Analysis and Comparison of Mudbrick Building Materials from Seyitomer Hoyuk Early Bronze Age-III and Middle Bronze Age

Abstract

Archaeological excavations have been carried out intermittently since 1989 in Seyitomer Hoyuk, a medium-sized mound located 25 km northwest of Kutahya. Seyitomer Hoyuk excavation, a salvage excavation, aims to excavate the entire pile. The layers unearthed during the excavations are essential in that they are as a whole and reveal the architectural plans. The Middle Bronze (MBA) and Early Bronze III (EBA-III) periods and layers were unearthed during the rescue excavation at the mound. In this study, the mudbrick structures in the structures recovered from the settlements and spaces of the MBA and EBA-III layers were defined and named. 10 mudbrick samples taken from specific periods and locations were characterized, and their periodical properties were analyzed. Chemical compositions of mud brick samples were determined by X-ray fluorescence (XRF), and mineralogical, and phase compositions were determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The bond structure properties of the mud brick samples were confirmed by comparing them with the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) analysis results. In addition, some of the mudbrick samples, which are thought to have been exposed to periodic fires, were selected and subjected to scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis and energy dispersive X-Ray (EDX) analysis, and the differences in the amount of deterioration in the mudbricks and the structural differences in the periodically used clays were revealed.