The Late Iron Age pottery from Kaman - Kalehöyük

Abstract

This thesis investigates the pottery of the Late Iron Age Kaman-Kalehöyük which is in Kırşehir province. The aims of the thesis are to understand the pottery of Kaman-Kalehöyük with their raw material and the production technique, and also to determine its place within the Central Anatolia pottery tradition. Late Iron Age is separated into four phases from earliest to the latest: LIA 4, LIA 3; LIA 2 and LIA. 1. Thesis material belongs to LIA 3 and 1, thus LIA 4 and LIA 2 were not studied. Another aim of the thesis to propose a possible date for the LIA 2 phase which is represented by monumental buildings. As in parallel with these purposes, 150 complete vessels from the South Sectors were studied. For the analysis of the material, a form and ware typology were composed on the basis of the form, the fabric, the firing technique and the surface treatment. In this respect, eight ware types that are locally produced under the two firing techniques were observed. Concerning the contexts of the material, the vessels mainly come from pits as related to the ritualistic purposes and from buildings as related to the daily life activities. As an outcome of the comparison of the pottery traditions of the Late Iron Age settlements in Central Anatolia, during the LIA 3phase Kaman-Kalehöyük interacted mostly with Boğazköy and Gordion and in the LIA 1 phase with Alişar and Gordion. In general, in the Late Iron Age of Central Anatolia, it can be proposed the presence of a common pottery culture with small local differences.