Building structures of Trench A17 with intramural grave; stone vessels, bone tool and beads from the Epipalaeolithic/Early Neolithic site of Körtik Tepe, Diyarbakir. Photos: Körtik Tepe Photo Archive

Körtik Tepe^[1], which is located in the district of Bismil, Diyarbakır in southeastern Anatolia, provides a detailed stratigraphy comprising several layers of the early PPNA (http://antiquity.ac.uk/projgall/ozkaya/). The Epipalaeolithic character of the flint stones suggests that the site was occupied even earlier (Özkaya 2009:7). The stratigraphy of the eastern profiles of Trenches A84 and A80 and the radiocarbon dates show two clearly distinguishable main periods of PPNA occupation with several sub-phases. The radiocarbon dates of these trenches are in good stratigraphic order.^[2] Because of a wiggle and a plateau in the calibration curve, uncalibrated dates of the lower layers seem to be too young on first sight; but by wiggle matching the ranges of the calibrated dates can be reduced and their sequence matches well with the calibration curve (Fig.1; Benz et al. 2011). The youngest levels of Phase I.2.-II can thus be dated between 9300 BC and 9400 BC, and the dates of the lower layers of Phases II to V range between 9600 BC and 9450 BC. The lower levels of Phase VI hint at a more ephemeral occupation dating between 9660 BC and 9600 BC. Two samples of animal bones have been dated, too. The range of the older date (Beta-178242) is in good accordance with the younger phase of the PPNA occuaption (9360-9275 cal BC; 68,2%), whereas Beta-178241 is considered to be too young.

It must be kept in mind that the upper layers of Phase I and the lowest layers of Phase VII have not been radiocarbon dated so far, but it is probable that the latter date to the end of the Younger Dryas. The radiocarbon dates of Körtik Tepe thus clearly point to a permanent settlement right at the transition from the Younger Dryas to the early Holocene comparable to the nearby site of Hallan Çemi.

Authors: A. Coşkun, M.Benz, V.Özkaya