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Project / Collection: Domuztepe Excavations
Description: Excavations of a Late Neolithic site in south-central Turkey
Number of Views: 5137

Project / Collection Overview

Domuztepe is a large (20 hectares) site, dating to the Halaf period of the 6th millennium BC. It has extensive prehistoric architectural, burial, and occupational remains. The site also has evidence of Roman and Medieval occupation, including a cemetery dating to the 9th-10th centuries AD and an Early Medieval building with thick plaster mortar walls. Joint excavations led by Elizabeth Carter of the University of California, Los Angeles and Stuart Campbell of the University of Manchester have been underway since 1995.

The fifth millennium is a key period in the development of complex societies in the Near East. Domuztepe, situated in southeastern Turkey on the northwestern edge of the traditional heartlands of the Halaf, is one of the largest sites known from this period. The investigation of this site is providing new details of the organization of society at the site and its relationship with the surrounding environment. The settlement seems to have been a focus of long-distance exchange, with evidence for the manufacture and manipulation of status items. Stamp seals occur remarkably frequently and ceramics seem to have been used in a complex way, indicating shifting external relations over time. There is also evidence for economic intensification, notably the possible use of secondary products.

A large burial pit (the "Death Pit"), may have evidence of feasting/butchery of cattle and other animals. A large number of human remains, representing at least 40 individuals, was also recovered from the Death Pit.

Bibliography Stuart Campbell, "Domuztepe 2004 Excavation Season", Anatolian Archaeology 10 (2004) 4-6


Suggested Citation for this Project Overview:
Stuart Campbell, Elizabeth Carter. "Domuztepe Excavations: (Overview)" (Released 2006-03-01). Stuart Campbell, Elizabeth Carter (Eds.) Open Context. <http://opencontext.org/projects/3>

Content Associated with this Project

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Animal Bone Animal Bone 16023 items in this category
Human Bone Human Bone 3723 items in this category
Small Find Small Find 2950 items in this category
Lot Lot 1603 items in this category
Operation Operation 9 items in this category
Site Site 1 item in this category

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Additional information from the Domuztepe project is forthcoming.

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Site Domuztepe 24308 items contained in this context

Keywords for this Project

Archaeology, Halaf, Neolithic, Near East, Excavations, Domuztepe, 7th millennium, Village

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