I am grateful to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Directorate of Antiquities and Museums for the permission to continue the survey in this region. Our representative was our beloved colleague and friend the archaeologist Mr. Mahmut Altuncan from the Ereğli Museum (Konya), I am endlessly grateful for his support, friendship and advices. The members of the 2019 survey were: Muhip Çarkı (PhD candidate Koç University, Department of Archaeology and History of Art), Zeynep Kuşdil (PhD candidate University of Toronto, Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations) and Francesco Tessa (PhD candidate Koç University, Department of Archaeology and History of Art). The survey project is generously supported by Koç University and Avis Turkey (I would like to thank in particular Mr. İnan Ekici - CEO of Avis and Mrs. Esra Arslanbaş Kaynak). Furthermore, I am grateful to Özkoçlar Otel, the Özkoç Family, Sadiye Kaya, Derya Lokantası and Bilal Usta in Ereğli, who have been supporting us since the beginning of our survey project.
Fig. 1: Map showing surveyed sites since 2013
1Karapınar is located between Konya and Ereğli and is situated 112 km southeast of Konya. The whole area of Karapınar comprises 2623 sq. km and is positioned between volcanic mountains, craters and wetlands. To the northeast of Karapınar is located the volcanic mountain Karacadağ and to the south the volcanic mountain Karadağ. Karapınar is surrounded by wetlands: the marshes of Akgöl Lake (also known as Ereğli Sazlıkları) to the east, Karapınar Lake to the north (also known as Sultaniye Lake) and the wetlands of the Hotamış Lake to the southwest. Lake Meke, a volcanic crater lake, also known as Meke Tuzlası (Meke saline), is located around 8 km to the east of Karapınar. To the south and east of Lake Meke, the big crater known as Meke Dağı and several smaller volcanic craters are situated, which give the whole region a surreal appearance. Just to the east and southeast of the craters, the dried-out wetland of the Ereğli-Akgöl basin is located. The marshes of Hotamış, Akgöl and Sultaniye were fed by the sub-surface water, which is generated by the sub-surface water flowing in the alluvial fans of the Bolkar Mountains (Kuzucuoğlu, 2019, pp. 355). The Karapınar Lake dried out in the 19th century, this lake was fed in addition by the snowmelt of Karacadağ (Kuzucuoğlu, 2019, p. 354). Villagers attest that every year in spring some parts of this lake get marshy, probably from the sub-surface water caused by the snowmelt of Karacadağ. The wetlands of Akgöl Lake started to be dried up at the end of the 1950’s as part of a movement, known as “fight against malaria” (“sıtma ile mücadele”) in Turkey. In 1960 the wetlands of Akgöl were around 21,500 hectares in size. Water dams started to be built in Ayrancı (Karaman) and Ivriz (Konya, Halkapınar), to collect the underground water from the snowmelt in the Bolkar Mountains, which was feeding the Ereğli-Akgöl basin and drainage canals were opened inside the basin to dry out the lake and the wetlands.
2When Willim John Hamilton traveled through Karapınar in 1837, he noticed that due to the wetlands in Karapınar locals lived up on the yayla’s of Karacadağ and that only the menzilci and his grooms lived in Karapınar (Hamilton, 1842, pp. 211-217).
3The drying-up of the marshes led to the growth of Karapınar, which has developed especially in the past 7 years into a large district town: traditional mudbrick buildings have been replaced by concrete apartments, gas was brought by pipes to the city three years ago, its industrial area developed and expanded. This unpredictable change and expansion of Karapınar is a threat to its cultural and natural heritage, as there are also höyüks and historical monuments inside the town.
4Karapınar was never really investigated completely until the KEYAR survey project. First investigations were conducted by James Mellaart during his survey of ‘Pre-classical Remains in Southern Turkey’ in the 1950’s (1954; 1963). In the 1980’s Semih Güneri investigated a couple of sites to the southeast of the Konya, Karaman and Aksaray region during his ‘Orta Anadolu Höyükleri’ Survey Project (Güneri, 1989; 1990, p. 324). Hasan Bahar’s surveys were mainly in the northern Konya Plain and Karaman regions; however, he surveyed also a few sites in Karapınar (Bahar, 2002; Bahar & Koçak, 2008; Bahar & Küçükbezci, 2012, p. 105-6).
