Archaeo-geophysical Investigations in Ahlat Seljuk Square Cemetery, Bitlis, Eastern Anatolia TURKIYE

Year 2023, Volume: 10 Issue: 3, 15 - 23, 30.09.2023

Aydın Büyüksaraç Mehmet Kulaz Özcan Bektaş Oktay Dumankaya Yunus Levent Ekinci Sinan Koşaroğlu

https://doi.org/10.30897/ijegeo.1269913

Abstract

Geophysical methods are used in archaeological sites to determine buried remains. Thus, these methods assist archaeological excavation strategies. Archaegeophysical methods are basically based on measuring the physical parameter contrast between the buried archaeological remains and the covering environment. In this study, magnetic and ground penetrating radar methods were applied as geophysical methods in order to contribute to excavation planning. The study area is a historical cemetery and has been used as an interment for about 1000 years. With the information obtained from the field, the research depth was planned not to exceed 3 meters in general, but up to 10 meters of information was produced. The study was carried out to determine possible graves in the area outside the walls of Meydan Cemetery in Ahlat (Bitlis) district. After some data-processing applications to the data of the study areas, magnetic and ground penetrating radar anomaly maps were produced and possible excavation sites were determined.

Keywords

Ahlat, Seljuk Cemetery, Archaeogeophysics, Magnetic, Ground Penetrating Radar

Supporting Institution

Bitlis Eren Üniversitesi Bilimsel Araştırma Projeleri Birimi

Project Number

BEBAP 2016.01

Thanks

We would like to thank Bitlis Eren University Scientific Research Projects Unit for their support.

