Tilbeş Höyük is an ancient Near East archaeological site inundated by the Birecik Dam located in Şanlıurfa Province in southeastern Turkey. It lies on the left bank of the upper Euphrates river across the river from the Horum Höyük archaeological site. Its primary occupation was during the Early Bronze period. There was originally a modern town, Keskince Köyü, at the base of the mound but it has now been submerged by the action of the dam and the remaining part of the mound of Tilbeş Höyük is only reachable by boat.
Archaeology The site, originally covering about 3 hectares, was excavated as part of a rescue archaeology effort of the Spanish Archaeological Mission to Turkey and the University of Alicante led by Jesüs GiI Fuensanta and Adnan Misir. The work at Tilbeş Höyük was part of salvage archaeology at sites endangered by dam construction and included Tilmusa Höyük, Tilöbür, Surtepe Höyük, and Tilvez Höyük. It began in 1996 with surveys.Fuensanta, J. G., and A. Mısır, "Excavations at Tilbeş Höyük: The 1996 Season", XIX Arkeometri Sonuçları Toplantısı vol 1 (1997)", pp. 227-244, 1997 Tilmusa Höyük - 9 meter high conical mound with an area of 0.45 hectares, cut on the western part by the river. Also called Apamea though it is not fully clear which of the slew of places with this name is intended. Pascual, José, "Apameia on the Euphrates, Macedonoupolis and Seleucid Forms of Political and Territorial Control", Dialogues d’histoire ancienne 482.2, pp. 191-216, 2022 Tilöbur - conical mound with an area of about 1.44 hectares and a stratigraphical depth of 6 meters located 2.2 kilometers west Tilmusa Höyük Tilvez Höyük - 9 meter high double conical mound with an area of about 3.5 hectares at the base and about 1.2 hectares at the top of the mound. Survived inundation though most of the Early Dynastic level has been destroyed by the construction of a concrete factory. Surtepe Höyük - 20 hectares in area with a city wall. Halfway between Samsat and Carchemish and 7 kilometers south of Birecik.Fuensanta, J. Gil, et al, "2001 Surtepe Höyük salvage excavation report", Kazı Sonuçları Toplantısı 24, pp. 105-12, 2002Fuensanta, J. G., et al, "Surtepe Höyük Salvage Excavation Report", 23 Kazı Sonuçları Toplantısı vol 1, pp. 197-204, 2000Fuensanta, Jesús Gil, Petr Charvàt, and Eduardo Crivelli Montero. "The dawn of a city: Surtepe Höyük excavations, Birecik Dam Area, Eastern Turkey." Proceedings of the 5th International Congress on the Archaeology of the Ancient Near East: Madrid, April 3–8, 2006. UAM Ediciones, pp. 97-112, 2008Fuensanta, Jesús Gil, "2000 Salvage Excavations at Surtepe, Tilbes and Tilvez (Birecik Dam)", Ori-ent Express—Notes et Nouvelles d ́Archéologie Orientale, pp. 74–76, 2002Fuensanta, J. G., et al, "The Tilbeş Project Research in 2005: Surtepe Höyük", 28 Kazı Sonuçları Toplantısı vol 2, pp. 457-470, 2007
Work at the site ran from 1996 to 1999.Fuensanta, JG–Rothman, and E. MS-Bucak, "1997 Salvage Excavations at Tilbeş Höyük", KST 20.1, pp. 207–218, 1998Fuensanta, J. G., M. S. Rothman, and E. Bucak, "Salvage Excavation at Tilbeş Höyük (Birecik, Urfa), 1998", Kazı Sonuçları Toplantısı, pp. 157-166, 2000Gil Fuensanta, J., Charvat, P. and Bucak, E., "1999 Salvage survey and excavations at Tilmusa, Tilöbür, and Tilvez Höyük", Orient-Express 2001 (1), pp. 3–5, 2001Fuensanta, J. G., et al., "The research of the Tilbes Project, 2004", Kazı Sonuçları Toplantısı 27, pp. 445–452, 2005 Work began in two areas, the west (sector A) and the south (sector E).Greaves, Alan M., and Barbara Helwing, "Archaeology in Turkey: The Stone, Bronze, and Iron Ages, 1997-1999", American Journal of Archaeology, vol. 105, no. 3, pp. 463–511, 2001 The western side of the Tilbeş Höyük (originally 3 hectares in area) had been eroded away in antiquity so the current western portion would originally have been in the center of the mound and the mound had an area of about 1.5 hectares. It measured 110 meters by 100 meters and with a cultural deposit of at least 14.5 meters. A 