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≤. DÖNMEZ ANES 41 (2004) 38–84 Boyabat-Kovuklukaya: A Bronze Age Settlement in the Central Black Sea Region, Turkey ≤. DONMEZ Department of Protohistory and Near Eastern Archaeology Faculty of Letters Istanbul University Fen PTT 34459-Istanbul TURKEY E-mail: [email protected] Abstract Kovuklukaya, an ancient mound site, is located some 10 km from the town of Boyabat in province of Sinop, northern Turkey. Discovered in the summer of 2002, it was excavated in a rescue operation on behalf of the Sinop Museum. Of the seven soundings and two trenches, the most interesting finds were uncov- ered in Sounding 5. There a building and its content provided important infor- mation pertaining to the prehistory of the Black Sea region during the period from the last quarter of third millennium BC to the first quarter of second mil- lennium BC. A small scale step-trench in Sounding 7 at Kovuklukaya and four building levels spanning the Late Chalcolithic to Early Bronze Age II periods. A Byzantine graveyard was located at the top of the site, and finds of Early Phase of Late Iron Age were also found. Most importantly the settlement at Kovuklukaya has revealed the continuity between the Late Chalcolithic to the Middle Bronze Age I-II, the so-called “Transitional Period” at Bafra-Ikiztepe. Kovuklukaya is located 300 m north-east of Çulhalı Village, 10 km from the town of Boyabat in Sinop Province (see Map), and was found during a survey I carried out in the area.1 It is positioned on the eastern slopes of a rock cliff about 25 m high called Aslancevizi Mevkii. It is about 300 x 400 m in dimension and is known as Kovuklukaya (Figs 1 and 2) because of a 1 This work was supported by the Research Fund of Istanbul University. Project No. T– 369:190397. A BRONZE AGE SETTLEMENT IN THE CENTRAL BLACK SEA REGION 39 Map. The Settlements and Cemeteries of Sinop Province niche 1.50 x 1.70 x 1.20 m at the top of the rocky cliff (Kovuklukaya means “Rock with a niche”). The top part of Kovuklukaya, which is flat and meas- ures about 70 x 80 metres, was used as a graveyard (Fig. 3) in the Byzantine Period. In summer 2002, during the construction of the new highway (Fig. 4), a rescue excavation was carried out at Kovuklukaya on behalf of the Sinop Museum. I was invited to take part in this Boyabat-Kovuklukaya rescue excavation (see Map) that was carried out under the supervision of Musa Özcan, the current director of Sinop Museum. During the excavation a to- tal of seven soundings and two trenches were opened up on the western side of the site. The most interesting finds were uncovered in Sounding 5. The building with stone slab walls (Figs 5 and 6), pottery sherds and small objects provided important information about the period from the last quarter of third millennium B.C. to the first quarter of second millennium 40 ≤. DÖNMEZ B.C. in the Sinop Province. This building is roughly pentagon in shape, 7.00 x 8.00 m in dimension and has two phases (see Plan 1). The Early Phase of the building is represented by approximately 0.40 m of debris. Hand-made Early Bronze Age III pottery sherds were taken from this de- bris. In the Late Phase, i.e. the second phase, which is represented by about 0.50 m of debris, we uncovered Early Bronze Age type pottery sherds, simi- lar to the Early Phase examples, together with wheel-made and higher qual- ity sherds dating to the Middle Bronze Age (Pls 1–5). The Early Phase of the building had two entrances. The main entrance to the building was an opening approximately 2 m wide in the east wall (see Plan 1; Fig. 7). The Second entrance was on the north wall and the opening was about 1 m wide (see Plan 1; Fig. 8). During the Late Phase both entrances were closed and a small storage construction (approximately 2 x 1.50 m) (Fig. 6) was added to the north-west corner of the building. We think that the entrance to the building in the Late Phase was via the large flat area that was built over a wall to the east of this storage construction (see Plan 1). Based on archaeological research carried out so far, it had been concluded that stone had only a minimal use in architecture in the Black Sea Region before the Classical Period. However this structure shows that, at least in this area, stone was used extensively, even though it does