References

• Ackerman, D., Weisberg, S.B. (2003). Relationship between rainfall and beach bacterial concentrations on Santa Monica Bay Beaches. Journal of Water Health, 1(2), 85-90.
• Cupples, A.M., Xagorarki, I., Rose, J. (2010). New molecular methods for detection of woterbone pathogens. In:
• Mitchell, R., Gu, J.D. (Eds.), Environmental Microbiology (pp. 150-211), New Jersey, NJ: Wiley-Blackwell.
• Arısoy, M.Ö., Koçak, Ö., Büyüksaraç, A., Bilim, F. (2007). Images of buried graves in Bayat, Afyon (Turkey) from high resolution magnetic data and their comparison with preliminary excavations. Journal of Archaeological Science, 34(9), 1473–1484
• Avşar, A.O., Güleç, A. (2019). Ahlat Selçuklu Meydan Mezarlığı Mezar Taşları Analiz Çalışmaları ve Konservasyon Önerileri. Restorasyon ve Konservasyon Çalışmaları Dergisi, 22, 3–16.
• Balkaya, Ç., Kalyoncuoglu, U.Y., Ozhanli, M., Merter, G., Cakmak, O., Guven, I.T. (2018). Ground-penetrating radar and electrical resistivity tomography studies in the biblical Pisidian Antioch city, southwest Anatolia. Archaeological Prospection, 25, 285–300.
• Balkaya, Ç., Ekinci, Y.L., Çakmak, O., Blömer, M., Arnkens, J., Kaya, M.A. (2021). A challenging archaeo-geophysical exploration through GPR and ERT surveys on the Keber Tepe, City Hill of Doliche, Commagene (Gaziantep, SE Turkey). Journal of Applied Geophysics, 186, 104272.
• Büyüksaraç, A., Bilim, F., Ateş, A., Bektaş, Ö. (2006). Investigation of magnetic surveying data of buried grave jars in Harmanoren Necropolis (Turkey) using linear transformations and analytic signal. Journal of Archaeological Science, 33(7), 910–920.
• Büyüksaraç, A., Arısoy, M.Ö., Bektaş, Ö., Koçak, Ö., Çay, T. (2008). Determination of grave locations in Dedemezari Necropolis using magnetic field derivatives. Archaeological Prospection, 15(4), 267–283.
• Büyüksaraç, A., Eser, E., Bektaş, Ö., Akay, B., Koşaroğlu, S. (2013). Surface geophysical investigations and preliminary excavations at the Divriği Citadel, Sivas (Turkey). Mediterranean Archaeology and Archaeometry, 13(1), 119–126.
• Büyüksaraç, A., Yalçıner, C.Ç. Ekinci, Y.L., Demirci, A., Yücel, M.A. (2014a). Geophysical investigations at Agadere Cemetery, Gallipoli Peninsular, NW Turkey. Australian Journal of Forensic Sciences, 46(1), 111–123.
• Büyüksaraç, A., Sayılır, B., Yalçıner, C.Ç., Bektaş, Ö., Kurban, Y.C., Topçu, M.İ. (2014b). Geophysical Investigation of Buried Cannons in Kumkale (Dardanelles), Turkey. Journal of Mediterranean Archaeology and Archaeometry, 14(1), 291–299.
• Conyers, L.B. (2014). Interpreting ground-penetrating radar for archaeology; Routledge, Taylor and Francis Group.
• Çilingiroǧlu, A. (2007). Urartu Argişti oğlu Kral Rusa: bir başarı öyküsü. TUBA-AR, 10, 73–89. Ekinci, Y.L., Kaya, M.A. (2006). Manyetik verilerde sınır analizi yöntemi kullanarak gömülü arkeolojik yapı sınırlarının tanımlanması. Yerbilimleri, 27(2), 97–107.
• Ekinci, Y.L., Kaya, M.A. (2007). 3D resistivity imaging of buried tombs at the Parion Necropolis (NW Turkey). Journal of the Balkan Geophysical Society, 10 (2), 1–8.
• Ekinci, Y.L., Kaya, M.A., Başaran, C., Kasapoğlu, H., Demirci, A., Durgut, C. (2012). Geophysical imaging survey in the south necropolis at the ancient city of Parion (Kemer-Biga), Northwestern Anatolia, Turkey: preliminary results. Mediterranean Archaeology and Archaeometry, 12(2), 145–157.
• Ekinci, Y.L., Balkaya, Ç., Şeren, A., Kaya, M.A., Lightfoot, C. (2014). Geomagnetic and geoelectrical prospection for buried archaeological remains on the upper city of Amorium, a Byzantine city in Midwestern Turkey. Journal of Geophysics and Engineering, 11(1), 015012.
• Ekinci, Y.L., Çevik, A., Dölek, İ. (2022). Malazgirt savaş alanının tespiti kapsamında elektrik özdirenç tomografi çalışmaları. Kültürel Miras Araştırmaları, 3 (2), 50–55.
• Ekinci, R., Büyüksaraç, A., Ekinci, Y.L., Işık, E. (2020). Bitlis ilinin doğal afet çeşitliliğinin değerlendirilmesi. Doğal Afetler ve Çevre Dergisi, 6 (1), 1–12.
• Ertekin, C., Ekinci, Y.L., Büyüksaraç, A., Ekinci, R. (2021). Geoheritage in a mythical and volcanic terrain: an ınventory and assesment study for geopark and geotourism, Nemrut Volcano (Bitlis, Eastern Turkey). Geoheritage, 13, 73.
• Gündüz, S. (2020). Adilcevaz Sualtı Araştırmaları. Uluslararası Türkçe Edebiyat Kültür Eğitim Dergisi, 9(3), 1288–1300.
• Işıklı, M., Gündüz, S., Ocak, H. (2019). Ayanis Kalesi sahilinde sualtı çalışmalarına dair ön rapor. 36. Araştırma Sonuçları Toplantısı, 2, 235–243.
• Işık, E., Aydın, M. C., Bakış, A., Özlük, M. H. (2012). Bitlis ve civarındaki faylar ve bölgenin depremselliği. BEÜ Fen Bilimleri Dergisi, 1(2), 153–169.
• Işık, E., Harirchian, E. (2022). A comparative probabilistic seismic hazard analysis for eastern Turkey (Bitlis) based on updated hazard map and its effect on regular rc structures. Buildings 12, 1573.
• Kafesoğlu, İ. (1949). Ahlat ve çevresinde, 1945’te yapılan tarihi ve arkeolojik tedkîk seyahati raporu. İstanbul Üniversitesi Edebiyat Fakültesi Tarih Dergisi, 1(1), 167–200.
• Karamağaralı, B. (1992). Ahlat mezar taşları. Türk Tarih Kurumu Basımevi-Ankara. Kaya, M.A., Ulugergerli, E., Karlık, G., Kaya, C., Ekinci, Y.L, Akca, İ., Doğan, M., Gündoğdu, Y. (2004). Assos (Ayvacık, Çanakkale) Antik Kentinde Arkeojeofizik Uygulamalar (DAÖ, VLF-EM ve GEORADAR), Türkiye 16. Uluslararası Jeofizik Kongre ve Sergisi, 411–414, Ankara.
• Kaya, M.A., Ekinci, Y.L., Yiğit, P., Lightfoot, C.S. (2007). Magnetic investigation at the Amorium archaeological site, Emirdağ, Afyonkarahisar, Turkey. Journal of the Balkan Geophysical Society, 10 (1), 1–7.
• Kılıç, O. (1999). XVI. yüzyılda Adilcevaz ve Ahlat (1534-1605). Tamga Yayıncılık, Ankara.
• Koşaroğlu, S., Kamacı, Z., Erdoğan, S., Bektaş, Ö., Büyüksaraç, A. (2022). Determination of historical graves by ground penetrating radar method: Sakarya Field Battle. Australian Journal of Forensic Sciences. DOI: 10.1080/00450618.2021.1921270.
• Köroğlu, K., Konyar, E. (2005). Van Gölü Havzası’nda Erken Demir Çağı Problemi. Arkeoloji ve Sanat, 119, 25–38. Özfırat, A. (1988). 1997 Yılı Bitlis-Muş Yüzey Araştırması: Tunç ve Demir Çağları. Araştırma Sonuçları Toplantısı, 16(2), 1–22.
• Smekalova, T. N., Voss, O., Smekalov, S. L. (2008). Magnetic surveying in archaeology. More than 10 years of using the Overhauser GSM-19 gradiometer. Wormianum.
• Top, M. (2013). Adilcevaz Kalesi: Ortaçağ ve Osmanlı mimari dokusu üzerine gözlemler. O. Belli, V. E. Belli (Ed.), I. Uluslararası Ahlat - Avrasya Kültür ve Sanat Sempozyumu (ss. 123–132).
• Yılmaz, Y., Soycan, A. (2022). The Detection of the Buried Pipes Using GPR in Utility Works: A Case Study. International Journal of Environment and Geoinformatics, 9(4), 124-137. doi. 10.30897/ijegeo.1091852
• Yiğitpaşa, D., Can, S. (2010). Van müzesi buluntuları ışığında Van-Muş bölgesinde Erken Tunç Çağı ve Karaz kültürü. Uluslararası Sosyal Araştırmalar Dergisi, 5(20), 69–93.
• Yılmaz, S., Balkaya, Ç., Cakmak, O., Oksum, E. (2019). GPR and ERT explorations at the archaeological site of Kilic village (Isparta, SW Turkey). Journal of Applied Geophysics, 170, 103859.