Archaeogeography researches on Titriş Höyük (Bahçeli / Karaköprü / Şanliurfa) and immediate surroundings

Titriş Höyük Anticient Settlement (THAY) is Early Bronze Age (EBA) settlement that is part of the upper fertile crescent, in the northern Mesopotamia, inside Şanlıurfa borders on the northwest part and far from the city center about 35 km, partly buried under modern Bahçeli Neighborhood. The importance of this site depends on its Early Bronze Age improvement and it's size during that age. In this perspective, THAY is one of the most different sites compare to other contemporary regional sites. Due to this importance, it was tried to examine the geographic features that play an important role on the development of THAY in the archaeogeographical perspective, and also how these features affected THAY's spatial organization, benefitting from land and using it. In this context, the archaeological data obtained from the excavation results and studies on the site, archaeological features and data of the surrounding settlements, geomorphological, hydrographical, pedological, paleo-vegetation properties of the study area, various climatic proxies of the region, historical aerial photographs and spy and commercial satellite images with various temporal resolution was used. In addition, many geographical and archaeological data such as various geographic data sets and archaeogeography approach have been evaluated in order to understand and reconstruct the geographical environment of the past. In this context, related data were processed by Geographic Information Systems (GIS) methodology and software, and spatial analysis and geomorphometric evaluations were used to determine the paleo-landuse of THAY. As a result of the evaluations, it was understood that the geographical environment had played a very important role in the emergence and development of THAY. The features that limiting the maximum development of the city are related to the space and climate conditions. In THAY's spatial and conformity analysis It has been seen the space of city well evaluated in an organized manner and the space is also very suitable for ideal land use. It has been seen that THAY's rapid growth has brought about a rapid environmental degradation and this is supported by archaeological data which have a more severe effect due to fluctuations in paleo-climatological conditions. In addition to climatic dangers, the city has been affected by hydrological hazards, but the city is thought to be acting in an organizational way against these extraordinary situations. In the spatial evaluation that made for paleo-landuse of THAY, it is understood that the study area is sufficient for the population of the city in terms of grain, viticulture and fruit growing and pasture and foresty activities. However, due to the proper climatic conditions, soil characteristics and geomorphology of the study area, it has been understood that the paleo-climate has the qualities to support various agricultural activities.