Archeogeophysical Studies in Archaeological Heritage Studies: the Case of Konya, Alaeddin Hill

Abstract

Konya Province, one of the provinces with the largest surface area in Turkey, is located in the Central Anatolia Region, between 37°52' north latitude and 32°30' east longitude. Alaeddin Hill is located in the city center of Konya. The hill surrounding which is a mound has been exposed to intense construction and traffic. This structure, which is not a natural hill and has survived from ancient times, forms the historical core of Konya. Alaeddin Hill Mound; It is an archaeological settlement that yields finds dating back to the Bronze Age (4500-2000 BC). The mound is the inner castle settlement of the Anatolian Seljuk State and is one of the important natural and archaeological sites today. The mound contains all the settlement levels from the past to the present, from the Bronze Age to the end of the Ottoman Period. Important findings were unearthed during the archaeological excavations carried out in 1941 on the Alaeddin Hill Mound. Alaeddin Hill Natural and Archaeological Site, Alaeddin Mosque, Yarım Kümbet (Half Cupola), 2nd Kılıçarslan Tomb and Mansion constitute the inner castle of Medieval Konya. During the Seljuk conquest, the province of Konya was a small city within the walls surrounding the present Alaeddin Hill Mound. The 2nd Kılıçarslan Mansion Rescue Excavation was carried out in 2010. As a result of the archaeological excavations, the wall surrounding the ruins of the Palace extending in the east-west direction was unearthed to the west of the mansion. During the archaeological excavations, it was determined that the 2nd Kılıçarslan Mansion was not an independent structure on its own. It forms a unity with the walls extending to the east and west of the Alaeddin Mansion and the walls that cut these walls vertically to the south. Therefore, it suggests that this building complex is the remains of the Seljuk Palace. According to new findings and information found during archaeological excavations, Alaeddin Hill was built during the reign of Alaeddin II. Archaeological and geophysical studies have begun to fully uncover the wall surrounding the ruins of the palace located to the east of the Kilicharslan pavilion, the condition of the western facade of the pavilion, so that one can see the continuation of the remains of the inner fortress wall that runs east in front of the pavilion, to explain the integrity of the pavilion and the Seljuk Palace. With the integrated interpretation of magnetic (M) and geoelectric (ERT) methods from archaeogeophysical studies, anomalies belonging to the inner city wall remains, giving regular geometric forms, were visualized in two and three dimensions.