In the Light of New Evidence A View on Iron Age Pottery of Central Black Sea Region

Year 2003, Issue: 24, 1 - 17, 01.05.2003

Ş. Dönmez

https://doi.org/10.1501/andl_0000000293

Abstract

The ongoing excavations during the recent years in Anatolia, like Yassıhöyük/Gordion, Boğazköy-Büyükkaya and Kaman-Kalehöyük, clearly have shown that the period named as the Dark Age started with the collapse of the Hittite Empire around 1190 BC together with the end of the Late Bronze Age. This in fact was an early part of the Iron Ages and must be named as the Early Iron Age (1190-850 BC). During the surveys and excavations in Central Black Sea Region, neither in my time nor before me, no pottery was found that demonstrated Early Iron Age characteristics. In spite of this, M. Özsait and N. Özsait, conducting surveys since 1986 in the Central Black Sea Region, suggest that some potsherds found at some sites in Samsun and Amasya provinces must be dated to Early Iron Age. M. Özsait and N. Özsait dated some of the potsherds that were found at those settlements to Early Iron Age because of these potsherds have red painted decoration and faceted appearance. They look like Boğazköy-Büyükkaya Early Iron Age samples, so these potsherds must have been made by the culture in close relations with under the Hittite Cultural area, possibly Ghaska People. Unfortunately, when we look at these potsherds from a standpoint of the technical structure, shape and decoration, that M. Özsait and N. Özsait claim to be in close relation with Boğazköy-Büyükkaya samples, one cannot see a difference from Central Black Sea and Central Anatolia Middle and Late Iron Age samples. The entire hypothesis mentioned above, based on red and brown triangle motives painted pottery was said to have been found side by side at the Boğazköy/Büyükkaya together with Late Bronze Age pottery. H. Genz claimed that pottery carries Early and Middle Bronze Ages tradition of Anatolia. They do not come outside of Anatolia and are related to Ghaska as a possibility. H. Genz’s hypothesis opens the argument. Argument can be based on two reasons. One of them is if Boğazköy-Büyükkaya dotted triangle pottery carries the tradition of painted Early and Middle Bronze Age pottery, why would it not continue into the Hittite Empire Age. In the case with the above being correct the Hittite Empire Age lasted only 300 years. Also that means there is a 300 year of discontinuity for this type of pottery. Secondly, H. Genz points out the area that this tradition lived as Ghaska cultural area. But we have learned from Hittite texts that Ghaska People lived in the North of Central Anatolia which means the West and Central Black Sea Region. In Central Anatolia we have two main traditions in the Early and Middle Bronze Age pottery such as the Intermediate and Alişar III. Except one sample from Maşat Höyük, there is no pottery found of those traditions in West and Central Black Sea Region. So it is understood that Black Sea Mountains provided a natural boundary for Intermediate and specially Alişar III pottery traditions. We can safely say that under today’s archaeological data there is no pottery tradition in the West and Central Black Sea Region of Early and Middle Bronze Age that can be used for the Boğazköy-Büyükkaya decorated pottery. Under the light of all these evolutions we can say that both H. Genz and M. Özsait’s hypotheses do not stand on strong foundations. Similar situation like Boğazköy-Büyükkaya is seen at Yassıhöyük/Gordion. Together with coarse Late Bronze Age pottery, hand made Early Iron Age pottery group was also found. In both cases a new group of pottery was found together with Late Bronze Age group. Only difference at Boğazköy-Büyükkale undecorated pottery found together with painted ones. The change at Yassıhöyük/Gordion can be explained with Thraco-Phrygian migrations. However, Boğazköy-Büyükkaya located more east than Yassıhöyük/Gordion toward the middle of Anatolia, so it is accepted that it is not a result of migration out of Anatolia. I think, the change at Boğazköy-Büyükkale Early Iron Age pottery reflects a migration as it happened at Hisarlıktepesi/Troia, Yassıhöyük/Gordion and Kaman-Kalehöyük. In this case the identity of migrated people is open to discussion. However, I think Early Iron Age pottery found at BoğazköyBüyükkaya relates more so to the people from Sivas Region than Ghaska Region of which no material remains have been found yet. Because Sivas Region had strong traditions of Intermediate and Alişar III painted pottery, surveys in these last years reported that the pottery resembles the Boğazköy-Büyükkale and Kaman-Kalehöyük Early Iron Age samples. Consequently, I have to report that without an excavation of a settlement with Late Bronze Age and Iron Age layers in Central Black Sea Region, such as Oymaağaç Höyük in Vezirköprü District in Samsun Province or Oluz Höyük in Central District and Gediksaray Höyüğü in Göynücek District in Amasya Province no definite answer can be given to this problem

YENİ BULGULARIN IŞIĞINDA ORTA KARADENİZ BÖLGESİ DEMİR ÇAĞI ÇANAK-ÇÖMLEĞİNE BİR BAKIŞ

Abstract

Orta Karadeniz Bölgesi’nde Demir Çağı ile
ilgili ilk araştırma 1906 yılında Müze-i Hümayun (bugünkü İstanbul Arkeoloji Müzeleri) adına Th. Macridy tarafından önemli bir Geç
Demir Çağı kalesi olan Akalan/Pteria'da gerçekleştirilmiş kazıdır
1
. 1945 yılında E.
Akurgal, T. Özgüç, N. Özgüç ve Y.
Boysal'dan oluşan bir ekibin Zile'nin 20 km
güneybatısında bulunan Maşat Höyük'teki ilk
kazı çalışmasını yapmasından sonra burasının
Demir Çağı’nda yerleşim görmüş önemli bir
merkez olduğu anlaşılmıştır
2
. 1952 yılında R.
Temizer başkanlığında bir ekip Tokat'ın Artova ilçesi sınırları içindeki Yenice Köyü (eski
Ayazmayeni) civarındaki Kayapınar Höyüğü'nde kısa süreli bir kazı çalışması gerçekleştirmiş ve burada boya bezekli ve bezeksiz
Demir Çağı kapları ele geçmiştir3
. 1951-1953
yılları arasında Sinop'ta E. Akurgal, A. Erzen
ve L. Budde tarafından yapılan çalışmalar sonucunda4
kent merkezinde bazı boya bezekli
Geç Demir Çağı testileri bulunmuştur. Orta
Anadolu’dan ithal olduğu düşünülen Geç
Phryg stilinde bu testiler Attika küçük kaseleri
ile birlikte bulunmaları nedeniyle M.Ö. 560-
550 yıllarına tarihlenmişlerdir

Keywords

ORTA KARADENİZ, DEMİR ÇAĞI, ÇANAK-ÇÖMLEK