5The KEYAR project started to survey Karapınar systematically in 2016 and has continued since then to investigate this region (Maner, 2017; 2019). So far twenty-five sites have been systematically surveyed in Karapınar. The aims of the KEYAR 2019 field season were to investigate and survey the region around Lake Meke, Meke Dağı and the volcanic craters, the highlands (yayla) west, east and south of Lake Meke and the region between Karaman and Karapınar (Fig. 2). In the area around the craters, Lake Meke and Meke Dağı, no archaeological remains have been observed.
Fig. 2: Lake Meke with Karacadağ in the back
Fig. 3: Map showing surveyed sites during the 2019 field season
Fig. 4: Aşağı Göndelen Höyük (drone image)
6Girginli Yaylası, Ethemin Yaylası and Serpek Yaylası, which are located to the south, southeast and west of Meke Dağı were investigated and surveyed during the 2019 campaign. Three settlements have been located and surveyed in the south of Meke Dağı (Table 1, Fig. 3). During a road trip in 2017 from Akhöyük to Zengen, the shallow höyük in Aşağı Göndelen was recognized (Fig. 4). As it is used as a cemetery nowadays for the village, it is not obvious that it is an ancient settlement. This site was surveyed and documented during the 2019 field season as well (Table 1, Fig. 3).
- 2 The methodology of the survey has been explained in detail in previously published reports in Anato (...)
7During the 2019 field season, three settlements in Karapınar and one in Ereğli province were systematically surveyed; these are explained in detail in the next sections (Fig. 3, Table 1).2
Table 1: Surveyed sites in 2019
Settlement Number
|
Settlement Name
|
Province and District
|
Altitude (m)
|
76
|
Aşağı Göndelen Höyük
|
Ereğli, Aşağı Göndelen
|
1040
|
77
|
Gökgöz Tepesi Höyüğü
|
Karapınar Serpek Yaylası /Karaman (Kavuklar)
|
1014
|
78
|
Sırçan Höyük
|
Karapınar, Girginli Yaylası
|
1043
|
79
|
Halibintol Höyük
|
Karapınar, Serpek Yaylası
|
1004
|
Fig. 5: Early Bronze Age pottery from Aşağı Göndelen Höyük
8The site is around 1.14 hectares in size. The shallow settlement mound is located in Aşağı Göndelen, around 14 km to the northeast of Ereğli. It is around 124 m (N-S) by 92 m (E-W) large and around 2 m high (Fig. 4). Nowadays the ancient settlement mound is used as cemetery, which covers almost the entire ancient settlement. Since it wasn’t possible to survey the cemetery, pottery from animal holes inside the cemetery were collected and studied. This pottery dates to the Early Bronze Age (Fig. 5) and Iron Age.
Fig. 6: Gökgöz Tepesi Höyüğü (from east)
Fig. 7: Gökgöz Tepesi Höyüğü (drone image)
9The site is around 15.6 hectares in size. The mound is located on the border between Konya and Karaman, hence one half is located in Konya and the other in Karaman. The settlement mound is registered in the registration lists of Konya as Gökgöz Tepesi Höyüğü. However, the same mound is known also as Gövezli Höyük. Since our survey is conducted in Karapınar (Konya) and the site is registered as Gökgöz Tepesi Höyüğü its name in the registration lists is used here. The site is located within fertile fields and around 19.5 km south from Karapınar and 2.4 km north of Kavuklar village (Karaman). The höyük is around 356 m (N-S) by 440 m (E-W) large and around 7 m high (Fig. 6, 7).
