Aşıklı Hüyük—A Protoneolithic Site in Central Anatolia

Abstract

The site of Aşıklı Hüyük lies in the vilayet of Niğde, ca. 25 km. south-east of Aksaray and ca. 1 km. south of Kızılkaya Köy, on the right bank of the Melendiz Çay. The existence of a mound here was first made known to the writer by Dr. Edmund Gordon who was examining the area for Hittite remains, and the site was visited by the writer several times during the summer and autumn of 1964 when the collection of obsidian implements discussed in this paper was made.Set in the narrow but very fertile valley of the Melendiz Çay beside the river, there is an ample water supply, and the sides of the valley are suitable for the growing of crops. The mound has been considerably eroded by the river, and in places six metre high sections have been laid bare. This erosion of the site is mainly responsible for the very large quantities of obsidian implements and small finds that were found. Originally a very large hüyük, the site is still very considerable, and it is impossible to tell how much has been destroyed by erosion. The size of the mound is also difficult to judge because the ground slopes up gently from the site to the hills which form the edge of the valley, and only by excavation can the limits of the occupied area be established.