KECICAYIRI: AN EARLY BRONZE AGE II FORTIFIED HILLTOP SETTLEMENT (NORTHWEST ANATOLIA)

Abstract

The article deals with the architecture of the Early Bronze Age II fortified hill-top settlement of Kecicayiri, located in the eastern Phrygian Highlands (north-western Turkey). Measuring ca 130 x 100m, the settlement is established on a flat surface on top of a hillock known as Cibirada, with the fortification wall closely following the external contours of Cibirada. The row-houses, connected to the fortification wall at the rear often have shallow porches at the front, which open onto a possible central courtyard. The site is of great importance as it shows the existence of fortified settlements in the highlands of the Eskisehir region, already around the middle of the third millennium BC and possibly in connection with intensified trade relations between distant areas. The settlement of Kecicayiri, which currently represents the only known example of these settlements, may have been built to manage and protect sources of raw materials like flint.