An Assessment of Spatial Organization, Architectural Materials, and Structural Functions at Kurul Fortress

Atakan Akçay; Ahmet Emirhan Bulut

Article Details

An Assessment of Spatial Organization, Architectural Materials, and Structural Functions at Kurul Fortress

Authors:

Atakan Akçay | Ahmet Emirhan Bulut

Publisher:

Istanbul University

Main Topics:

Archaeology

Journal:

Anatolian Research Issue 27, pp.175-224

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

9/2023

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001283883

pISSN:

0569-9746

Keywords:

Abstract:

 Kurul Fortress is located within the Turkish province of Ordu on the top of steep rocks rising from the nearby Melet River. It was heavily settled during the reign of Mithridates VI Eupator 120-63 BC, the last ruler of the Kingdom of Pontos. Despite fortress as a term specifically bringing to mind military functions at first, this settlement was also a cultic place where various gods had been worshipped starting in earlier periods. The unearthed storage structures containing hundreds of terracotta pithoi and amphorae in different sectors prove that Kurul Fortress had had the function of preserving agricultural products and commercial goods within the military and administrative hinterland of Kurul Fortress. Due to being located at a strategic point, Kurul Fortress presents a settlement model that took maximum advantage of the terrain, as much as the topographical conditions permitted. The configuration of Kurul Fortress settlements preferred to face both the western and eastern slopes of the narrow but long summit of the rock on which it is located. Because no later settlement existed on the site after the late Hellenistic period, relatively well-preserved architectural elements have survived to the present day. This paper aims to evaluate the settlements structures that were unearthed between 2010-2019, their possible functions, the materials that constituted the structures, the architectural texture, and the contemporary settlement of the region, which also shows similar architectural characteristics. This study is considered to be significant because it will create an opportunity for the settlements in the Kingdom of Pontos to be compared with its territory in terms of architectural features and will provide abundant information on what a settlement during the reign of Mithridates VI Eupator was like.

 Kurul Fortress is located within the Turkish province of Ordu on the top of steep rocks rising from the nearby Melet River. It was heavily settled during the reign of Mithridates VI Eupator 120-63 BC, the last ruler of the Kingdom of Pontos. Despite fortress as a term specifically bringing to mind military functions at first, this settlement was also a cultic place where various gods had been worshipped starting in earlier periods. The unearthed storage structures containing hundreds of terracotta pithoi and amphorae in different sectors prove that Kurul Fortress had had the function of preserving agricultural products and commercial goods within the military and administrative hinterland of Kurul Fortress. Due to being located at a strategic point, Kurul Fortress presents a settlement model that took maximum advantage of the terrain, as much as the topographical conditions permitted. The configuration of Kurul Fortress settlements preferred to face both the western and eastern slopes of the narrow but long summit of the rock on which it is located. Because no later settlement existed on the site after the late Hellenistic period, relatively well-preserved architectural elements have survived to the present day. This paper aims to evaluate the settlements structures that were unearthed between 2010-2019, their possible functions, the materials that constituted the structures, the architectural texture, and the contemporary settlement of the region, which also shows similar architectural characteristics. This study is considered to be significant because it will create an opportunity for the settlements in the Kingdom of Pontos to be compared with its territory in terms of architectural features and will provide abundant information on what a settlement during the reign of Mithridates VI Eupator was like.

 Kurul Fortress is located within the Turkish province of Ordu on the top of steep rocks rising from the nearby Melet River. It was heavily settled during the reign of Mithridates VI Eupator 120-63 BC, the last ruler of the Kingdom of Pontos. Despite fortress as a term specifically bringing to mind military functions at first, this settlement was also a cultic place where various gods had been worshipped starting in earlier periods. The unearthed storage structures containing hundreds of terracotta pithoi and amphorae in different sectors prove that Kurul Fortress had had the function of preserving agricultural products and commercial goods within the military and administrative hinterland of Kurul Fortress. Due to being located at a strategic point, Kurul Fortress presents a settlement model that took maximum advantage of the terrain, as much as the topographical conditions permitted. The configuration of Kurul Fortress settlements preferred to face both the western and eastern slopes of the narrow but long summit of the rock on which it is located. Because no later settlement existed on the site after the late Hellenistic period, relatively well-preserved architectural elements have survived to the present day. This paper aims to evaluate the settlements structures that were unearthed between 2010-2019, their possible functions, the materials that constituted the structures, the architectural texture, and the contemporary settlement of the region, which also shows similar architectural characteristics. This study is considered to be significant because it will create an opportunity for the settlements in the Kingdom of Pontos to be compared with its territory in terms of architectural features and will provide abundant information on what a settlement during the reign of Mithridates VI Eupator was like.

