Reconstructing the Early Bronze Age Chronology of the Van Region Based on the Excavation Data from Dilkaya Mound

Project no. 26325 · Status: Kapanmış (Yayın bekleniyor) · 2023

Summary

The project focuses on the study of the Early Bronze Age (EBA) layers (Layers 3–6) uncovered during the excavations carried out at Van–Dilkaya Höyük between 1984 and 1991. The primary objectives include the detailed analysis of the finds—particularly the ceramic assemblages—establishing the Early Bronze Age chronology of the Van Lake Basin, and understanding the spread of the Kura-Araxes Culture within the region. Another aim of the project is to investigate the relations of the Van Lake Basin during the EBA with surrounding regions, especially Southeastern Anatolia and Syria. Ceramic finds from the Dilkaya EBA layers that appear to have been imported from the south are of particular significance in this regard.The project will first evaluate the architectural remains and material culture uncovered in the EBA levels (Layers 3–6) of Dilkaya Höyük. Ceramic assemblages constitute the primary focus of the study because they represent the most important category of finds both for dating the stratigraphic sequence of the settlement and for constructing the EBA chronology of the Van Lake Basin. Therefore, in addition to microscopic examinations, various archaeometric analyses are planned for the ceramics.Although previous research conducted in the Van Lake Basin has demonstrated the presence of the Kura-Araxes Culture during the 3rd millennium BC (EBA), questions remain concerning the exact time of its emergence in the region, its developmental trajectory, and its interactions with neighboring cultural zones. Systematic excavations at Dilkaya Höyük have identified a sequence of four EBA layers with a total thickness of up to 2 meters. For this reason, the EBA finds from Dilkaya constitute a unique dataset for understanding the expansion of the Kura-Araxes Culture, the political and economic character of the region during this period, and its interregional connections. Furthermore, the results of the project are expected to play a key role in establishing the EBA chronology of the Van Lake Basin. If the project achieves its goals, Dilkaya will serve as a reference settlement for the Early Bronze Age of the region.

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