Oymaağaç Höyük (ancient Nerik)
Oymaağaç Höyük · Nerik · Nerikka · Oymaağaç
Early Bronze to Iron Age (3000–600 BCE; peak Hittite Empire 1400–1180 BCE)·Hattian → Hittite → Kaška → Phrygian·🇹🇷 Samsun Province, Vezirköprü District, Turkey
About
About Oymaağaç Höyük (ancient Nerik)
Northern Hittite holy city Nerik, sacred to Storm God Nerikkaili / Zaliyanu, perched above a forested basin north of Vezirköprü. German–Turkish excavations (Czichon, Yılmaz since 2005) revealed a 7 ha mound with Hittite monumental temple complex (Building 1, c.1400–1180 BCE), sacred spring tunnel (poterne) with Hittite masonry, Hattic–Hittite ritual shafts, and a 2 km dam-lake. Texts lament 'Nerik is since Hattusili I abandoned to Kaška'; its rediscovery reorients Kaška geography.
Why it mattersFirst Kaška frontier holy city excavated; proves Hattian Storm God continuity and explains Hittite northern losses; spring architecture unique in Hittite archaeology.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Where is Zaliyanu's trilingual sanctuary described in festivals?
Theories
- 01Nerik as earthquake-damaged oracle site that Hittite kings had to reconquer symbolically
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) ; Hittite temple c.1600 BCE
- Period
- Early Bronze to Iron Age (3000–600 BCE; peak Hittite Empire 1400–1180 BCE)
- Culture
- Hattian → Hittite → Kaška → Phrygian
- Builders
- Hattian priests (original Zaliyanu), Hittite kings Hattusili I to Tudhaliya IV (restorations)
- Purpose
- Primary cult city of northern Storm God, oracle centre
- Abandoned
- c.1580 BCE to Kaška raids; restored c.1400 BCE; abandoned again c.1180 BCE
- Rediscovered
- 1992 identified by Forlanini–Popko textual analysis; excavated 2005–
- Excavation
- Excavation ongoing
c.1580 BCE
Hattusili I loses Nerik to Kaška (Edict of Telepinu)
c.1370 BCE
Suppiluliuma I reconquers; temple rebuilt
2007
Spring tunnel fully cleared revealing Hittite ashlar
On the ground
Structures & features
41.2051° N · 35.4394° E · 260 m · 2 mapped features
Temple Building 1
templeMonumental Hittite temple with basalt altar and cult courtyard
41.2053° N · 35.4396° ESacred spring tunnel
hydraulicHittite-built subterranean spring passage 35 m long
41.2049° N · 35.4390° E