Location
Sayburç is located on the southern foothills of the Eastern Taurus Mountains, on the threshold where the mountainous topography intersects with wide plains, on the plateau surrounding Harran Plain. The settlement is about 60 km east of the Euphrates River and 20 km southwest of downtown Şanlıurfa.
Sayburç, just like its other contemporaries in the Şanlıurfa plateau, takes place on limestone hills that are Eocene-origin (Pic. 1). The Neolithic settlement had been developed on two hills, one in the north which is relatively higher, and the other in south, low (Pic. 2). There is a third hill in the west, different from the other two with Roman quarries, caves, cisterns and no traces of Neolithic. The actual Roman settlement, however, had been established on the Neolithic fill in the north. Roman elements are also encountered on the hill in the northeast of the settlement.
Research History
Sayburç was registered as a second-degree archaeological site after the discovery of Roman findings in 2020 fast forward to May 2021, while Şanlıurfa Archaeological Museum and project members were visiting the site, they came across pillars, used in the garden-wall-building and they started investigating the site extensively which led to the discovery of Neolithic findings. The archaeological research started with this discovery has been going on in the scope of the Şanlıurfa Neolithic Research Project – Taş Tepeler, by a collaboration of the Şanlıurfa Archaeological Museum and Istanbul University Department of Prehistory since 2021
Archaeological Research
The archeological resarch of the Sayburç continue in two parts of the field, north and south. The most remarkable remains in the northern area is a circular structure carved into the rock with a diameter of about 14 meters. It has a stone wall built directly on the bedrock. The floor is carved out of the bedrock. As in other special buildings in the region, there is a bench along the wall, also carved out of the bedrock. The north side of the bench is carved with reliefs. Shallow rounds of pillars placed at irregular intervals on the top of the bench and rectangular smoothed surfaces and depressions indicate that the bench was divided by relatively small pillars. Immediately east of this structure is another partially preserved structure about 4-5 m in diameter. The area further southeast of the site was used as a quarry during the Roman period.
The southern settlement was built directly on the elevation of the bedrock. Throughout the excavation area, adjacent regular structures were found, which were built in addition to each other and are thought to belong to the same phase. The walls were built entirely of stone, and elements such as braces and niches were frequently used. Some of the buildings had T-shaped pillars, some in the shape of human figures. The floors of the buildings were also carved into the bedrock and benches were placed in front of the walls.
Aims of the Project
The main aims of the research in Sayburç, shaped within the Şanlıurfa Neolithic Research Project are addressed below:
Like many other sites in the region, Sayburç consists of different settlement units and so far two types of them have been identified: special or residential buildings. To understand whether functional or social differences or the chronological process is the determinant of the horizontal development of the settlement,
To be able to understand the life of the societies in the region, which are mostly known for the special buildings, holistically by doing detailed studies to understand the use of space and daily life, especially in the section where residential buildings are located,
To reveal the place of animal domestication, plant cultivation, architectural and technological developments in daily life through contextual studies,
To understand the social dynamics that shaped the sedentary culture that developed in the region, based on finds that reflect the symbolism and worldview of the period, such as special structures, reliefs, sculptures, and ornaments.
Sayburç Reliefs
The Sayburç Reliefs in the northern area consists of five prehistoric depictions of humans and animals, arranged in an area of approximately 80x370 cm.
Two humans, two leopards, and a bull are depicted side by side in a long scene. The orientation of the figures points to two main squares. The one on the right is the most striking at first glance, with a man standing in the center and a leopard facing him on either side. Unlike the others, the male figure is painted in high relief and does not face either of the leopards, but looks straight ahead into space. The figure is depicted in a seated position, holding his phallus with his right hand. The leopards on either side of him are depicted in a state of attack, with their forelegs slightly raised, their mouths open and their teeth visible. The group of figures on the left is a human with his back to the scene and a bull standing opposite him. The human is shown in a slightly crouched position and motion. His arms are raised and bent at the elbow. In his open left hand, six fingers can be counted, while in his right hand, he holds a sling, an inverted snake, or a rattle. The bull facing him is shown in an attacking position, like the leopard, with its front legs slightly raised. Its dangerous horns are shown from above in full view. One of the main features of the Sayburç reliefs is that the movement is just as important as the figures which suggests that events are as prominent as figures, whether human or animal.
The transition from a nomadic cycle of hunter-gatherers to sedentarization is a long process that witnessed major disruptions in human life. During this period, very important social transformations took place in parallel with the development of subsistence strategies and technologies. Special structures where people gathered and performed various rituals played an important role in this adaptation process. The Sayburç reliefs in a special building must also be a part of the stories, a part of the cosmos, a reflection of the ideology of existence of the period, repeated in the memory of the community that painted them, perhaps to be passed on to future generations. Text: Eylem Özdoğan, Photos: Sayburç Project Archive, Bekir Köşker ve Yusuf Aslan
Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Culture and Tourism
Istanbul University
Şanlıurfa Archaeology Museum
Turkish Historical Society
Governorship of Şanlıurfa
Sub-Governorship of Karaköprü
Karaköprü Municipality
Komili Türkiye
Ömür Akkor Foundation
Altınay Industrial Group
