studied in larger areas in the architectural layer. The excavations carried out on the northeastern slope showed that the settlement of this phase was surrounded by a stone glacis, which had different phases. It was determined that larger stones were used in the late phase of this glacis. The excavations carried out on the plain of the mound, to the south and southwest of the glacis, have identified four areas belonging to this phase. These spaces have common stone walls. Many containers were unearthed in situ, from the areas to the south of the glacis to the area to the east. The character of the containers indicates that this area was used as a warehouse. The findings in the area to the west, of which the southwestern part has been partially excavated, indicate that the purpose of this area was different.
Northeastern slope of Çaltılar Höyük, Early Bronze Age IV.0. architecture of the architectural layer settlement
Northeastern slope of Çaltılar Höyük, Early Bronze Age IV.0. terracotta jug belonging to the architectural layer
Northeastern slope of Çaltılar Höyük, Early Bronze Age IV.0. terracotta cup
from the architectural layer
The two areas, located southwest of the glacis and north of the plain of the mound, are connected by a gate. There is another doorway that provides access to the western area from the north. Fragments of closed vessels were found at the bottom of the walls of these places, which were destroyed in the Archaic Period, and a necked vessel with groove decoration was found in the doorway, which definitely came from another settlement in Çaltılar Höyük, Western Anatolia.
The north of the hill plain of Çaltılar Höyük, Early Bronze Age IV.0. architecture of the architectural layer settlement
Other remains belonging to the IV.0. architectural layer were unearthed during excavations to the south of the hill plain of the mound. Due to the narrowness of the excavated area, it is not yet known to which type of structure the holes in the tree plantations identified during the studies in this area belong. However, it was observed that the holes located in the south of the mentioned area and very close to each other had larger diameters than those excavated on the northeastern slope, and the hole spaces sloped from north to south. Based on the slope in question, it can be said that these holes form the south wall of a building. To the north of these round holes, holes belonging to tree plantations with an almost rectangular cross section were excavated. It is not yet known what kind of architecture these holes belong to. The ceramics found in connection with this site include pieces of bowls, spouted jugs, and tankard-type vessels.
The south of the hill plain of Çaltılar Höyük, Early Bronze Age IV.0. architecture of the architectural layer settlement