Göllü Dağ (also Göllüdağ, Golludag) is a volcanic mountain located in central Turkey. This area has a long history of human occupation going back to the Lower Paleolithic period. Humans and human ancestors valued the obsidian found in abundance on the mountain as a raw material for tools and other objects.
| Göllü Dağ | |
|---|---|
  Göllü Dağ Location within Turkey | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 2,143 m (7,031 ft) |
| Coordinates | 38°15′35″N 34°33′0″E / 38.25972°N 34.55000°E |
| Geography | |
| Location | Niğde Province, Turkey |
| Geology | |
| Lava dome | |
| Last eruption | Unknown |
Geology
editHistory
editPaleolithic and Neolithic
editExcavation and pedestrian survey of the slopes of the Göllü Dağ mountain have revealed traces of human occupation extending back to the Lower Paleolithic[4][5][6]. Remains of Neolithic and Chalcolithic periods, as well as the Mousterian or Middle Paleolithic, are particularly common [5]. Excavations at the stratified Kaletepe Deresi 3 site brought to light evidence of Middle Paleolithic as well as earlier, Lower Palelolithic occupations with Acheulean handaxes[6]. The ages of the earliest Acheulean occupation layers are not well understood. They are younger that the bedrock, which has been dated to approximately 1.0 million years ago, and older than an overlying layer of tephra dated to roughly 160,000 years ago[6]
Excavations at the Kaletepe (Kömürcü) site revealed an extensive open-air workshop dating to the early Neolithic period. At this locality, obsidian was transformed into blades, most of which were transported away from the site[7][8].
Obsidian trade
editGöllü Dağ obsidian was extensively mined, processed and traded to distant areas as far as Cyprus and Syria during the Neolithic and later periods [9][10]. An artifact made from Göllü Dağ obsidian was discovered in an Upper Paleolithic layer in the Yabrud II rockshelter in Syria, some 700 km distant from the source[11].[12] Some of the areas where obsidian was processed on Göllü Dağ may be among the earliest such workshops in the world.[13]
Iron Age
editNeo-Hittite Tabal
edit
During the early Iron Age period, Göllüdağ belonged to the Tabal state, which was also a part of the larger Tabal (region). High upon the mountain, a large settlement was found dating back to the 8th century BC, the period of Neo-Hittite civilization. The city here was surrounded by a stone wall; the important structures were also protected by a second wall.[14] The largest building at the site, occupying the highest location, measures about 112 by 228 meters.
The lion statues found among the building remains are quite remarkable. Two large double portal lions, two portal lions, and two sphinxes have been discovered. They are now exhibited in the Nigde Museums.
In 2000, a bone fragment thought to belong to an ancestor of horses was found as the result of the erosion of the mountain slope.
Several structural similarities indicate that Göllüdağ was also associated with the settlement on Mount Kerkenes, which is located about 170km north.[15]
Excavations
editThe excavations here started in 1934 by Remzi Oğuz Arık. Wulf Schirmer excavated here between 1992 and 1998.
See also
editReferences
edit- ↑ Mouralis, Damase; Pastre, Jean François; Kuzucuoğlu, Catherine; Türkecan, Ahmet; Atici, Yelda; Slimak, Ludovic; Guillou, Hervé; Kunesch, Stephane (2002). "Les complexes volcaniques Rhyolithiques quaternaires d'Anatolie centrale (Göllü Dag et Acigöl, Turquie) : Genèse, instabilité, contraintes environnementales". Quaternaire. 13 (3): 219–228. doi:10.3406/quate.2002.1714.
- ↑ Bigazzi, Giulio; Yegingil, Zehra; Ercan, Tuncay; Oddone, Massimo; Özdogan, Mehmet (1993-12-01). "Fission track dating obsidians in Central and Northern Anatolia". Bulletin of Volcanology. 55 (8): 588–595. doi:10.1007/BF00301811. ISSN 1432-0819.
- ↑ "Göllü Dag". Global Volcanism Program. Smithsonian Institution.
- ↑ (2021) The unknown importance of Göllü Dağ on the route of the first humans’ Transition from Africa to Europe. - arkeonews.net
- 1 2 Kuhn, Steven L.; Dinçer, Berkay; Balkan-Atlı, Nur; Erturaç, Mehmet Korhan (2015-10-01). "Paleolithic occupations of the Göllü Dağ, Central Anatolia, Turkey". Journal of Field Archaeology. 40 (5): 581–602. doi:10.1179/2042458215Y.0000000020. ISSN 0093-4690.
- 1 2 3 Slimak, Ludovic; Kuhn, Steven L.; Roche, Hélène; Mouralis, Damase; Buitenhuis, Hijlke; Balkan-Atlı, Nur; Binder, Didier; Kuzucuoğlu, Catherine; Guillou, Hervé (2008-01-01). "Kaletepe Deresi 3 (Turkey): Archaeological evidence for early human settlement in Central Anatolia". Journal of Human Evolution. 54 (1): 99–111. doi:10.1016/j.jhevol.2007.07.004. ISSN 0047-2484.
- ↑ Balkan-Atlı, Nur; Binder, Didier; Cauvin, Marie-Claire (1998). "Exploitation de l'obsidienne de Cappadoce : première campagne de fouille à Kaletepe (Kömürcü)". Anatolia antiqua. Eski Anadolu. 6 (1): 301–315. doi:10.3406/anata.1998.906.
- ↑ Balkan-Atlı, Nur; Binder, Didier; Beugnier, Valérie; Buitenhuis, Hijlke; Kuzucuoğlu, Catherine; Mouralis, Damase; Slimak, Ludovic; Théry-Parisot, Isabelle (2001). "Les ateliers de taille d'obsidienne. Fouilles de Kömürcü - Kaletepe 2000". Anatolia antiqua. Eski Anadolu. 9 (1): 193–205. doi:10.3406/anata.2001.967.
- ↑ Yellin, Joseph (1995). "Trace Element Characteristics of Central Anatolian Obsidian Flows and Their Relevence to Pre-History". Israel Journal of Chemistry. 35 (2): 175–190. doi:10.1002/ijch.199500025. ISSN 1869-5868.
- ↑ Bressy, C.; Poupeau, G.; Yener, K. A. (2005-10-01). "Cultural interactions during the Ubaid and Halaf periods: Tell Kurdu (Amuq Valley, Turkey) obsidian sourcing". Journal of Archaeological Science. 32 (10): 1560–1565. doi:10.1016/j.jas.2005.04.010. ISSN 0305-4403.
- ↑ Frahm, Ellery; Hauck, Thomas C. (2017-06-01). "Origin of an obsidian scraper at Yabroud Rockshelter II (Syria): Implications for Near Eastern social networks in the early Upper Palaeolithic". Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports. 13: 415–427. doi:10.1016/j.jasrep.2017.04.021. ISSN 2352-409X.
- ↑ (2021) The unknown importance of Göllü Dağ on the route of the first humans’ Transition from Africa to Europe. - arkeonews.net
- ↑ (2021) The unknown importance of Göllü Dağ on the route of the first humans’ Transition from Africa to Europe. - arkeonews.net
- ↑ Göllüdağ - hittitemonuments.com
- ↑ Map showing the location of Golludag in the context of ancient Anatolia. in Geoffrey Summers 2013, "The Kale at Kerkenes Dağ: An Iron Age Capital in Central Anatolia."