Preliminary Report for the Years 2000 and 2001 on the Excavations at Bademağacı

Abstract

The excavation work at Bademağacı during the Years 2000 and 2001 was continued primarily on Clearing A in the north half of the site mound. Investigation into the church situated at the peak was completed in the year 2000. In the excavation season of 2001, work was begun on a newclearıng (Clearing D) measuring10 x 20 m, situated in the area between Clearing A and the church. Increasing the depth of the excavation of Clearing A the ground level was reached at -8.7 m. At the conclusion of the investigation in the central portion of the tumulus a total of 12 structural levels of Early Neolithic Age (ENA) settlements were identified. At the earliest structural level, ENA 9, no construction remains were recovered. At ENA Level 8, a hardened floor made of lime and mortar was encountered. No structure of any kind was associated with this surface. In the settlements in the upper ENA structural levels (4B, 4A, 4, 3A, 3, and 2) a single chamber dwelling type with mudbrick walls and an interior oven, of which a great number of structures on identical plan were uncovered. The recovery among the debris of ENA 2 structural level of a wall fragment with red painted decoration may be interpreted as an indication that certain buildings possessed a privileged status. ENA settlement were rich in terms of ceramics and small finds. Particularly a mother goddess figure from the late phases of the ENA and two seals (pintadera) made of clay. Extreme significance is assigned to the goal of understanding the relations between the Neolithic at Bademağacı Neolithic and at the sites of Hacılar, Höyücek, and Çatal Höyük. Early Bronze Age (EBA) settlements were located by executing smallscale soundings. EBA 5, EBA 4, EBA 3 settlements displayed no advances in regard to their architecture. The digging to enlarge Clearing A on the south side led to the recovery of some types of ceramic made on the wheel and of a group of metal finds, which may be assigned to the last stages of the EBA and Middle Bronze Age (MBA) on the basis of comparative material. Because no architectural remains have yet come to light in the EBA III and MBA settlements in Clearing A, it becomes necessary to explain the presence of finds of this late phase by adducing that they were somehow introduced from the settlements in the unexcavated portions of the tumulus.