2.5 meter by 2.5 meter deep sounding (in area AE1-5) was excavated at that point reaching virgin soil at 12 meters. Under a hiatus layer Late Chalcolithic occupation was found and finds were various Uruk sherds and beveled rim bowls. A Uruk period "fruit-stand" (Fruchtstandeller) was found in a cist grave.Sertok, Kemal, "Fruit stands and the definition of a cultural area around Carchemish", Euphrates River Valley Settlement The Carchemish Sector İn The Third Millennium Bc, Levant Supplementary Series 5, pp. 238-249, 2007 A square test pit (B1) was dug at the northern part. A 5 meter by 5 meter square (E4b) later expanded by a trench was dug in the south-southwest portion of the mound. In an Early Bronze I occupation layer a mud brick building was found and a tomb (intrusive into the lower Late Chalcolithic layer). The tomb contained "a few goblets, champagne cups with reserved slip, a pin and some beads" and a single human skeleton. Below a hiatus level Late Chalcolithic occupation was found. After the main site was submerged erosion exposed the Terminal Ubaid sub-site of Tilbes-Körçe and from 2001 until 2004 the Spanish Archaeological Mission in Turkey excavated there along with doing post excavation study of the Tilbeş Höyük work. Over over 450 square meters were worked and about 12 buildings found.Fuensanta, Jesús Gil, "Trabajos de la Misión Arqueológica Española en Turquía (VII): El Proyecto Tilbes, 2001", Boletín de la Asociación Española de Orientalistas 38, pp. 233–248, 2002 Fuensanta, Jesús Gil, "Trabajos de la misión arqueológica española en Turquía (VIII): el proyecto Tilbes, 2002", Boletín de la Asociación Española de Orientalistas 39 pp. 165–183, 2003Gil Fuensanta, Jesús, "Trabajos de la misión arqueológica española en Turquía (IX): El Proyecto Tilbes, 2003", Boletín de la Asociación Española de Orientalistas, XL, pp. 267-283, 2004Fuensanta, Jesús Gil, "Trabajos de la Misión Arqueológica Española en Turquía (X): El Proyecto Tilbes, 2004", Boletín de la Asociación Española de Orientalistas 41, pp. 345-357, 2005Muminov, Otabek, Jesus Gil Fuensanta, and Alfredo Mederos Martin, "On The Post-Ubaid stratigraphy and complex architecture of the Birecik Dam Area (Turkish Euphrates): Surtepe and Tilbes-Körche Late Chalcolithic 1 levels [Estratigrafía Post-Ubaid y arquitectura compleja en el pantano de Birecik (Éufrates turco): niveles del Calcolítico Final 1]", Cuadernos de Prehistoria y Arqueología de la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, pp. 11-44, 2020
In the center of the mound (E4aE3E) a multi-roomed stone built shrine with a west facing entrance was found with three construction layers, Early Bronze I, Early Bronze II, and Early Bronze III and included two stone cist graves with infant burials (EB II). It was built atop a mud brick platform and the most recent was destroyed by fire. Finds in that building included a number of clay horns, terracotta goddess figurines. Though the structure was out of use the area was occupied to an extent in the Early Bronze IV period, with suggestions of building walls, burials and finds of figurines.Fuensanta, Jesús Gil, Alfredo Mederos Martín, and Otabek Uktamovich Muminov, "Early Bronze Age I-III shrines and burial rites at Tilbes Höyük, Southeastern Turkey", Cuadernos de Prehistoria y Arqueología 45, pp. 51–67, 2019 Fuensanta, Jesús Gil, Alfredo Mederos Martín, and Otabek Uktamovich Muminov, "On the Northern frontier of the Ebla Kingdom during the Early Bronze Age IVA. The Birecik Valley and the Kingdom of Abarsal in the left bank of the Middle Turkish Euphrates", Cuadernos de Prehistoria y Arqueología de la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid 50.1, 2024 The excavators interpreted this as the site of a fertility cult. Fuensanta, Jesús Gil, and Alfredo Mederos Martín, "At the mercy of the waters of the Turkish Euphrates: Tilbes Höyük and its possible performance as a regional sanctuary of a goddess during the 2nd–3rd millennia BC in northern Mesopotamia", Water Supply and Water Management in the Metal Ages, pp. 68-80, 2024 On the Early Bronze III level two radiocarbon dates (method and calibration unknown) using samples from that were determined 2890-2584 ± 45 BC and 2830-2461 ± 45 BC. On the Early Bronze I level three radiocarbon dates (method and calibration unknown) were determined from building and tomb contexts yielding dates of 3491-3039 ± 50 BC, 3351-2920 ± 50 BC, and 3082-2876 ± 50 BC. Üncü, Hakkı, "Carbon-14 Chronology of Anatolia in Early Bronze Age", MS thesis, Middle East Technical University (Turkey), 2010
