Can Hasan 1 Mound is an archaeological site located near the village of Alaçatı, formerly known as Can Hasan, approximately 12–15 km northeast of the city center of

Karaman Karaman is a city in south central Turkey, located in Central Anatolia, north of the Taurus Mountains, about south of Konya. It is the seat of Karaman Province and Karaman District.Can Hasan 3 Mound. Among the trio of mounds known by the same name in the vicinity of Can Hasan Village, Can Hasan 1 is attributed to the

Chalcolithic Age The Chalcolithic ( ) (also called the Copper Age and Eneolithic) was an list of archaeological periods, archaeological period characterized by the increasing use of smelted copper. It followed the Neolithic and preceded the Bronze Age. It occur ...

, Can Hasan 2 to the

Hellenistic In classical antiquity, the Hellenistic period covers the time in Greek history after Classical Greece, between the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC and the death of Cleopatra VII in 30 BC, which was followed by the ascendancy of the R ...

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...

, and

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also known as the Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire centred on Constantinople during late antiquity and the Middle Ages. Having survived the events that caused the fall of the Western Roman E ...

periods, and Can Hasan 3 to the

Neolithic Age The Neolithic or New Stone Age (from Greek 'new' and 'stone') is an archaeological period, the final division of the Stone Age in Mesopotamia, Asia, Europe and Africa (c. 10,000 BCE to c. 2,000 BCE). It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wid ...

settlement. Can Hasan 1 Mound is a hill measuring 360 x 280 meters in dimensions and reaching a height of 5 meters.In some sources, it is indicated to have a diameter of 400 meters.
/ref> The plain where these three mounds are located is fertile and not far from the northern slopes of the

Taurus Mountains The Taurus Mountains (Turkish language, Turkish: ''Toros Dağları'' or ''Toroslar,'' Greek language, Greek'':'' Ταύρος) are a mountain range, mountain complex in southern Turkey, separating the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean coastal reg ...

Excavations

Can Hasan 1 is mentioned in the publications of Kılıç Kökten as one of the mounds located to the northeast of

Karaman Karaman is a city in south central Turkey, located in Central Anatolia, north of the Taurus Mountains, about south of Konya. It is the seat of Karaman Province and Karaman District.James Mellaart James Mellaart FBA (14 November 1925 – 29 July 2012) was a British and Dutch archaeologist and author who is noted for his discovery of the Neolithic settlement of Çatalhöyük in Turkey. He was expelled from Turkey when he was suspected o ...

, A. Hall, and David French conducted examinations of the site during surface surveys of the Konya Plain. Excavation efforts were undertaken by the British Institute at Ankara, led by David French once again, between 1961 and 1967.

Stratigraphy

During the excavations, seven layers have been identified in the mound. These layers, from the most recent (upper) to the oldest (lower), are as follows: * Layer 1 - Late Chalcolithic Age (comprising six architectural phases), * Layer 2 ** Phase 2A - Middle Chalcolithic Age, ** Phase 2B - Transition from Early to Middle

* Layer 3 - Early Chalcolithic Age, * Layers 4 to 7 - Late Neolithic Age

Findings

Brick and mudbrick were the primary construction materials used, supplemented with wooden supports. Walls and floors were plastered with mud. It is noted that the entrances to the dwellings were located on the ceiling. The architecture of the Late

Chalcolithic The Chalcolithic ( ) (also called the Copper Age and Eneolithic) was an archaeological period characterized by the increasing use of smelted copper. It followed the Neolithic and preceded the Bronze Age. It occurred at different periods in di ...

Age exhibits differences from the Early

architecture in terms of orientation, layout, wall thickness, and brick dimensions. Structures within this period display a degree of continuity, with renovations or wall additions observed in almost all of them. The buildings are scattered and irregular, featuring courtyards and open spaces in between. These courtyards and open areas contain hearths, enclosed small spaces, and compartments. Walls are typically coated with white clay. The architecture of the Middle

period has been excavated within a limited area. In Layer 2A, which represents this period, the architecture exhibits the most significant differences from the architecture of Layer 2B, namely the use of stone foundations in 2A and smaller brick dimensions compared to 2B. The architecture of Layer 2B presents a more organized architectural plan compared to the Late

layer. Mudbrick-walled structures that directly rest on the ground were constructed in a contiguous arrangement without leaving gaps in between. Unlike the Late

structures, there is no evidence of a second floor in the Middle

buildings; however, in this layer, structures are two-storied, with the walls of the second floor being thinner. It is evident that this layer has experienced a fire. The predominant pottery group of the Late Chalcolithic layer consists of red, red-brown, and black-slipped ceramics. In Layer 2A, plain artifacts in light brown and ochre colors are the most frequently found group. In Layer 2A, fragments of clay tripod figurines depicting humans, animal figurines, a small figurine body, discs, sling stones, and spoons have been recovered. In Layer 2B, within a structure that had suffered from fire, numerous small clay female figurines were found. Some of them are flat and relatively schematic, yet facial features are clearly delineated. In the

Age layers, both

flint Flint, occasionally flintstone, is a sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as the variety of chert that occurs in chalk or marly limestone. Historically, flint was widely used to make stone tools and start ...

and

obsidian Obsidian ( ) is a naturally occurring volcanic glass formed when lava extrusive rock, extruded from a volcano cools rapidly with minimal crystal growth. It is an igneous rock. Produced from felsic lava, obsidian is rich in the lighter element ...

knapped stone tools have been found. Those recovered in Layer 2B display a less refined craftsmanship. In Layer 2A, carved containers made from various stones, stone beads, axes, marble bracelets, grinders, and grinding stones have been discovered as rubbing stones. In the Late Chalcolithic Age layer, bone remains of domesticated animals such as sheep, goats, cattle, pigs, and horses, as well as deers, turtles, cats, and rodent bones, have been discovered. Examination of a cow skull has indicated the domestication of this species.

Evaluation and Dating

Based on the results of

radiocarbon dating Radiocarbon dating (also referred to as carbon dating or carbon-14 dating) is a method for Chronological dating, determining the age of an object containing organic material by using the properties of carbon-14, radiocarbon, a radioactive Isotop ...

conducted on certain findings, the Early

Age is estimated to span from 5500 to 5000 BCE, the Middle

Age from 5000 to 4250 BCE. While such results are not available for the Late

Age, the excavation director suggests the dates of 3750 to 3250 BCE.

Notes

External links

Close-up Site Plan

References

{{coord missing, Turkey Tumuli Landforms of Turkey Archaeological sites in Turkey Chalcolithic sites of Asia