Norsun Tepe Keban Dam Rescue Trench
Norsun Rescue · Norsun Tepe South Trench
Early Bronze to Iron (3200 BCE–800 BCE)·EBA → MBA → Hittite → Iron Age (Urartian–Phrygian periphery)·🇹🇷 Elazığ Province, Keban District, Altınova Plain South, Turkey
About
About Norsun Tepe Keban Dam Rescue Trench
Norsun Tepe Keban Dam Rescue Trench is the southern salvage sector of Norsun Tepe on the southern Altınova plain — one of Hauptmann's Keban rescue tells with an Hittite palace (1600–1350 BCE) burnt 1350 BCE coeval with Korucutepe east and Tepecik. Rescue trench exposes EBA III fortified village, a Hittite storage palace with pithoi and sealed tablets (Hittite–Hurrian bilingual), and an Early Iron squatter reoccupation with Phrygian grey ware — tracking Altınova EBA to Iron continuity through the 1350 BCE horizon.
Why it mattersKeban rescue south sector — Hittite palace 1350 BCE burn companion to Korucutepe–Tepecik horizon
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 011350 BCE palace burn — Hittite–Mittani war vs. internal revolt at Norsun?
- 02Iron grey ware — Phrygian migrants or local emulation?
Theories
- 01Hauptmann Keban horizon synchrony — Norsun–Korucutepe–Tepecik 1350 BCE
- 02Altınova Iron Phrygian infiltration model
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.3200 BCE EBA; Hittite palace 1600 BCE; Iron Age reoccupation 1100 BCE
- Period
- Early Bronze to Iron (3200 BCE–800 BCE)
- Culture
- EBA → MBA → Hittite → Iron Age (Urartian–Phrygian periphery)
- Builders
- EBA village founders, Hittite governors, Early Iron villagers
- Purpose
- Rescue trench on Norsun Tepe — Keban salvage tell south face on Altınova, 1350 BCE burn horizon south-sector witness
- Abandoned
- c.800 BCE Iron reoccupation ends
- Rediscovered
- Salvage excavated 1969–74 Hauptmann (Heidelberg) Keban project
- Excavation
- Excavated
1969
Hauptmann opens Norsun south rescue, Hittite palace found
1973
1350 BCE palace burn with pithoi published
1983
Iron grey ware reoccupation above burn published
On the ground
Structures & features
38.6200° N · 39.0100° E · 840 m · 3 mapped features
Hittite Storage Palace (Pithoi)
palaceHittite palace with pithoi storerooms sealed by 1350 BCE burn, south sector
38.6208° N · 39.0106° EEBA III Fortified Village Base
settlementEBA III fortified village beneath Hittite palace, 2600 BCE
38.6193° N · 39.0091° EIron Grey Ware Squatter Reoccupation
settlementPhrygian grey ware squatter houses above burn 1100–800 BCE
38.6211° N · 39.0107° E