Karataş-Semayük
Karataş-Semayük · Karataş · Semayük · Karatas-Semayuk
Early Bronze Age I–II (c.3000–2300 BCE)·Early Bronze Lycian (Elmalı-Karataş) → Southwest Anatolian·🇹🇷 Antalya Province, Elmalı, Lycian plain, Turkey
About
About Karataş-Semayük
EB I–II village and cemetery 5 km west of Elmalı town on the Lycian plateau, excavated 1963–75 by Machteld Mellink (Bryn Mawr). Megaron longhouses with ante, pithos-jar cemetery with painted jars, copper pins and Cycladic-like marble idols show Elmalı as an Aegean-Anatolian interface in the 3rd millennium.
Why it mattersLargest Early Bronze village in Lycia/Pisidia with extramural jar cemetery — 180 pithos graves gives SW Anatolian EB chronology (Mellink).
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Megalithic tomb tradition relation to Cycladic?
Theories
- 01Mellink SW Anatolian burnished ware migration vs local
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- EBA village c.3000 BCE; extramural cemetery EB I–II
- Period
- Early Bronze Age I–II (c.3000–2300 BCE)
- Culture
- Early Bronze Lycian (Elmalı-Karataş) → Southwest Anatolian
- Builders
- Early Bronze Lycian (Elmalı-Karataş) communities
- Purpose
- Lycian Early Bronze agro-pastoral town with megaron houses and pithos cemetery
- Rediscovered
- Modern archaeological survey/ rescue
- Excavation
- Excavated
c.3000 BCE
EB I village and pithos cemetery founded
c.2700 BCE
EB II megarons succeed phase
1963
Mellink Bryn Mawr project
1975
Final cemetery publication
On the ground
Structures & features
36.7200° N · 29.9200° E · 1050 m · 3 mapped features
Karataş-Semayük — North sector
moundKey sub-area of Karataş-Semayük (Early Bronze Age I–II) showing Early Bronze Lycian (Elmalı-Karataş) horizon
36.7192° N · 29.9194° EKarataş-Semayük — Central mound
structureKey sub-area of Karataş-Semayük (Early Bronze Age I–II) showing Early Bronze Lycian (Elmalı-Karataş) horizon
36.7200° N · 29.9200° EKarataş-Semayük — South terrace
cemeteryKey sub-area of Karataş-Semayük (Early Bronze Age I–II) showing Early Bronze Lycian (Elmalı-Karataş) horizon
36.7208° N · 29.9206° E
Gallery