Page 19 - TINA Dergi Sayi 09

TINA

Maritime Archaeology Periodical

It seems that nearly 5000 pieces of obsidian came at Tatlısu-Çiftlikdüzü compared to other contemporary
as finished tools from central Anatolian sources. Sit- settlements in Cyprus suggests that the site was an im-
uated 80 km off the Anatolian mainland as the crow portant center engaged in the import of obsidian. The
flies, Tatlısu has the potential to provide answers to site was probably an entry point for this material of
questions about the origin, lifestyle, seafaring activi- northern (i.e. Anatolian) origin. Additionally, in Tat-
ties, and overseas trade of the first settlers in Cyprus. lısu-Çiftlikdüzü, the discovery of an abundant number
rAw mAterIAL, COntACt wItH tHe SeA, AnD tHe mAInLAnD of artifacts made of picrolite, a greenish-bluish stone,
The most significant assemblage of Tatlısu-Çiftlik- as well as unprocessed picrolite fragments from the
düzü is comprised of obsidian tools that may provide Troodos Mountains on the southern part of the island,
answers for many questions that relate to contact with which were in use from the Neolithic period to the
25
the mainland and seafaring. A comparison between end of the Chalcolithic period, clearly shows that the
the total number of obsidian tools recovered from settlement had an important role as a point of distribu-
other Neolithic settlements in Cyprus and the obsidi- tion in the trade network of the raw material across the
an finds of Tatlısu-Çiftlikdüzü, which consist of about island and/or in the trade network itself.
5000 pieces, raises several questions about the sup- FISHInG
ply of obsidian from the mainland and distribution of The diversity of fish bones (bonito, tuna, white tuna,
these tools across the island. The large volume of raw bluefin tuna, hake, and small shark) among the faunal
material known to have been imported from central remains of Tatlısu-Çiftlikdüzü, as well as fish hooks
Anatolia, and its availability in different excavation made of various mammalian animal bones hooks
layers, highlights the nature of Cypro-Anatolian rela- (Fig. 7) made of, indicate that the community was in-
22
tions in an earlier period. The obsidian finds, which volved in both deep-sea fishing and coastal fishing.
are similar to types of tools produced specifically in Intact remains of sea turtles (Caretta caretta) recov-
the obsidian workshop of Kömürcü-Kaletepe, nev- ered from the ditch during the 2004-2005 campaign
23
ertheless must have been imported from Anatolia as represent another unique group of finds (Fig. 8).
26
finished tools, since there is a noticeable lack of cores
and flakes at the site. The larger quantity of obsidian 25 Picrolite is a soft stone, usually in greenish-blueish
24
24 BALKAN-ATLI vd. 1999; BINDE 26 ŞEVKETOĞLU 2006, 215, Fig. 24.
22
23
ŞEVKETOĞLU 2002, 2006, 2008.r vd. 2001.
tones, specific to Cyprus found in Troodos mountains.
ŞEVKETOĞLU 2006, 125; 2008, 67-68.
22 ŞEVKETOĞLU 2002, 2006, 2008.
23 BALKAN-ATLI et al. 1999; BINDEr et al. 2001.
24 ŞEVKETOĞLU 2006, 125; 2008, 67-68.
25 Picrolite is a soft stone, usually in greenish-blueish tones, specific to Cyprus found in Troodos mountains.
26 ŞEVKETOĞLU 2006, 215, Fig. 24.

fig. 8: Tatlısu-Çiftlikdü-
zü kazılarında bulunan
deniz kaplumbağaların-
dan biri, Kıbrıs. (Fotoğ-
raf: Tatlısu Kazı ve Araş-
tırma Projesi Arşivi).
fig. 8: One of the sea
turtles uncovered during
the Tatlısu-Çiftlikdüzü
excavations, Cyprus.
(Photographic Archive of
the Excavation and Sur-
vey Project in Tatlısu).
17