Hassek Höyük (also Hassek Hüyük) is an ancient Near East archaeological site, located on the left bank of the Euphrates River in the Şanlıurfa Province of southeastern Turkey. It was excavated in a salvage effect due to flooding caused by the Atatürk Dam (originally the Karababa Dam). Hassek Höyük lies 20 kilometers south of the castle of Gerger, site of the Battle of Gerger. It is halfway between the villages Asagi Tillakin and Yukari Tillakin. A Halaf period archaeological site, Cavi Tarlasi, is 4.5 kilometers to the west. For this period the area is considered to be part of Upper Mesopotamia. The site is now completely underwater. The notable archaeological sites of Lidar Höyük and Kurban Höyük were also inundated at that time.
Archaeology
Hassek Höyük is a roughly 140 meter by 110 meter flat mound which rises about 9 meters above the plain. It is situated of a slope besides a loop in the Euphrates river and next to a ford in that river. It is thought to have covered an area of about 5.25 hectares before being partially eroded by the Euphrates. Part of the Uruk period occupation on the mound was lost in a landslide at some point.Akok, Mahmut, et al., "Recent Archaeological Research in Turkey", Anatolian Studies, vol. 30, pp. 201–28, 1980
The site was excavated from 1978 until 1986 by a German Archaeological Institute, Istanbul and Institute for Near Eastern Archaeology of the LMU Munich team led by M.R. Behm-Blancke and B. Hrouda as part of the Lower Euphrates Salvage Project. Work was initiated due to flooding caused by the construction of the Atatürk Dam. Work in 1978 and 1979 began with a 8000 square meter geo-magnetic survey (1 meter intervals) and test sounding to determine soil conditions and depth of settlement remains as well as a surface survey. A Uruk period roughly oval fortified acropolis was found at the top of the mound which enclosed a number of buildings. These included a large Northern Building and a large (31 meters by 23 meters) Southern Building which the excavators interpreted as a tripartite temple (similar to a building found at Habuba Kabira.Mellink, Machteld J., "Archaeology in Anatolia", American Journal of Archaeology 91.1, pp. 547-567, 1987 The later building was constructed on 1.2 meter deep by 2 meter wide rubble foundations topped by mudbrick walls and contained a 3.5 meter by at least 8 meter room which was sunk 2 meters below the floor level. The Southern building was surrounded by residential structures, work areas, and grain storage facilities. The entire acropolis area is surrounded by a wall built on pebble and stone foundations and with a 12-meter wide buttressed casemate construction gateway in the northwest portion.Behm-Blancke, M. R., "Hassek Hôyük. Vorlàufiger Bericht iiber die Ausgrabungen 1978-80", Istanbuler Mitteilungen 31, pp. 5-93, 1981Behm-Blancke, Manfred R., et al., "Hassek Hoyük. Vorläufiger Bericht über die Ausgrabungen in den Jahren 1981-1983. (Hassek Hoyük. Rapport préliminaire des fouilles des années 1981-1983)", Istambuler Mitteilungen Tübingen 34, pp. 31-149, 1984 Behm-Blancke, Manfred R., "Die Ausgrabungen auf dem Hassek Höyük im Jahre 1984", KST 7, pp. 87-102, 1985Behm-Blancke, Manfred R., "Die Ausgrabungen auf dem Hassek Höyük im Jahre 1985", KST 8/1, Ankara, pp. 139-147, 1986 Four radiocarbon samples (calibration OxCal v3.10) from the Early Bronze I phases covered 3330-2947 BC. Üncü, Hakkı, Carbon-14 Chronology of Anatolia in Early Bronze Age, MS thesis, Middle East Technical University (Turkey), 2010 Glyphic finds included a number of Early Bronze 1 cylinder seals and stamp seals and clay sealings from all phases. Dede, M. Gökçe, and Umay Oğuzhanoğlu, "Cylinders in anatolia: Remarks on early bronze age seals and sealings", Anatolian Research 31, pp. 31-75, 2024Mazzoni, Stefania, et al., "Seal impressions on jars: Images, storage and food.", Non-scribal Communication Media in the Bronze Age Aegean and Surrounding Areas, pp. 185-206, 2017
