Horoztepe
Horoztepe · Horoztepe (Erbaa) · Erbaa Horoztepe
Early Bronze Age (c.2800–2300 BCE; cemetery c.2400 BCE)·North-Central Anatolian Early Bronze (Alacahöyük-Horoztepe horizon)·🇹🇷 Tokat Province, Erbaa, Yeşilırmak basin, Turkey
About
About Horoztepe
Extramural Early Bronze cemetery 2 km north of Erbaa (Tokat) on the Yeşilırmak, excavated 1957 by Tahsin Özgüç. Twelve pithos and cist graves yielded mother-and-child bronzes, baldachino sistrums, bull and sun-disc standards paralleling Alacahöyük royal tombs but in a rural context, revealing north Anatolian Copper Age elite.
Why it mattersPrincely EB cemetery with Alaca-like metalwork — mother-and-child cast bronzes, sistrums, bull figurines show north Anatolian metallurgy independent of Troy.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Location of associated settlement?
Theories
- 01Pontic metallurgy network vs central Anatolian diffusion
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- Extramural cemetery c.2400 BCE
- Period
- Early Bronze Age (c.2800–2300 BCE; cemetery c.2400 BCE)
- Culture
- North-Central Anatolian Early Bronze (Alacahöyük-Horoztepe horizon)
- Builders
- North-Central Anatolian Early Bronze (Alacahöyük-Horoztepe horizon) communities
- Purpose
- Elite cemetery of nearby EBA town, copper metallurgy centre
- Rediscovered
- Modern archaeological survey/ rescue
- Excavation
- Excavated
c.2400 BCE
Elite cemetery in use (EB II)
1957
Özgüç rescue discovers bronzes
c.2300 BCE
Abandonment after EB II burn
On the ground
Structures & features
40.6800° N · 36.5700° E · 260 m · 3 mapped features
Horoztepe — Central mound
structureKey sub-area of Horoztepe (Early Bronze Age) showing North-Central Anatolian Early Bronze (Alacahöyük-Horoztepe horizon) horizon
40.6793° N · 36.5695° EHoroztepe — South terrace
cemeteryKey sub-area of Horoztepe (Early Bronze Age) showing North-Central Anatolian Early Bronze (Alacahöyük-Horoztepe horizon) horizon
40.6801° N · 36.5701° EHoroztepe — East gate
templeKey sub-area of Horoztepe (Early Bronze Age) showing North-Central Anatolian Early Bronze (Alacahöyük-Horoztepe horizon) horizon
40.6809° N · 36.5707° E