Kaman-kale Höyük

Kaman-Kalehöyük is situated in Central Anatolia, South-East of Ankara (the capital of Turkey) and 52km from the center of Kırşehir. Its area is 1.799 km2, its diameter is 280 m and its height is 16 m. The Middle Eastern Culture Center in Japan conducts excavations in Kaman-Kalehöyük by the permission of the General Directorate of Monuments and Museums of Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Excavations started on May 31, 1986 by H.I.H. Prince Takahito Mikasa and since then studies have been carried out with the great help and support of Prof.Dr. Tahsin Özgüç. Many artifacts and architectural remains have been found from the Ottoman Period to the Early Bronze Age.

Ruins of the city found by scientists from Japan, Turkey and other countries under the leadership of Dr. Sachihiro Omura, evidence a community of more than 10.000 population living within the territory. City walls surrounding the mound site approximately 1 km long. A temple, storage facilities and city gates are some of the important archaeological features. Other findings include tablets, pottery, stamps, stamp seals, painted earthenware, bulae and animal figurines in materials made of bronze, iron, wood, ceramic, copper and bone. Most artifacts belong to the Assyrian Colonial Period and the Hittite Kingdom period.

Excavations performed by the Japanese investigation group identify the existence of 4 different cultural settlements in the region:

1st Layer – Ottoman Period (15th-17th century AD);

2nd Layer – Iron Age (12th-4th century BC);

3rd Layer – Middle and Late Bronze Age (20th-12th century BC);

4th Layer – Early Bronze Age (3rd millennium BC).

Architectural remains found in Kaman-Kalehöyük explain Anatolian history and its place in the world. Studying the finds in their original archaeological context enables us to interpret Anatolian history from ancient to modern ages.

It is thought that these studies will be carried out for at least 50 years, and Chalcolithic and Neolithic Ages will be identified during future excavations.