Five occupation layers were determined extending from the Late Chalcolithic period through the Early Bronze Age I: Phase 5a - Late Chalcolithic, Syro-Anatolian Phases 5b/c - Late Chalcolithic, Uruk Culture - c. 3400–3300 BC Destruction by conflagration Phases 4 to 1 - Early Bronze Age I - c. 3300-3000 BC
Layer analysis of the data led the excavators to add two more layers (EB Ib was marked by common clay sealings on pottery compared to the Late Uruk Phase 5): Gerber, Christoph, "Hassek Höyük, Türkei. Stratigraphie, Architektur und Kleinfunde. Forschungsarbeiten von 2022 bis 2024", 2024 Phase 6 - Preceding Sumerian contact - c. 3500 BC Phase 0 - Early Bronze Age Ib - c. 2900 BC
Late chalcolithic period ceramic finds included Beveled rim bowls, diagnostic pottery of the Uruk culture as well as the typical clay building cones. There were also "eye idols" (found in Middle Uruk pits) and a number of clay tokens recovered.Schwartz, Glenn, "Excavations at Karatut Mevkii and Perspectives on the Umk/Jemdet Nasr Expansion", Akkadica 56, pp. 1-18, 1988Frangipane, M. and Palmieri, A., "Perspectives on proto-urbanisation in eastern Anatolia: Arslantepe (Malatya)", Origini 1212, pp. 287-668, 1988 Early Bronze ceramic finds included painted Ninevite 5 vases with double pendant handles and pedestals. Akçay, Atakan, "A Late Uruk-Early Bronze Age Transitional Period Cemetery in the Upper Tigris Region: Aşağı Salat", Olba 25, pp. 37-90, 2017 Metal finds included "a bronze knife with whetstone, a flat bronze axe, a large bronze pin, and a bronze chisel". Sawfish remains were found at all occupation levels.Boessneck J., "Besprechung der Tierknochen- und Molluskenreste von Hassek Höyük", Istanbuler Forschungen 38, pp. 58-74, 1992 A number of stone lined graves, oriented in an east-west direction, were excavated.Tuba Ökse, A., "Early Bronze Age Graves at Gre Virike (Period II B): An Extraordinary Cemetery on the Middle Euphrates", Journal of Near Eastern Studies, vol. 65, no. 1, pp. 1–38, 2006 One tomb (Grave 12) on the summit of the mound, from the EB 1b period, was constructed of stone boulders and contained an adult male (roughly 37 years old, crouched lying on right side) skeleton with bronze grave goods of weapons and carpenters tools including two lance points, a dagger, two flat axes, a chisel and a macehead. Hansen, Svend, "Axes and metal deposits in the caucasus from the 5th to the 2nd millennium BCE", in Liane Giemsch, Svend Hansen (Hg.), The Caucasus: Bridge between the urban centres in Mesopotamia and the Pontic steppes in the 4th and 3rd millennium BC. The transfer of knowledge and technologies between East and West in the Bronze Age. Proceedings of the Caucasus conference, Frankfurt am Main, November 28 – December 1, 2018 (Schriften des Archäologischen Museums Frankfurt am Main 34), Regensburg, pp. 31-85, 2021 Also in this period a cemetery of jar burials (94 pithos graves) lay about 700 meters west of the settlement mound on the bank of the Euphrates river. Most of the pithos burials in the cemetery had been looted in modern times or had been damaged by plowing. Overall at Hassek Höyük 120 pithos (jar) and cist burials, intra-mural and extra-mural, were found, many with metal grave goods (primarily pins and beads).Stork, Leigh, "On pins and needles: understanding the role of metal pins in the Upper Euphrates Valley during the Early Bronze I–II", Levant 46.3, pp. 321-338, 2014Helwing, Barbara, "An age of heroes? Some thoughts on Early Bronze Age funerary customs in northern Mesopotamia", First International Symposium of the Tübingen Post-Graduate School, Tubingen, Germany, pp. 47-58, 2012. A number of flint Canaanean blades, typically used as sickles for reaping cereal crops but sometimes as threshing sledges, were found in every phase.Otte, M, J. Pélégrin and F. Collin, "Towards an integrated approach: the use of the Cananean blades", Aun 14, pp. 135-45, 