The Discovery and Findspot of the Incirli Stela
In 1993 during the course of an archaeological
survey in the broad valley region south of Karamanmarash,
Turkey a basalt stele was discovered in the village of Incirli. For
the historical background of the region cf. Hawkins (1982, 1989a,b). The
only systematic archaeological work carried out prior to the UCLA surveys
occured in the 19th century (cf. Humann, K. and O. Puchstein 1890)
A UCLA survey team found the stela on the property of a villager
who had removed it from a mound (presumably a ruined tell - survey ref
# KM50) near his land. That mound was being levelled for agricultural purposes
by the landowners. No record exists of any other material which may have
come from the same site. The stela was then set-up as an antique curiosity
in the garden of a village house by the father of the present owner.
The stela was discovered in this shaded grove, surrounded by trees,
exposed to precipitation and weathering.
A great deal of the archaeological material in this region is similarly
imperiled by agricultural and industrial activites. Frequently, ancient
tells are mined for arable soil.
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Copyright © 1997, 1998 Elizabeth Carter.
All rights reserved. All images on this page are copyright protected
and may not be used without the express written permission of Elizabeth
Carter. Such permission may be obtained by writing to Elizabeth Carter
at Near Eastern Languages and Cultures Department, Kinsey 376, UCLA, 405
Hilgard Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1361.
This page last modified on June 21, 1998.