TİLBAŞAR ERKEN TUNÇ ÇAĞI PİŞMİŞ TOPRAK FİGÜRİNLERİ ÜZERİNE BİR DEĞERLENDİRME

The Early Bronze Age terracotta figurines unearthed during four-year rescue excavations between 2015 and 2018 in the Southern Lower Town of Tilbaşar, which is located near the Gündoǧan neighborhood of the Oǧuzeli town in the province of Gaziantep, are the main theme of this study. Of the 36 figurines in total, 10 are have an anthropomorphic form and the other 26 are formed in a zoomorphic style. All of the figurines are handmade. Almost all of them are broken. Only 19 figurines could be related to the stratum. These came from the contexts belonging to the last two layers of the Early Bronze Age (Levels 4 and 5, 2.300/2.200-2.100/2.050 BC) extending from the street and its surroundings. Others are finds from uncertain contexts. Anthropomorphic figurines are divided into two main types in terms of face, neck, and hairstyles (Type 1 and Type 2). In Type 1, the design is characterized by short notches, as in Type 2, body details were created by adding clay pieces. Type 2 has also four subtypes. Simply hand-made zoomorphic figurines consist of four-legged bovine animal models. The zoomorphic figurines, which probably represent a bull, have two subtypes, roughly shape and elaborately prepared ones. The discovery of a large number of terracotta figurines during the rescue excavations at Tabqa and Tishrin Dam projects in the Middle Euphrates region of Syria increased the number of studies on this subject. The majority of the Early Bronze Age figurines, most of which have been published, consist of fragments. The number of those who are intact is few. The Tilbaşar anthropomorphic figurines show similarities with the figurines of MAI 2-3, MA II-III and MA V 2 a, which are described by Leila Badre as the Euphrates ones, and with the figurines MEFT A 01a and MEFT A 02 of Ferhan Sakal. These consist of male and female figurines with the pillar-shaped lower body, standing, hands-on chest or short arms, distinctive hair and necklace decoration. The terracotta figurines are spread across a wide geography including the Euphrates valley and also the area between the Balikh and Habur River valleys. The core area of this type is the Tabqa region between Tell es-Sweyhat and Tall Bi'a. Figurines are seen in the region during the second half of the 3rd millennium BC. The standardization process of the Early Bronze Age pottery of the Middle Euphrates valley is also observed in the terracotta figurines. The only ancient site in Turkey, including many subtypes of the MEFT A 02 figu