 Kurul Kalesi, Ordu ili sınırları içerisinde, Melet Irmağının üzerindeki sarp kayalıkların zirvesinde yer almaktadır. Kurul Kalesinde en yoğun yerleşim, Pontos Krallığının son kralı VI. Mithradatesin M.Ö. 120-63 hanedanlık yıllarına tarihlenmektedir. Kale teriminin en başta akla getirdiği salt askeri fonksiyonların ötesinde yerleşim aynı zamanda, daha erken tarihlerden başlayan, çeşitli tanrıların tapınım gördüğü bir kült alanıdır. Farklı sektörlerde açığa çıkarılan yüzlerce pişmiş toprak pithos ve amphorayı içeren depo mekânları ise, Kurul Kalesinin askeri ve idari hinterland alanı içerisindeki tarımsal ürünlerin ve ticari emtianın korunmasına yönelik bir fonksiyon taşıdığını da göstermiştir. Stratejik bir konumda yer alan Kurul Kalesi, topografyanın izin verdiği ölçüde, araziden maksimum düzeyde faydalanan bir yerleşim modeli sunmaktadır. Üzerinde yer aldığı kaya kütlesinin dar ancak uzun zirvesinde, doğu ve batı yamaçlara bakacak biçimde bir yapılaşma tercih edildiği görülmektedir. Kurul Kalesinde Geç Hellenistik dönem yerleşiminin son bulmasının ardından başka bir yerleşimin olmaması, nispeten iyi korunmuş mimari kalıntıların günümüze kadar ulaşmasını sağlamıştır. Bu çalışma, Kurul Kalesinde 2010-2019 yılları arasında açığa çıkartılan mekânları, mekânların olası fonksiyonlarını, mimari malzemeleri, yerleşim dokusunu ve yakın coğrafyada benzer mimari karakterleri ortaya koyan yerleşimlerin değerlendirilmesini amaçlamaktadır. Pontos Krallığı ve etki sahasındaki yerleşimlerin mimari özellikleriyle bir karşılaştırmaya imkân tanıyacak olması ve bir VI. Mithradates yerleşimi hakkında önemli bilgiler sunması bakımından bu çalışmanın önem arz ettiğini düşünmekteyiz.

Article Details

An Assessment of Spatial Organization, Architectural Materials, and Structural Functions at Kurul Fortress

Authors:

Atakan Akçay | Ahmet Emirhan Bulut

Publisher:

Istanbul University

Main Topics:

Archaeology

Journal:

Anatolian Research Issue 27, pp.175-224

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

9/2023

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001283883

pISSN:

0569-9746

Kurul Kalesi

Mimari

Pontos Bölgesi

Hellenistik Dönem

VI. Mithradates

Issues

Article Details

An Assessment of Spatial Organization, Architectural Materials, and Structural Functions at Kurul Fortress

Authors: Atakan Akçay | Ahmet Emirhan Bulut

Publisher: Istanbul University

Main Topics: Archaeology

Journal: Anatolian Research Issue 27, pp.175-224

Document Type: Article

Publication Date: 9/2023

Document Language: Turkish

Document ID (Org No.): 2001283883

pISSN: 0569-9746

Kurul Kalesi

Mimari

Pontos Bölgesi

Hellenistik Dönem

VI. Mithradates

Issues

Authors:

Atakan Akçay | Ahmet Emirhan Bulut

Publisher:

Istanbul University

Main Topics:

Archaeology

Journal:

Anatolian Research Issue 27, pp.175-224

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

9/2023

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001283883

pISSN:

0569-9746