Ceramics belonging to the Hittite Empire period unearthed during the 2007-2016 excavations at tatarli höyük

Tatarlı Höyük, one of the largest settlements in the region and located in the east of the plain of Cilicia, has a very important geopolitical position with its abundant water resources and close proximity to natural passages. The proximity of the Çukurova Region, known as Kizzuwatna in the middle of 2nd millenium BC, to the lands of Northern Syria and Mesopotamia led to its relations with the Hittite world. This interaction has not only political but also economic, cultural and religious dimensions. Especially in the Hittite Empire Period, which started with Suppiluliuma II, the Çukurova Region appears as a part of the Hittite political expansion. One of the find groups that stand out as a reflection of this expansion at Tatarlı Höyük is ceramics. In this study, the ceramics found in level IVa and dated to approximately between the 14th and 13th centuries BC were analyzed with a detailed typological classification, and the paste groups used in these ceramics, the majority of which were monochrome, were determined and their micromorphological structures were revealed by archaeometric analysis. Typological comparisons, especially with the forms of plates, bowls and jugs, show that these ceramics are highly similar to the centers located in the Hittite core region. When the geological structure of the region is taken into account, the presence of a ceramic kiln at Tatarlı Höyük dated to level IVa and of clay and minerals obtained from the decomposition of volcanic rocks revealed by the archaeometric results indicates a local production. In addition, less common painted pieces appear with local characteristics under the influence of the Syro-Cilician tradition, which has been going on since the Middle Bronze Age. Although there are individual examples, ceramic pieces showing connections with the Aegean and Cyprus world provide evidence that Tatarlı Höyük was a settlement connected with the surrounding cultures in the 14th century BC. This study, in this context, aims to provide a detailed contribution to the ceramic repertoire of the region in the Hittite Imperial Period, which is contemporary with the LBA IIa period in the Çukurova region, and to reveal the dimensions of the Hittite influence in the settlement.