Crescent-Shaped Weights from the Late Bronze Age Layers of Aşağıseyit Höyük (Denizli-Çal)
Erim KONAKÇI
Abstract
Aşağıseyit Höyük is a strategically located settlement in the Upper Maeander Basin, within the borders of Çal district (Denizli, western Türkiye), occupying a naturally elevated hill that controls major natural routes connecting inland Western Anatolia. Excavations conducted since 2021 have revealed a well-stratified occupation sequence ranging from the Late Chalcolithic to the Roman period. This study focuses on crescent-shaped baked clay weights recovered from the Late Bronze Age levels during the 2021–2024 excavation seasons. Stratigraphic evidence demonstrates that crescent-shaped weights were in use throughout all four Late Bronze Age architectural phases at the site. These objects were found both as isolated examples and in clustered contexts within domestic spaces, often in association with spindle whorls and other household artifacts. In situ finds on floor surfaces indicate that these weights functioned primarily as loom weights and that textile production was organized at the household level within the settlement.
Typological analysis reveals clear diachronic changes between the early and late phases of the Late Bronze Age. Earlier examples are characterized by smaller dimensions, rounded profiles, and an absence of decoration, whereas later specimens tend to be larger, more angular, and occasionally decorated with dot motifs. These variations reflect changes in production techniques and aesthetic preferences, while differences in size and weight suggest the manufacture of textiles of varying thickness and quality. Comparative analysis indicates strong parallels between the Aşağıseyit Höyük assemblage and examples from Inland Western Anatolia and Central Anatolia, whereas weight types commonly encountered in coastal Aegean contexts—such as spool-shaped or Minoan-type weights—are notably absent. This pattern suggests that during the Late Bronze Age, the Upper Maeander Basin was more closely integrated into the cultural and economic interaction networks within Central Anatolia, rather than those of the Aegean coast. In conclusion, the crescent-shaped loom weights from Aşağıseyit Höyük provide significant new data on textile production practices during the Late Bronze Age and contribute to a better understanding of the long-term continuity of textile traditions and the cultural and economic position of the Upper Maeander Basin within second-millennium BCE Anatolia.
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