Outline of Elmacıktepe Mound (Bafra Plain, Samsun) in the Chalcolithic Age

ABSTRACT This article focuses on the Chalcolithic finds uncovered at the Elmacıktepe Mound, examined during the archaeological surface surveys conducted in the Bafra Plain between 2017 and 2019. With its diameter and elevation, Elmacıktepe is one of the largest mounds in the Black Sea Region. The surface survey employed a restricted area method, which revealed that Chalcolithic ceramics and small finds were concentrated on the western slope of the mound. The ceramic assemblage is dominated by local characteristics, primarily consisting of dark-faced burnished and unburnished wares. These are followed by vessels with light/dark brown and red surface colors. Vessel forms range from bowls and dishes to jars, some featuring lug handles, short necks, or no necks at all. Decorations executed in white paint on dark backgrounds, as well as incised and excised relief motifs, represent the most conspicuous indicators of interaction with Central and Western Anatolia during the Chalcolithic period. This also suggests that the settlement may have participated in cultural exchanges or shared production traditions. Small finds include stone weights, stone adzes, a marble bracelet fragment and blade, grinding stones, a chipped stone assemblage, and terra-cotta biconical sling bullets, all recovered from the western slope. However, the site’s location and the presence of stone tools suggest that a period of conflict may have occurred in the region. Together, these findings reflecting diversity in production, subsistence strategies, and cultural interaction demonstrate that Elmacıktepe was a significant settlement in the Middle and Late Chalcolithic periods. Given its potential for Black Sea and Chalcolithic studies, including Elmacıktepe among the targets of systematic excavation would be of strategic importance.