Excavations at the Palatial Complex
Kerkenes Final Reports 2
by Geoffrey Summers, with contributions by Susanne Berndt, Ahmet Cinici, Yilmaz Selim Erdal, Evangelia Piskin, Noel Siver and Francoise Summers, introduction by Nicholas D. Cahill and summary translated into Turkish by Guzin Eren
The city on the Kerkenes Dağ in the high plateau of central Turkey was a new Iron Age capital, very probably Pteria. Founded in the later seventh century BC, the city was put to the torch in the mid-sixth century and then abandoned. Excavations at what we have identified as the Palatial Complex were conducted between 1999 and 2005. The stone glacis supporting the Fortified Structure at the eastern end of the complex was revealed in its entirety while the greater portion of the Monumental Entrance was uncovered. Portions of buildings within the complex were also excavated, notably one-half of the heavily burned Ashlar Building, one corner of the Audience Hall, and parts of other structures. This volume documents as fully as possible the results of those excavations with the exception of sculpture, some bearing Paleo-Phrygian inscription, already published (OIP 135). The location of the complex, its development from foundation to destruction, and its architecture are discussed and illustrated. Within the Monumental Entrance were extraordinary, unexpected, semi-iconic stone idols, and other embellishments that include stone blocks with bolsters, bases for large freestanding wooden columns, and stone plinths. Extensive use was made of iron in combination with timber-framed facades and large double-leafed doors. Objects of gold, silver, copper alloys, and iron attest to former splendor. Organization of the volume is roughly chronological, beginning with the Fortified Structure, and concluding with the Monumental Entrance. Presentation of material culture is organized with an emphasis on context. Specialist chapters report on alphabetic and nonalphabetic graffiti and masons’ marks, animal bones among which was found the jawbone of a dolphin, and a Byzantine-period burial. This volume provides further dramatic and surprising new evidence for the power, wealth, and sophistication of an eastward expansion of Phrygian culture exemplified by architecture, cultic imagery, Paleo-Phrygian inscriptions and graffiti, pottery, and artifacts. The brief existence of this extraordinary city, hardly more than one hundred years, together with the excellent stratigraphic context provided by the destruction level, offer an unparalleled window onto the first half of the sixth century BC on the Anatolian Plateau.
- By (author) Geoffrey Summers
Other Titles in this Series
The Archaeology and Geography of Ancient Transcaucasian Societies, Volume I
The Foundations of Research and Regional Survey in the Tsaghkahovit Plain, Armenia
Volume 134
Cuneiform Texts from the Ur III Period in the Oriental Institute, Volume 1
Drehem Administrative Documents from the Reign of Shulgi
Volume 115
Medinet Habu IX
The Eighteenth Dynasty Temple, Part 1: The Inner Sanctuaries, with Translations of Texts, Commentary and Glossary
Volume 136
Excavations in the Plain of Antioch. Volume II
The Structural Remains of the Later Phases: Chatal Hueyuek, Tell Al-Judaidah, and Tell Tayinat
Volume 95
Theban Desert Road Survey in the Egyptian Western Desert, Volume 1
Gebel Tjauti Rock Inscriptions 1-45 and Wadi el-Hol Rock Inscriptions 1-45
Volume 119
Reliefs and Inscriptions at Luxor Temple, Volume 2
The Facade, Portals, Upper Register Scenes, Columns, Marginalia, and Statuary in the Colonnade Hall
Volume 116
Cuneiform Texts from the Ur III Period in the Oriental Institute, Volume 2
Drehem Administrative Documents from the Reign of Amar-Suena
Volume 121
Early Megiddo on the East Slope (The ‘Megiddo Stages’)
A Report on the Early Occupation of the East Slope of Megiddo. Result of the Oriental Institute's Excavations, 1925-1933
Volume 139
On the Margin of the Euphrates
Settlement and Land Use at Tell es-Sweyhat and in the Upper Tabqa Area, Syria
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Excavations at the prehistoric mound of Chogha Bonut, Khuzestan, Iran
Seasons 1976/77, 1977/78, and 1996
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Ancient Settlement Systems and Cultures in the Ram Hormuz Plain, Southwestern Iran
Excavations at Tall-e Geser and Regional Survey in the Ram Hormuz Area
Volume 140
The Temple of Khonsu. Volume II
Scenes and Inscriptions in the Court and the First Hypostyle Hall
Volume 103
Tell Hamoukar, Volume 1. Urbanism and Cultural Landscapes in Northeastern Syria
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