The story of Domuztepe

One pit on this mound held at least 40 human skulls. Domuztepe rises 12 metres over 18 hectares in Emiroğlu village, 32 km south-southeast of central Kahramanmaraş, on the east bank of the Aksu River. Elizabeth Carter identified it in 1993 and named it KM 97; excavations began in 1996. Diggers uncovered a widespread Halaf settlement.

Its Red Terrace, built of red clay, is thought to be 75 metres long and was 4 metres wide, renewed at least twice. Next to it lies the Death Pit, 3 metres across and about 1.5 metres deep, filled with disarticulated human and animal bones and countless pottery fragments. Because the flesh had been stripped from the human bones as well as the animal ones, this has been interpreted as a sign of cannibalism.

Samples from a ditch along the terrace gave a radiocarbon date of 5800 BC. Look closely at the Halaf pottery too: handmade, well fired and painted in brown, black and orange.