10Surveys on this mound have been conducted by several archaeologists. Firstly, Semih Güneri surveyed this mound during his “Orta Anadolu Höyükleri” survey project in 1987 (Güneri, 1989, p. 103, Fig. 38). He notices two marble columns and remains of foundations. The analyzed pottery indicates an occupation from Early to Late Iron Age, and he states that only a small amount of 2nd millennium pottery was found. In 2016, the site was surveyed by the “Karaman ve Mut İlleri Yüzey Araştırmaları Projesi” survey project led by Ercan Aşkın, because one half of the mound is located in Karaman (Aşkın et al., 2018). The Iron Age pottery (Early to Late), which was collected during the survey, was published by Hatice Ergürer (Ergürer, 2018). During the KEYAR 2019 field season, we visited the site on May 22nd, and the whole site was covered with high-density vegetation. Three sample areas for collecting pottery, have been specified. However, the ground was almost invisible due to weeds, hence only a little amount of pottery could be seen. The drone image (Fig. 7) clearly shows that the settlement is surrounded by a fortification wall. The pottery collected includes metallic ware from the Early Bronze Age, Middle and Late Bronze Age, and Early-Late Iron Age (Fig. 8). It is planned to revisit the site during the 2020 season, with the hope of surveying it without weeds.
Fig. 8: Early Bronze Age Metallic Ware, Middle Bronze Age and Iron Age Pottery from Gökgöz Tepesi Höyüğü
Fig. 9: Sırçan Höyük (from southeast)
Fig. 10: Iron Age pottery from Sırçan Höyük
Fig. 11: Early and Late Bronze Age and Iron Age pottery from Sırçan Höyük
11The site is about 15.7 hectares in size and around 10 m high (Fig. 9). The höyük is located in the area of Ethemin Yaylası and Girginli Yaylası and located 6 km west of Gökgöz Tepesi and 20.3 km south of Karapınar. Sırçan Höyük measures 450 m (N-S) and 350 m (E-W). Five sample areas were designated to collect the pottery. The pottery dates to the Chalcolithic, Early Bronze Age, Middle and Late Bronze Age (?) and Iron Age (Fig. 10-11). No architectural remains were visible.
Fig. 12: Halibintol Höyük (from east)
Fig. 13: Iron Age pottery from Halibintol Höyük
12The site is 19.8 km south of Karapınar and is called after the landowner, who lived there several decades ago. Halibintol Höyük (also known as Serpek Höyük by the locals) is located within Serpek Yaylası and around 5.7 km west of Gökgöz Tepesi. The site is ca. 8.4 hectares in size; it measures 308 m (N-S) and 273 m (E-W) and is around 4 m high (Fig. 12). The site is located within a field and the höyük is also used for agriculture. No architectural remains were observed. The pottery dates mainly to the Middle and Late Iron Age (Fig. 13).
13The sites surveyed in Karapınar from 2016 to 2018, indicate that during the Early Bronze Age, the settlements were located around Karapınar Lake, the margins of Hotamış Lake and on the margins of the wetlands of Akgöl. During the Middle and Late Bronze Ages, the settlements continued around the Karpınar and Hotamış lakes. There is an increase in settlements during the Iron Age. Not only did the previous ones continue to be used, but also new settlements and forts were established mainly on important strategic locations to control the roads coming from Aksaray, Niğde and Konya and leading through the wetlands.
14The three newly surveyed settlements to the south of Meke Dağı indicate that this region was used for habitation from the Chalcolithic onwards. The region is located between the wetlands of Akgöl Lake and Hotamış Lake, is fertile and connects to roads leading in all directions; in particular o the south to the Mediterranean and to the southeast to Karaman. Sırçan Höyük and Gökgöz Tepesi Höyüğü are around 15 hectares in size and both sites indicate a continuous occupation from the Early Bronze Age until the Late Iron Age. Halibintol Höyük seems to be a small settlement established during the Iron Age.
15The southern Konya Plain is an ideal region to understand how the landscape and environment has influenced and shaped the settlement locations and pattern during Bronze and Iron Ages. The results of the KEYAR survey conducted so far in Karapınar indicate that the settlements starting from the Early Bronze Age onwards were usually positioned on the margins of wetlands, lakes and hilltops. The sizes of the settlements decrease from North to South (from Konya to Halkapınar). The reason could be the ancient geoenvironment, which didn’t allow wetlands to be settled. Since areas to the east of Karapınar were mainly wetlands it wasn’t possible to either settle or to establish larger settlements there.
16The 2020 field season is planned to be the last survey season of the KEYAR project. We will survey few more sites in Karapınar and Emirgazi, and revisit previously surveyed sites, to complete missing data.