not alter the overall situa- tion. In the above mentioned, Late Phase debris of the building in Sounding 5 we found some typical wheel-made potsherds dating to early second millen- nium B.C. (Pl. 5:1–7) and, more importantly, some hand-made Early Bronze Age type sherds (Pls 1:1–6; 2:1–6; 3:1–6; 4:1–6) were found to- gether with the wheel-made ones. All the Early Bronze Age pottery in Sounding 5 at Kovuklukaya is hand-made. It is clear that Early Bronze Age type pottery continued to be produced in Middle Bronze Age I–II at Kovuklukaya. The paste of this pottery has organic and mineral temper; some of the pieces are carefully made and hard-fired. Most of this pottery was slipped in the same colour as the paste, but the potsherds vary in col- our shades according to different firing temperatures. The surface colours vary from light grey to reddish brown and from light orange to dark buff (see Catalogue). The interior and exterior surfaces of the sherds are usually of the same colour. The outer surface of most of the Early Bronze Age type pottery is burnished, while sometimes both the interior and exterior are burnished. Most of the potsherds are undecorated, but occasionally deco- rated with a groove (Pl. 4:1–2) or relief decoration (Pl. 4:2). Most of the bowls have inverted rims (Pl. 1:1–2), some are carinated (Pl. 2:1, 3, 6), oth- ers have straight rims (Pl. 2:2) or vertical knobs (Pl. 1:3). This pottery form A BRONZE AGE SETTLEMENT IN THE CENTRAL BLACK SEA REGION 41 Plan 1. The Building in the Sounding 5 at Kovuklukaya has both horizontal (Pl. 1:4–5) and vertical handles (Pls 1:6, 2:3–5). Jugs seldom have inverted rims (Pl. 3:1), most have a clearly defined neck and everted rims (Pl. 3:2–6). From the sherds with handles, it is apparent that both vertical (Pl. 4:3, 6) and horizontal (Pl. 4:4–5) handles were used on jugs. Generally, this pottery type closely resembles the end of the Early 42 ≤. DÖNMEZ Bronze Age II or beginning of Early Bronze Age III pottery at Bafra- Ikiztepe2 and Samsun-Dündartepe.3 Most of the wheel-made pottery from the Late Phase of the Kovuklukaya building ranges from light orange to various hues of buff and even shades of brick red in colour, while fine vegetal and fine mineral inclusions consist of sand and small stones (see Catalogue) and is well-fired. Bowls and jugs are common forms of this type of pottery. The bowls usually have inverted rims and are lipped (Pl. 5:1–5). One of the characteristics of second millen- nium BC pottery, the bead rim (Pl. 5:4), is also seen at Kovuklukaya. Most of the jugs found at Kovuklukaya have thick rims (Pl. 5:6–7). Similar Early Bronze Age type pottery to that found in Sounding 5 at Kovuklukaya can be seen at: • Ikiztepe, Mound I First (I) Cultural Layer4 • Hattush-Bogazköy, North-west Slope, 9a Building Level5 • Hattush-Bogazköy-Büyükkale, Ve6 and Vc7 building levels • Alaca Höyük, Second (II) Cultural Layer8 • Karum of Kanish-Kültepe, Fourth (IV) Building Level9 • Bademagacı10 • the Early Bronze Age III building levels of Ahlatlıbel11 and Polatlı.12 Similar examples to the wheel-made ones can be seen at: • Ikiztepe Mound I First (I) Cultural Layer13 • Hattush-Bogazköy, North-west Slope 9a building level14 2 Alkım, Alkım and Bilgi 1988, pp. 92–95; Alkım, Alkım and Bilgi 2003, pp. 18–22. 3 Kökten, Özgüç and Özgüç 1945, pp. 369–378; Özgüç 1948, pp. 398–404. 4 Pl. 1:3 = Alkım, Alkım and Bilgi 2003, Lev. LXXI:7; Pl. 2:2 = Alkım, Alkım and Bilgi 1988, Lev. XI:2; Pl. 3:1 = Alkım, Alkım and Bilgi 1988, Lev. XXII:1; Pl. 4:1–2 = Alkım, Alkım and Bilgi 1988, Lev. XVII:1–7. 5 Pl. 1:1 = Fischer 1963, Taf. 11:137; Pl. 1:2 = Orthmann 1963b, Taf. 11:81, 20:181; Pl. 1:4 = Orthmann 1963b, Taf.2:101; Pl. 1:5 = Orthmann 1963b, Taf. 12:103; Pl. 1:6 = Orthmann 1963b, Taf. 8:26; Pl. 2:6 = Orthmann 1963b, Taf. 11:82; Pl. 3:1 = Orthmann 1963b, Taf. 15:152; Pl. 3:2 = Orthmann 1963b, Taf. 13:125; Pl. 3:3 = Orthmann 1963b, Taf. 15:140; Pl. 3:4 = Orthmann 1963b, Taf. 23:213; Pl. 3:5 = Orthmann 1963b, Taf. 19:144; Pl. 3:6 = Orthmann 1963b, Taf. 14:138; Pl. 4:5 = Orthmann 1963b, Taf. 13:127. 6 Pl. 2:2 = Orthmann 1984, Abb. 2:30; Pl. 3:2 = Orthmann 1984, Abb. 2:32. 7 Pl. 1:2 = Orthmann 1984, Abb. 10:84; Pl. 1:5 = Fischer 1963, Taf. 5:67; Pl. 3:4 = Orthmann 1984, Abb. 10:93; Pl. 4:6 = Fischer 1963, Taf. 7:83. 8 Pl. 2:4 = Orthmann 1963a, Taf.