Eskiyapar Höyük
Eskiyapar Höyük · Eskiyapar · Eski Yapır · Eskiyapar Mound
Early Bronze to Iron Age (3000–700 BCE; peak MBA colony and Hittite Empire)·Hattian / Assyrian colony → Old Hittite → Hittite Empire → Phrygian·🇹🇷 Çorum Province, Alaca District, Turkey
About
About Eskiyapar Höyük
Middle–Late Bronze tell 6 km west of Alaca, Çorum (310 × 280 m, 11 m high), type-site for north-central Anatolian Hittite provincial administration. Middle Bronze Karum-period acropolis yielded Assyrian–Hattian bullae and gold jewellery; Hittite level (c.1650–1180 BCE) produced the famous Eskiyapar gold bowl treasure, a Hittite sword with Akkadian inscription, and burnt destruction layer synchronous with Hattusa's fall. Below lies EB III 'Alaca-culture' tombs contemporary with Alacahöyük royal graves. Links Alishar–Alaca–Hattusa triangle.
Why it mattersGold treasure and inscribed sword key to Hittite metalworking and timing of Empire collapse on northern frontier.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Is burnt layer Sea Peoples or Kaskan raid?
Theories
- 01Northern copysite of Hattusa administration pre-figuring Sapinuwa
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. 3000 BCE (Early Bronze Age)
- Period
- Early Bronze to Iron Age (3000–700 BCE; peak MBA colony and Hittite Empire)
- Culture
- Hattian / Assyrian colony → Old Hittite → Hittite Empire → Phrygian
- Builders
- Hattians; Assyrian merchants (karum); Hittite governors
- Purpose
- Administrative and metallurgical centre controlling Alaca Plain copper–silver routes
- Abandoned
- c.1180 BCE (destruction) then Phrygian reoccupation to c.700 BCE
- Rediscovered
- 1926 Garstang; Hamilton 1835; excavated 1935 Koşay, 1968–1991 Özsait, 2010– Çorum Museum
- Excavation
- Excavation ongoing
c.1850 BCE
Karum trading post with Cappadocian tablets
c.1450 BCE
Gold bowl treasure deposited
c.1180 BCE
Violent burning contemporary with Hattusa collapse
On the ground
Structures & features
40.1670° N · 34.7670° E · 970 m · 2 mapped features
Gold treasure findspot
storeroomNorthwest storeroom where gold bowl and silver stag vessel found
40.1672° N · 34.7675° EEB royal tomb area
tombSoutheast slope shaft tombs with sun disks
40.1667° N · 34.7678° E