Excavations at Van-Yoncatepe Fortress and Necropolis

Abstract

A ceramic oven containing pots and bowls, found in an illegal excavation in 1995 at the southwestern corner of the fortress, demonstrates that these were produced locally. The fact that the kiln was not emptied may indicate that the occupants left the site in a hurry (Belli 1996:149). At first the reason was unclear but after three years of excavating at the fortress we surmised that an unexpected fire caused confusion and people fled in panic. The cause of the fire has not yet been ascertained. There may have been an attack by enemies or just an accident somewhere in the fortress. We hope to find more answers in the coming years.The cultural transition in the Van region from the second millennium BCE to the Early Iron Age and then the Urartian Period is not fully understood. The discovery of the Early Iron Age ceramics and iron objects found so far at Yoncatepe plus further excavation seasons planned for this site will contribute to clarifying the local nature of this transition.We believe that both the architectural and burial customs as well as the tomb deposits should be considered characteristic of the Early Iron Age. Furthermore, this new datum from the Yoncatepe excavations necessitates a reevaluation of the Early Iron Age chronology for the Van region.

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