ERZİNCAN-ALTINTEPE ÇEVRESİ YÜZEY ARAŞTIRMALARI

Eyüp CANERMehmet Işıklı

Abstract Altıntepe is the one of the most important settlements of Urartu that had a state by establishing a significant alliance in I. millennium BC. Altıntepe Castle was established on a hill which is situated on a fertile plain that is 16 km east of the city of Erzincan. A geo-prospect was carried out in coordination with the Altıntepe Excavations Presidency to determine the settlements of civilian population in the citadel of Altıntepe castle. The geo-prospect-based Altıntepe was carried out with the Altıntepe in the center of an area which has 5 km radius. Even though the geo-prospect did not give us purposive data, it has revealed significant information about the archeology of the region. Significant data which sheds light on Early Iron Age in the region has been obtained too. In addition, it gave us an opportunity to learn and study geological and geographical location of the region. The effects of geological and natural conditions on the land have been identified. Above all, Küpesik mound discovered by us for the first time have been presented to the world of archeology. In this geo-prospect where new discoveries about prehistoric and historic periods of the region were made we have found some clues that Achaemenid, which was an important satrapy during the Persian period, was active, We also obtained some findings that Küçük Höyük had been inhabited in prehistoric period.