Bead findings of Van Karagündüz and Altıntepe Necropoles

ABSTRACT This masters thesis concentrates on the analysis of a group of beads that were recovered from the Iron Age cemeteries at the sites of Karagündüz and Altmtepe near Lake Van in eastern Anatolia. This study is important as the Karagündüz cemetery dates to the earlier stages of the Iron Age, while Altintepe is an Urartian site. Thus, the bead evidence can be used to shed new light on the so-called proto-Urartian period. The mortuary evidence, in which the beads were found, is utilized to demonstrate that the roots of Urartian culture can be sought within the Lake Van area. The bead assemblage was analyzed from a multiple perspective that, including manufacturing techniques, consumption, and typology. The beads are classified into different categories based on the material used (e.g. stone, glass, seashell). The results of the analysis contributes much to our understanding of the cultural history of the Early Iron Age in eastern Anatolia. A cultural continuation is observed in the bead assemblages of Karagündüz and Altintepe, the former representing the earlier stages of the Iron Age. In this sense, it can be stated that Karagündüz cemetery belonged to pastoral groups with chiefs, while Altintepe cemetery was used by Urartian elites of later times.