Published June 27, 2024 | Version v1
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Pre-Pottery Neolithic Gre Fılla

Authors/Creators

  • 1. Kocaeli University

Contributors

  • 1. University of British Columbia

Description

Gre Fılla, covering an area of 0.5 ha and ca.7-8 in height, is located on the eastern bank of the Ambar stream and is in the south of the modern Ambar village near the Kocaköy district of Diyarbakır province. Salvage excavations at Gre Fılla, carried out within the Ambar Dam Project brought out a Pre-Pottery Neolithic (PPN) settlement, located on the northern border of the alluvial plain formed by the tributaries of the Upper Tigris valley. The main settlement period is the Pre-Pottery Neolithic, presenting a sequence dating to 9300–7500 cal. BC. The Pottery Neolithic period is represented only by potsherds; the architecture seems to have been destroyed by the Late Roman and Medieval periods graves. Salvage excavations conducted in two different areas, the north, and the south operations revealed that the settlement layout in the northern operation is marked by three oval subterranean structures, separated by ca. 9–10 m from each other. Each oval structure is surrounded by quadrangular buildings separated by narrow paths connecting them. The grouping of quadrangular structures around each oval structure left the impression of subgroups, each making use of the subterranean structure in the middle of their residential circle. Likewise, in the southern operation were uncovered another oval structure and several quadrangular buildings. Taking into account the radiocarbon dates and the undisturbed stratigraphic position of the oval and quadrangular buildings, it seems clear that both building plan types had been used simultaneously. The oval buildings are ca. 7.5 × 10 m in dimension, each equipped with four pillars constructed of limestone and mud mortar. The walls, renewed multiple times, were not always fully placed on top of one another, causing the appearance of intertwined walls. Several large rooms were furnished with 1–4 stone bases for wooden posts to support the roof. Some buildings have mud plaster on the walls. Preliminary assessment of faunal and micro-floral remains, though they are still under study, shows that the inhabitants of Gre Fılla consumed primarily sheep, goat, cattle, wild boar, deer, rodents, rabbit and birds and lentils, hackberry, grape, etc in their subsistence economy. So far, a few human remains, some of which were furnished with grave goods, were unearthed. Single-burial was practiced and deceased people were interred mostly under the floor or under and/or next to the walls associated with the structures in a flexed position (hocker). There could not be found any special burial facilities at the site.

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