Urartu Yerleşim Arkeolojisine Yeni Bir Örnek: Tutmaç Taş Kale

Settlement Archaeology, one of the sub-branches of archaeology, is actually a science based on the use of science and natural sciences to understand, describe and explain long-term cultural and behavioural changes. This branch of science, which evaluates archaeological settlements according to environmental conditions, has been accepted since the 19th century. This branch of science, which has been applied on many settlements around the world, has not been tried on the centres of the Urartu Kingdom until now. The Urartu Kingdom, which existed between the 9th and 7th centuries BC, actually achieved this long-lasting sovereignty thanks to its ability to dominate the environmental conditions. In the Van Lake Basin, the main distribution region of the kingdom, some 120 fortresses dating back to the Urartu Period have been identified. The fortresses are mostly scattered around the fertile plains and plains where agriculture and animal husbandry activities were carried out. One of the centres where the kingdom spread is the Gürpınar Plain and the lands irrigated by the Hoşap water. Thanks to the excavations and surveys carried out in Gürpınar, we have information about the Urartian settlement order. One of these important settlements is Tutmaç Stone Fortress. Located within the borders of Tutmaç Quarter of Gürpınar, the Fortress shows a complete example of a rural tribal centre architecture with a pond, a flat settlement area and a surveillance Fortress connected to the Fortress. The place of the Fortress in the settlement pattern is discussed in this study. Key Words: Settlement Archaeology, Iron Age, Urartian, Gurpınar Plain, Tutmaç Stone Fortress