2005 Year Excavation Period
Sevil Gülçur*Güvercinkayası (Aksaray/Gülağaç-Çatalsu) is a Middle Chalcolithic (cal. C14 5200-4800 B.C.) hilltop settlement founded on a rock outcrop (alt. ∆ 1006.08 m) at the right bank of the Melendez River. The excavations on the site have been carried out with international and interdisciplinary participation since 1996, in cooperation with the Aksaray Archaeological Museum directorate.
The 2005 fieldwork was concentrated on two main areas, on the northeast slope (trenches 4-6 İ and 6 H) and on the plateau in and around the inner fortification system (trenches 7 G, 7-8 H, 7 İ west) (Fig ). The first aim of the investigations was the stratigraphical connection of the two sections of the settlement, the fortified citadel (upper town) with the domestic area (lower town). The second aim was the further investigation of the citadel with detailed studies along the new and old excavation areas.
Trenches 5-6/H-İ
Depending on the rock formation and the remarkable differences between the altitudes, trench 6 H is the only area, which would fulfil a direct connection between the upper and lower town. To realize this link, the east half of the trench has been chosen as the new excavation unit.
A stepped mud-brick wall, which had been firstly detected above the stone debris of the inner fortification system at 7-8 H, marks the uppermost level of Güvercinkayası. As known from area 7 G the stepped wall reaches here a thickness of five rectangular sun dried bricks, and borders a casemate like system from south. A section in relation with the stepped wall was already cleared along the west profile and some weak rests of the system around the central area of 6 İ. As expected the uppermost feature of the adjacent 6 H was the east sector of this casemate like complex. Within the limits of the plough soil, badly eroded down to the first mud-brick layer it arises (± 2.5 m in width) as in the other sectors upon the collapse of the elder buildings. An alignment of single narrow mud bricks in south-north direction, and cut by a pit a row of quadrangular mud bricks in east-west direction are the only registrable architectural remains. The rest of the area is covered with decomposed mud. A thin layer of small sized stones serves to these structures as leveling. The next underlying stratum is a new architectural feature a kind of pavement build of slabs. The slabs are of admirable size, and the pavement is descending along the slope in wide shallow steps to north.
The northern edge of the pavement is superimposing another unexpectedly new phenomenon, a terrace wall in east-west direction. The terrace wall is formed of large boulders, which are embedded in mud mortar. Embedding in mud is the traditional fashion of the Güvercinkayası stone masonry.
The uppermost habitation soil in front of the terrace wall resembles the hard and with small gravels mixed fill of the east road. Below this fill at least three if not four elder building phases with solid remains are expected. The northern limit of trench 6 H marks the limit of the water erosion line, and as well as the limit of the detectable architectural remains. Along the contact zone of the trenches 5-6 /H-İ starting from the erosion line in direction to the terrace wall, portions of some house units have been already unearthed.
The terrace wall deeply cuts in to the room fill of the northeast-southwest oriented room M 11 (5-6/H-İ). The southeast wall of M 11 with plastered inner face leads directly under the pavement and delivers also a best the hint for the later date of the terrace wall. At the other end of this wall is a gap. This gap marks probably an old doorway, which was later blocked by a rectangular slab. At a higher position just above the blocked doorway a circular concentration of different sized stones, assumingly the remains of an abandoned grinding bench is visible. Between these remains are mud-plastered pieces. Some of them have similar to animal horns elongated tips.
The stratigraphic relation of the partly investigated rooms M2 (5-6 H) and M 11 (5-6/H-İ) is still unclear. A northwest-southeast oriented badly damaged domed oven marks the northeast corner of room M2. The northeast wall of M 2 runs parallel to that of M11, but both walls are arising directly from the bedrock’s surface. A transportable door-socket is placed on a floor in the narrow gap between these walls. If the door socket is in primary position, it can be related to one of the earlier habitation phases of room 11. To clear the situation further investigations are necessary.