Tepecik-Çiftlik Höyük
Tepecik-Çiftlik · Tepecik-Ciftlik · Tepecik Çiftlik · Cappadocia Tepecik
Aceramic Neolithic to Late Neolithic–Early Chalcolithic·Central Anatolian (Aşıklı → Çatalhöyük related)·🇹🇷 Niğde Province, Çiftlik Plain – Cappadocia Melendiz, Turkey
About
About Tepecik-Çiftlik Höyük
Major Aceramic to Chalcolithic tell (c.7500–5500 BCE, 7 levels) on Çiftlik Plain at Göllü Dağ obsidian foot, type-site for Cappadocian Neolithization: Erhan Bıçakçı & Mihriban Özbaşaran excavations (2000–) revealed obsidian workshop floors with 10,000+ blades, plastered houses with intramural child burials, early caprine domestication dung layers and experimental copper beads 5200 BCE. Proto-Çatalhöyük obsidian supply village that seeded Central Anatolia.
Why it mattersOnly Aceramic obsidian factory village; Cappadocian branch founder; early copper experiment before Chalcolithic.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Why Tepecik abandoned while Çiftlik plain continued?
- 02Obsidian pressure technique — Levantine vs local origin
Theories
- 01Tepecik as Çatalhöyük obsidian mother — 80% Çatalhöyük obsidian traced to Göllü Dağ via Tepecik
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.7500 BCE Level 6; intensive 7000–5500 BCE
- Period
- Aceramic Neolithic to Late Neolithic–Early Chalcolithic
- Culture
- Central Anatolian (Aşıklı → Çatalhöyük related)
- Builders
- Cappadocian obsidian workers
- Purpose
- Obsidian blade production centre and farming village at volcano foot
- Abandoned
- c.5500 Chalcolithic with Göllü Dağ quarry depletion
- Rediscovered
- 1960s Göllü Dağ survey; 2000 Bıçakçı systematic
- Excavation
- Excavation ongoing
2000
Istanbul University Bıçakçı begins
c.6800 BCE
Obsidian workshop horizon 10k blades
c.5200 BCE
Copper bead experiment
On the ground
Structures & features
38.3100° N · 34.1100° E · 1520 m · 3 mapped features
Obsidian workshop floor (Level 4)
workshop40 m² obsidian blade workshop with cores
38.3101° N · 34.1101° EPlastered house with burial
houseIntramural burial under lime plaster floor
38.3099° N · 34.1099° EGöllü Dağ source trail
quarryObsidian quarry path to summit
38.3100° N · 34.1100° E