Settlement Pattern and Urbanization in Kültepe-Kanesh Lower Town Level II
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 19469819 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Mehmet Tarık Öğreten, Fikri Kulakoğlu (0000-0002-8163-1378) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 89 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 76-87 |
| Publication date | 2026-06-01 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Near Eastern Archaeology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1094-2076 • E-ISSN: 1557-5594 |
| Publisher | University of Chicago Press (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1086/741252 |
| OpenAlex | W7164161812 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 10 |
The site of Kültepe served as a major hub within the Assyrian trade network during the early second millennium BCE. Its expanding commercial activities, socio-economic diversity, and cosmopolitan population necessitated a structured process of urbanization. Although excavations since 1948 have revealed extensive data, the Lower Town Level II has not been evaluated holistically in terms of its settlement organization and urban layout. This study presents the first integrated reconstruction of this level’s spatial pattern, drawing on planimetric data and the distribution of architectural remains. The findings demonstrate a dual urban fabric, comprising an organically developed zone around the mound and a more formally organized network in the eastern sector, characterized by coordinated streets, intersections, squares, and infrastructure. This analysis provides new insight into early urbanization processes in Central Anatolia and clarifies Kültepe’s position within broader discussions of ancient urbanism
Human settlement · Rural settlement · Settlement (finance) · Urbanization · Agricultural and Rural Development Research · Turkish Urban and Social Issues · Water management and technologies
| Highly cited | No |
|---|