Zincirli Höyük (Sam'al)

Zincirli Höyük is a large archaeological settlement located in the İslahiye Plain of Gaziantep Province, at the foot of the Amanos Mountains and at the northern end of the Karasu Valley. Covering an area of approximately 40 hectares, it is one of the largest centers in the region. The settlement consists of a central citadel (acropolis) measuring 8 hectares and rising 10 meters in height, surrounded by a lower town. The lower town is enclosed by walls that form a near-perfect circle, making it a notable example in Near Eastern urban planning.

History

Zincirli Höyük was first settled during the Early Bronze Age (3rd millennium BCE). It was reoccupied during the Middle Bronze Age II (1800–1600 BCE), and residential structures and storage facilities from this phase have been uncovered through archaeological excavations. During this period, the movements of the Amorites and Hittite campaigns influenced the region. The Middle Bronze Age layers at Zincirli are believed to have been destroyed by a major fire during the late 17th century BCE campaigns of the Hittite kings Hattusili I and Murshili I.

During the Iron Age II (early 1st millennium BCE), Zincirli became the center of an independent Late Hittite kingdom known as Sam’al. Historical documents written in Akkadian, Luwian hieroglyphs, and Aramaic have been found at the site. These inscriptions confirm that the city served as the capital of an independent kingdom under the name Sam’al during the Iron Age. This kingdom, established around 920 BCE, came under Assyrian pressure in the 8th century BCE and by the 7th century BCE had become a full provincial center of the Assyrian Empire.

Discovery and German Excavations

Zincirli Höyük was introduced to the scholarly world by Osman Hamdi Bey in 1884. The first excavation permit was granted in 1888 to a German team led by Carl Humann, director of the Berlin Museum. Excavations were carried out in 1888, 1890, 1894, and 1902. These campaigns uncovered numerous basalt reliefs, statues, inscriptions, and city gates. A portion of the finds was sent to Germany with the permission of the Ottoman State under the Asar-ı Atika Nizamnamesi. The work conducted by the Germans provided foundational knowledge about the political and artistic history of the Sam’al kingdom.

Modern Excavations

After a long interval, new excavations were initiated in 2006 under the leadership of the University of Chicago (Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures), later joined by the University of Tübingen. During these investigations, the citadel, lower town, city gates, and residential areas were excavated.

In the 2017 season, excavations revealed that a monumental structure known as Hilani I was not, as previously thought, from the Iron Age but dated to the Middle Bronze Age. During the 2019–2020 campaigns, new finds were uncovered in the southern part of the citadel and at the city gates, and significant data regarding the layout of the early Iron Age settlement in the lower town were obtained.

Urban Structure and Architecture

The wall system of Zincirli Höyük exhibits a nearly perfect circular plan, a rare form in the Near East. The citadel and the surrounding lower town form a planned, unified whole. City gates constructed from basalt blocks and monumental entrances adorned with orthostats reflect the grandeur of the city. Numerous basalt statues and reliefs were recovered during the German excavations. Thanks to modern geophysical surveys, approximately two-thirds of the city has been mapped beneath the surface, revealing the overall urban plan in considerable detail.

Archaeobotanical and Environmental Findings

Phytolith, macrobotanical, and diatom analyses conducted on Middle Bronze Age II layers indicate intensive cereal processing and storage activities in the region. Agricultural products such as bitter vetch (Vicia ervilia) were found stored in sealed containers. Additionally, remains of reed matting and animal dung spherulites have been identified. These findings demonstrate that agriculture and animal husbandry played a significant role in daily life at the settlement.