1990Müller-Neuhof, Bernd, "Southwest Asian Late Chalcolithic/Early Bronze Age demand for “big-tools”: specialized flint exploitation beyond the fringes of settled regions", Lithic Technology 38.3, pp. 220-236, 2013 Obsidian at the site was found to be sourced from Nemrut Dağ, located west of Lake Van. Pernicka E., "Herkunftsbestimmung späturukzeitlicher Obsidianfunde", in Behm-Blancke M. (ed.), "Hassek Höyük I. Naturwissenschaft-licheBeiträge", Istanbuler Forschungen 38, Tubingen: ErnstWasmuthVerlag, pp. 124-131, 1992 Faunal remains were primarily sheep and goat followed by pigs and then cattle in prevalence. Ashkar, Shahira Ann, "Faunal material and the Uruk expansion: a look at nine sites in greater Mesopotamia", The University of Arizona, 1995
History Occupation at the site began in the 4th millennium BC with slight traces, found in pits, from the Middle Uruk period. In the Late Uruk period the site became a trading colony of the Uruk culture (similarly to Habuba Kabira and Jebel Aruda) and a large walled acropolis was constructed on top of the mound. After this settlement was destroyed by conflagration it was soon resettled in the Early Bronze I period and a cemetery begun to the west of the mound. Afterward it was permanently abandoned. Helwing, Barbara, "Cultural interaction at Hassek Höyük, Turkey. New evidence from pottery analysis", Paléorient, pp. 91-99, 1999
See also Cities of the ancient Near East Chronology of the ancient Near East Tilbeş Höyük Proto-cuneiform Tell Qraya
References
Further reading Algaze, Guillermo, et al., "The Uruk Expansion: Cross-Cultural Exchange in Early Mesopotamian Civilization [with Comments and Reply]", Current Anthropology, vol. 30, no. 5, pp. 571–608, 1989 Becker, Helmut, "Vorbericht über die magnetische Prospektion von Hassek-Höyük", Istanbuler Mitteilungen 31, Tübingen, pp. 83–87, 1981 R. Behm-Blancke, "Hassek Höyük. Eine Uruk-Station im Grenzland zu Anatolien", Nürnberger Blätter zur Archäologie 8, pp. 82–94, 1992 Behm-Blancke, Manfred R., "1986 Yılı Hassek Höyük Kazıları", Kazı Sonuçları Toplantısı 1, pp. 71–77, 1988 Blancke, MR Behm, "Hassek Höyük Die Grabungen", Türk Arkeoloji Dergisi 46, pp. 65–81, 1983 Behm-Blancke, Manfred Robert, "Hassek Höyük Kazıları, 1978-1979", Aşağı Fırat Projesi 1979, pp. 117–144, 1979 Boehmer, Rainer M., "Vom Hassek Höyük bis zum Buch Tobias. Von Sägefischen undHaien im Altertum", BaM33, pp. 7–43, 2002 Forest, J.-D. and R. Vallet, "Uruk Architecture from Abroad: Some Thoughts about Hassek Höyük", in Córdobaet al.(eds.), pp. 9–53, 2008 Fuensanta, Jesús Gil and Salazar, Juan Manuel Gonzalez. "A Few Thoughts about Late Chalcolithic Architecture and the Uruk Expansion in the Middle Euphrates Area". Time and History in the Ancient Near East: Proceedings of the 56th Rencontre Assyriologique Internationale, Barcelona, July 26–30, 2010, edited by Lluis Feliu, J. Llop, A. Millet Albà and Joaquin Sanmartín, University Park, USA: Penn State University Press, 2013, pp. 657–664 Christoph Gerber, "Zur Datierung der Früh-bronzezeit I in Hassek Höyük", Nachtrag zu IstForsch 47, Istanbuler Mitteilungen, 57, pp. 707–714, 2007 Klimscha, Florian, "Remarks on the Technical Development of bladed Close Combat-Weapons and the Use of the Earliest Swords", Eurasia Antiqua 20 (2014), pp. 221–228, 2018 Stein, G. J. (ed.), "The Uruk Expansion: Northern Perspectives from Hacınebi, Hassek Höyük and Gawra", Paléorient 25/1, pp. 1–171, 1999 Werner, Peter, "Hurra, wir geh'n auf Grabung! Als Frischling auf dem Hassek Höyük", 50 Jahre Vorderasiatische Archäologie in München, hrsg. v. Adelheid Otto, Kai Kaniuth (Münchener Abhandlungen zum Alten Orient 7)., pp. 155–160, 2022 EXCAVATION REPORTS Behm-Blancke, M. R. (éd.), "Hassek Hôyiik I. Naturwissenschaftliche Untersuchungen und litische Industrie", Istanbuler Forschungen, 38, Ernst Wasmuth Verlag, Tubingen, 1992 Helwing, B., "Hassek Höyük II. Die spätchalkolithische Keramik", IstForsch 45, Tübingen, 2002