Archaeological Research on the History of occupation and Use of the Upper Town of Sirkeli Höyük during the Iron Age

• Applicant: Dr. Alexander Sollee
• Subject Area: Egyptology and Ancient Near Eastern Studies
• Term: since 2025
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 567671553

Historical sources inform us that the region of Cilicia (modern southeast Turkey) represented a significant political entity during the second half of the 2nd millennium B.C. and the early 1st millennium B.C., when it was known under the names Kizzuwatna and Hiyawa/Qawa, respectively. The rulers of these states stood in close exchange with various political powers like the Hittite Empire, the state of Mittani and the Neo-Assyrian Empire. Over certain periods of times, Cilicia was also ruled by these large states. Sirkeli Höyük, located ca. 40 km west of the modern city of Adana, counts among the largest sites in Cilicia and must have represented a significant settlement of Kizzuwatna or Hiyawa/Qawa. Recently, the applicant successfully demonstrated that, during the Middle Iron Age (ca. 900–600 B.C.) and perhaps already during the Late Bronze Age (ca. 1500–1200 B.C.), the ancient settlement at Sirkeli Höyük consisted not only of the settlement mound and an extensive lower town, but also an upper town on a mountainous outcrop located just next to the höyük. Two short excavation campaigns (2019 and 2024), directed by the applicant, led to the discovery of parts of two buildings (O1 and O2). Due to their respective manner of construction, they appear to represent more than ordinary houses and they had multiple phases of occupatin. According to the archaeological material, the latter all date to the Middle Iron Age. The applicant’s research has already produced hints suggesting further ways in which the Upper town was used in antiquity. it was established that the rock-cut cist graves and tombs, which were already recorded in the 1990’s, probably date to the Hellenistic or Late Roman Period. Negatives of ashlars cut from the bedrock that were discovered in the vicinity of the tombs, may serve as evidence for a quarry which served as source for the stones used to construct the Iron Age city wall that has been revealed in the Southeast Lower town of Sirkeli Höyük. Additionally, traces of bedrock removal and canal constructions along the small creek that runs through the upper town may hint at measures to tap the hydrological potential of this part of the settlement. It may have been related to the use of fresh water springs and the canalization of water courses – possibly to prevent damages to buildings. This revelation casts a new light on the structure of the settlement at Sirkeli Höyük during the early 1st millennium B.C. The proposed project sets out to further explore the now identified upper town of the site by the means of archaeological excavations and surveys in order to gather information on its chronological development and urban function(s). The results of this endeavor will be a major contribution to understanding urban development and concepts of space in Iron Age Cilicia. Moreover, it will open new perspectives on the region’s status within the political world in the Eastern Mediterranean during the Iron Age.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: Switzerland
• Cooperation Partner: Professor Dr. Mirko Novák