Yumuktepe — Mersin Mound
Yumuktepe — Mersin Mound Tell
Neolithic to Byzantine (7000 BCE+)·Neolithic to Roman·🇹🇷 Mersin Province, Cilicia, Turkey
About
About Yumuktepe — Mersin Mound
Yumuktepe — Mersin Mound in Mersin Province, Cilicia, Turkey is a Neolithic to Byzantine (7000 BCE+) tell attributed to Neolithic to Roman culture. German and Syrian excavations document stratified sequence with ceramic seriation and radiocarbon. The site includes a principal mound and ancillary settlement.
Why it mattersKey Neolithic to Roman site illustrating Neolithic to Byzantine (7000 BCE+) tell traditions.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Urban planning of Yumuktepe — Mersin Mound
- 02Chronology of lower town
Theories
- 01Administrative centre for Neolithic to Roman
- 02Trade hub on Euphrates/Khabur
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c. 7000 BCE
- Period
- Neolithic to Byzantine (7000 BCE+)
- Culture
- Neolithic to Roman
- Purpose
- Coastal mound 25 m stratified 7000 BCE to medieval
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
c. 7000 BCE
Initial settlement
c. 2000 BCE
Major expansion and fortification
On the ground
Structures & features
36.8022° N · 34.6222° E · 410 m · 3 mapped features
Yumuktepe — Mersin Mound — Main Mound
moundMain tell mound Yumuktepe — Mersin Mound 15 m high with stratified phases
36.8030° N · 34.6230° EYumuktepe — Mersin Mound — Lower Town
settlementLower town settlement 10 ha with houses and kilns
36.8013° N · 34.6217° EYumuktepe — Mersin Mound — Gate Area
gateFortified gate with mudbrick walls and bastions
36.8033° N · 34.6215° E