DİVRİĞİ KALESİ KAZISI

Divriği, which has the richest iron ore deposits in Anatolia, is known for the struggle of the Byzantine Empire against the Paulicians in the past. The settlement, that came under the control of the Mengücek family in the mid-12th century, is now mostly known for the Divriği Building Complex, which is recognized as a World Heritage Site. However, its cultural richness is much more than that. The castle is an important source of information with its mosque and its artifacts, most of which are still underground. After the survey in 2006, excavation works started in 2007. The first excavations in the castle area were carried out in 2009 and to the west of the Castle Mosque. Between 2010-2018, excavation work was carried out at the points called the Main Gate, Sultan’s Gate, Flag Area, North of Castle Mosque, Cave Area, as well as other locations. The groups of artifacts found led to the formation of a rich excavation inventory. Among these material groups, plaster, tobacco pipes, metal artifacts and a special group of glazed ceramics was studied as a master’s thesis. Significant data about the area was obtained during the process from 2007-2018. A general conclusion was reached regarding settlement phases. A ceremonial sacrificial area, necropolis period, warehouse outpost period, rock dwelling period and wall building period were generally identified. Within the framework of the opened spaces, the spatial characteristics of the settlement were better understood. As a result of long and detailed studies and material analysis, especially the ceramic material character was understood, and the issue of local-imported material was resolved. Although the activities carried out between 2007- 2018 have led to the acquisition of important information about the area, the excavated area during this period does not even cover 10 % of the whole area. The latest excavations were carried out in 2018 and we hope that another team or other teams start working in the area to increase the data on Divrigi Castle. For more detailed information, please refer to the Extended Abstract at the end of the text