Korucutepe Keban East Mound
Korucutepe East · Keban East Tell
Late Chalcolithic to Mitanni (4000 BCE–1350 BCE)·Late Chalcolithic → EBA → MBA → Hittite → Mittani·🇹🇷 Elazığ Province, Keban District, Upper Euphrates, Altınova Plain, Turkey
About
About Korucutepe Keban East Mound
Korucutepe Keban East Mound is the eastern salvage mound 300 m east of Korucutepe main on the Altınova plain (860 m) — twin mound testing the Keban Altınova Hittite–Mittani frontier. Van Loon's east mound trenches expose Late Chalcolithic deep sounding, an EBA fortified house with karum-period pottery, and a Mittani house with Nuzi ware sealed by a Hittite destruction (1350 BCE) — documenting Altınova's oscillation between Hittite and Mittani before Suppiluliumas's conquest. East mound's 1350 BCE burnt layer tracks Keban's basin-wide destruction horizon also at Norsun and Tepecik.
Why it mattersAltınova twin-mound 1350 BCE burn — Keban Hittite–Mittani frontier destruction horizon
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01East mound sibling — hamlet or citadel annex?
- 021350 BCE burn — Suppiluliumas or internal?
Theories
- 01Van Loon Keban Altınova destruction horizon 1350 BCE model
- 02Hittite–Mittani buffer at Korucutepe east mound
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.4000 BCE Late Chalcolithic; EBA fortified 3000 BCE; Hittite 1600 BCE
- Period
- Late Chalcolithic to Mitanni (4000 BCE–1350 BCE)
- Culture
- Late Chalcolithic → EBA → MBA → Hittite → Mittani
- Builders
- Chalcolithic villagers, EBA chiefs, Hittite–Mittani overlords
- Purpose
- East mound of Korucutepe — Keban Dam salvage twin mound (east of main) on Altınova plain, Mittani–Hittite border Altınova key
- Abandoned
- c.1350 BCE Hittite–Mittani war abandonment
- Rediscovered
- Salvage excavated 1968–70 van Loon (Chicago) Keban project
- Excavation
- Excavated
1968
Van Loon opens Korucutepe east mound, EBA house found
1970
Mittani 1350 BCE burn with Nuzi ware published
1980
Keban Altınova destruction horizon synthesis (van Loon)
On the ground
Structures & features
38.6900° N · 38.7800° E · 860 m · 3 mapped features
EBA Fortified House (Karum)
settlementEBA fortified house with karum-period red burnished ware 2000 BCE
38.6908° N · 38.7806° EMittani Nuzi House with Burn
settlementMittani Nuzi ware house burnt 1350 BCE Hittite–Mittani horizon
38.6893° N · 38.7791° ELate Chalcolithic Deep Sounding
settlementLate Chalcolithic levels at east mound base 4000 BCE
38.6911° N · 38.7807° E