EARLY BRONZE AGE METALLURGY AT MURAT HÖYÜK, EASTERN ANATOLIA: ARCHAEOMETRICAL ASSESSMENTS OF A FIGURINE AND A METAL TOOL

Abstract

Murat Höyük lies on the bank of the Murat River in Solhan district of Bingöl province in Eastern Anatolia. This study presents archaeometrical analyses of a unique metal figurine and a metal tool recovered in situ during the 2019 Murat Höyük Excavations, the first systematic archaeological excavation project in Bingöl. Four cultural layers (Medieval, Middle Iron, Early Iron, and Early Bronze Age) were documented at the site, where the earliest settlement is dated to the EBA III (2500-2200 BC). The metal figurine and tool were found in this earliest phase (IV), where stone mould fragments and a crucible were also found in associated contexts. Portable XRF (p-XRF) analyses performed on the figurine, and p-XRF and metallography analyses conducted on the copper tool revealed that metals used in the manufacture of these artefacts were smelted from different polymetallic copper ores. Additionally, production process of the objects was examined in this study. A holistic evaluation of finds related with metallurgy at Murat Höyük reflects cultural affiliation with the Upper Euphrates Basin in terms of material choice and production technology. The present study on Murat Höyük metal finds provide new insight into Early Bronze Age metallurgy, belief systems, and art in Eastern Anatolia.