Finds at Tilbeş Höyük included remains of a bulla, numerical token, flint, obsidian, and basalt artifacts as well as sherds with traces of cuneiform characters referring to volume capacities and a sherd of a Coba bowl. Metal grave goods in the form of 6 pins were also found.Greaves, Alan M., and Barbara Helwing, "Archaeology in Turkey: The Stone, Bronze, and Iron Ages, 2000", American Journal of Archaeology, vol. 107, no. 1, pp. 71–103, 2003Stork, Leigh, "Systems of Value and the Changing Perception of Metal Commodities, ca. 4000–2600 bc", Journal of Near Eastern Studies, vol. 74, no. 1, pp. 115–32, 2015Yildirim, Bahadir, and Marie-Henriette Gates, "Archaeology in Turkey, 2004-2005", American Journal of Archaeology, vol. 111, no. 2, pp. 275–356, 2007
Iron Age In the Iron Age occupation level an Egyptian scarab was found, dated approximately to the 26th dynasty (664–525 BC).Fuensanta, J. G., and E. D. U. A. R. D. O. Crivelli, "Late Iron Age “Post-Assyrians” and Persians in Turkish Euphrates: an Archaeological or “Historical” Approach", Proceedings of the 6th International Congress of the Archaeology on the Ancient Near East. Vol. 1, pp. 65-75, 2010 An out of context cylinder seal was found with dating to the early 2nd millennium BC (proposed reading 1, dNergal (Ne₃‑iri₁₁‑g[al]) 2. u₃ dMa‑mi‑tum). The cuneiform inscription had been recut to interpret the figures on the seal as being "Nergal and his consort Mammitum".Charvát, P., and J. Gil Fuensanta, "Seals and Seal Impressions from Tilbes Höyük, South- Eastern Turkey (1996–1999)", Archív orientální 69, pp. 559–70, 2001
History The site was occupied in the Late Chalcolithic (Proto-Ubaid, Late Ubaid, Uruk), Early Bronze Age (into the Middle Bronze Age transition period), Middle Bronge Age and, after a long hiatus, lightly in the Achaemenid, Hellenistic, Seleucid, Roman and Islamic Periods. The excavators determined an occupation periodization for the site:Fuensanta, J.G. Rothman, M.S. Charvat, P. Bucak, E., "Tilbeş Höyük Salvage Project Excavation", Kazı Sonuçları Toplantısı 23-1, Ankara, pp. 131-137, 2001Fuensanta, Jesús Gil, Alfredo Mederos Martín, and Otabek Uktamovich Muminov. "Northern Birecik (Southeastern Turkey) during the Middle Bronze Age. The Kingdoms of Uršu and Mamma in the Old Assyrian route during Kultepe Ib", Cuadernos de Prehistoria y Arqueología de la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid 51.1, pp. 115-140, 2025
Late Chalcolithic 5th to middle 4th millennium BC - Proto-Ubaid through Middle–Late Uruk EBA I - 3490–2875 BC - Construction of 1st central shrine EBA II - 2800–2600 BC - Shrine rebuilt EBA III - 2890–2460 BC - Shrine rebuilt and ended in destruction EBA IV / EBA–MBA transition - 2500–2000 BC MBA I–II - 2000–1750/1700 BC Long period of abandonment Middle Iron Age - 8th–6th centuries BC Late Iron Age / Achaemenid - 6th–4th centuries BC Hellenistic - 4th–1st centuries BC Roman - 1st century BC–3rd/4th century AD Islamic early medieval to later periods.
See also Cities of the ancient Near East Habuba Kabira Hacınebi Tepe Hassek Höyük Kenan Tepe Üçtepe Höyük
References
Further reading Charvát, P., "Tilbes Höyük v provincii Sanliurfa, jihovýchodní Turecko (The Site of Tilbes Höyük, Sanliurfa Province, Southeastern Turkey)", in Orientalia Anti-qua Nova—Sborník z mezinárodního vědeckého kolokvia, konaného v Plzni dne 9. února 2001. Edited by I. Budil and P. Charvát, Plzeň: ZČU Plzeň, pp. 5–9, 2001