Burial traditions in central Anatolia in the Early Bronze Age

Early Bronze Age BC. It is the period dated between 3000-2000 BC. With the discovery and use of bronze, great progress has been seen in mining, art, trade and urbanization, and social, political and cultural developments have started to be seen with the effect of all these. Burial customs provide important data about the cultures of societies. In the light of these data, information is obtained about the beliefs, other world views, socio- economic status, social structure, relations with cultures and chronological order of societies. In terms of their location in Central Anatolia, there are both residential and non- residential cemeteries, while in some, both loci are seen. Hocker, nim-hocker, dorsal burials are seen in the tombs of Central Anatolia, which are grouped as simple earth, jars, pots, chests, masonry rounds and chambers. In general, the items left in the graves are ornaments, utensils, idols, statues, sun discs, metal objects, weapons, furniture, appliqués for clothing, and sacrificed animals. In the EBA, metal vessels, weapons and tools are concentrated especially in the north of the Kızılırmak arc. The reason for this is that the mineral deposits are located around this region. The most striking application in the cult of the dead is the placing of cattle heads and legs as in Alaca Höyük tombs. This tradition, which was seen for the first time in Alaca Höyük tombs, was also seen in the excavations carried out in Resuloğlu in recent years, where animal bones left next to pithos tombs were found. Anthropological research in graves provide us with information about the life style of a society. As observed, the dating of the graves and cemeteries is done by comparing the grave goods left in the graves, taking the function and period characteristics into account, and comparing the other grave goods. This study, based on the location, type, burial style and findings of the tombs, is an effort to reveal the burial traditions as well as the political and socio-economic conditions of the Hattians living in Central Anatolia during the Early Bronze Age.