Büyükkaya
Büyükkaya · Büyükkaya (Boğazköy) · Buyukkaya Hattusa
Chalcolithic to Iron Age (c.5500 BCE–600 CE; Hittite capital eastern quarters)·Chalcolithic → Hittite Empire → Phrygian → Iron Age polity → Byzantine·🇹🇷 Çorum Province, Boğazkale, Hattusa Lower City east, Turkey
About
About Büyükkaya
Rocky plateau forming the eastern anchor of Hattusa (Boğazköy), excavated by Bittel and Neve then Seeher/Schachner. Hittite Lower City pottery workshops and silos on Büyükkaya, Phrygian citadel and Middle Iron Age polity after empire collapse, Byzantine fortress cap. Eastern gate and postern expose Hittite urban zoning east of Büyükkale.
Why it mattersEastern half of Hittite capital Hattusa UNESCO — Büyükkaya stratigraphy anchors Hittite to Phrygian collapse and Iron Age reoccupation (Seeher).
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Function of rock-cut silos — state granary vs water cisterns?
Theories
- 01Seeher eastern industrial quarter vs Schachner administrative citadel model
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- Eastern fortified quarter from Hittite Old Kingdom c.1650 BCE; Büyükkaya citadel rebuild Iron Age
- Period
- Chalcolithic to Iron Age (c.5500 BCE–600 CE; Hittite capital eastern quarters)
- Culture
- Chalcolithic → Hittite Empire → Phrygian → Iron Age polity → Byzantine
- Builders
- Chalcolithic communities
- Purpose
- Eastern citadel and industrial quarter of Hattusa capital controlling Budaközü gap
- Rediscovered
- Modern archaeological survey/ rescue
- Excavation
- Excavation ongoing
c.1650 BCE
Hittite Lower City and Büyükkaya quarters founded
c.1180 BCE
Empire collapse; Phrygian squatter reoccupation
c.900 BCE
Middle Iron Age polity on Büyükkaya
1906
Winckler/Bittel Hattusa discovery, Büyükkaya sounding
On the ground
Structures & features
40.0220° N · 34.6160° E · 1050 m · 3 mapped features
Büyükkaya — Storage quarter
cave hallKey sub-area of Büyükkaya (Chalcolithic to Iron Age) showing Chalcolithic horizon
40.0212° N · 34.6155° EBüyükkaya — Cemetery area
terraceKey sub-area of Büyükkaya (Chalcolithic to Iron Age) showing Chalcolithic horizon
40.0220° N · 34.6161° EBüyükkaya — Kiln field
storageKey sub-area of Büyükkaya (Chalcolithic to Iron Age) showing Chalcolithic horizon
40.0228° N · 34.6167° E