Aktepe Türkmen Mezarlığında Bir Grup Kaideli Sandık Tipi Mezarın Ortaya Çıkarılması ve Rekonstrüksiyonu

The documentation of gravestones in Türkiye has generally relied on surveys, while excavations within cemeteries and burial grounds have remained rare. In surface research, it is not possible to intervene physically in the soil layers or in the displaced stones. As a result, the structural and formal features of tombs that are partially or fully covered by soil or have been destroyed are often difficult to determine with precision. The typology and terminology of tombs have been established under these conditions based on studies conducted in a specific region or area over a specific period of time. As research continues, however, new tomb types and further variations of known forms continue to emerge.

While tombs and headstones are classified individually, their mutual relations - spatial, structural and formal – also produce distinctive combinations. Excavations are thus important not only for identifying and documenting gravestones but also for defining them more accurately and for enabling their reconstruction. Equally significant is the documentation of tombs belonging to nomadic or semi-nomadic communities and to rural populations. Although such examples are not detached from the main types of Turkish gravestones and tombs, they display distinctive characteristics shaped by the social and cultural structures of their communities and by the practical challenges of obtaining material, technique and craftsmanship. Studies focusing on this group have remained limited in Türkiye, and the first excavation of this nature was carried out in Hatay. Since 2014, the “Rescue Excavation and Cleaning Woks of Aktepe Turkmen Cemetery, Hatay Province, Hassa District, Aktepe Quarter, Karapınar Location, Parcel No. 468” have been conducted under the direction of the Hatay Archaeological Museum.

The subject of this paper is the exposure and reconstruction of nine, pedestal-mounted chest-type tombs discovered in trench C IV during the 2020 season. The aim of the study is to contribute these tomb types, with their structural and formal feature, to the literature of art history, and to provide a framework for future efforts of identification, documentation, reconstruction and restoration in other damaged cemeteries of similar character.

The majority of tombs in the cemetery consist of oval or rectangular enclosures with simple framing; other forms are more rarely attested. These could only be identified after removing fill layers, sorting through heavily disturbed stone accumulations, and exposing in-situ elements. At the beginning of the excavation, among the scattered stones some examples stood out, including “L”, “U” and “T” forms. Notably, such stones were found grouped within low mounds slightly elevated from the general ground level.

Excavations conducted in trench C III in 2019 revealed that these accumulations corresponded to the remains of chest-type tombs arranged in a frame-like layout upon stepped pedestals that narrowed upward. The massive monolithic blocks (sandukas) had originally formed the uppermost level of these constructions, while headstones (şahides) were set at both ends; the present mounds resulted from the spread of the soil filling within the chest structures. In trench C IV, tomb no. 6, with its partially preserved three-level base, indicated a similar construction. Comparative material from the surrounding region and nearby provinces was also taken into consideration.

Some of the stones were documented in situ, while others were found displaced or intentionally removed. Stones around the tombs were carefully numbered, separated, and the fill soil was removed to expose partially preserved lower courses. These data were evaluated together, and the tombs were reassembled.

The results demonstrate that in the nine examples of trench C IV, a composite design was employed that combines elements of the Turkish tomb tradition: chest-type constructions with open or covered upper parts, massive monolithic sandukas, headstones, and stepped pedestals. The structures were formed from numerous irregular stones of varying thickness, size, and height, worked in a free manner, and roughly shaped and assembled in situ. The chest interiors were filled with soil, and lime-based material was occasionally used between courses as binding.

These examples may be interpreted as local reinterpretations and adaptations of the stepped, open or cover-stone chest-type tombs known in the Turkish gravestone tradition, created by nomadic or semi-nomadic communities of rural Anatolia according to their material and technical resources. Although the current data do not allow precise dating, it may be suggested that the tombs belonged to individuals of relative economic means, perhaps leaders or figures of authority within their communities.