@article{article_1708008, title={Outline of Elmacıktepe Mound (Bafra Plain, Samsun) in the Chalcolithic Age}, journal={PROPONTICA}, volume={3}, pages={273–287}, year={2025}, DOI={10.56170/propontica.1708008}, author={Özbilgin, Cahide Gizem and Türker, Atila and Çizikci, Semih Yaşar}, keywords={Anadolu, Karadeniz, Bafra Ovası, Kalkolitik Çağ, Elmacıktepe, Yüzey Araştırması}, abstract={ABSTRACT
This article focuses on the Chalcolithic finds uncovered at the Elmacıktepe
Mound, examined during the archaeological surface surveys conducted in the Bafra
Plain between 2017 and 2019. With its diameter and elevation, Elmacıktepe is
one of the largest mounds in the Black Sea Region. The surface survey employed a
restricted area method, which revealed that Chalcolithic ceramics and small finds
were concentrated on the western slope of the mound. The ceramic assemblage is
dominated by local characteristics, primarily consisting of dark-faced burnished
and unburnished wares. These are followed by vessels with light/dark brown and
red surface colors. Vessel forms range from bowls and dishes to jars, some featuring
lug handles, short necks, or no necks at all. Decorations executed in white paint on
dark backgrounds, as well as incised and excised relief motifs, represent the most
conspicuous indicators of interaction with Central and Western Anatolia during
the Chalcolithic period. This also suggests that the settlement may have participated
in cultural exchanges or shared production traditions. Small finds include
stone weights, stone adzes, a marble bracelet fragment and blade, grinding stones,
a chipped stone assemblage, and terra-cotta biconical sling bullets, all recovered
from the western slope. However, the site’s location and the presence of stone tools
suggest that a period of conflict may have occurred in the region. Together, these
findings reflecting diversity in production, subsistence strategies, and cultural interaction
demonstrate that Elmacıktepe was a significant settlement in the Middle
and Late Chalcolithic periods. Given its potential for Black Sea and Chalcolithic
studies, including Elmacıktepe among the targets of systematic excavation would
be of strategic importance.}, number={6}, publisher={Ondokuz Mayıs Üniversitesi}