MA2208: Kaman-Kalehoyuk

Assyrian Colony Period
M406>FGC5089>FGC5081>Z41194*

MA2208 likely died in the Hittite conquest of an Assyrian trading post in Hattian town of Kaman-Kalehoyuk.  The sample was found in The First Horse Herders and the Impact of Early Bronze Age Steppe Expansions into Asia

Reading by Ted Kendall: G-M406>FGC5089>FGC5081>Z41194

Global 25:
TUR_Kaman-Kalehoyuk_MLBA_low_res:MA2208__BC_1875__Cov_7.59%,0.103579,0.15436,-0.035449,-0.076228,-0.001539,-0.01506,0.021151,0.002538,-0.000818,0.010752,-0.004384,0.017684,-0.003271,0.020231,-0.008007,-0.006629,-0.014864,0.004561,0.010936,-0.008254,-0.000624,-0.002844,0.005916,-0.001687,-0.007185

During the height of their empire, the Assyrian's established Karums (small colonial settlements or trading posts) next to pre-existing Native Anatolian towns prior to the Hittite conquest of central Anatolia.  By 2,000 BC, Assyria had set up at least 20 trading stations near sovereign Hatti city states.

The Middle Bronze Age at Kaman-Kalehöyük represented by stratum IIIc yields material remains (seals and ceramics) contemporary with the international trade system managed by expatriate Assyrian merchants evidenced at the nearby site of Kültepe/Kanesh. It is therefore also referred to as belonging to the “Assyrian Colony Period” (98).  Detailed accounts from the Japanese Institute of Anatolian Archeology (JIAA) who has conducted several important digs at Kamen-Kalehoyuk can be found HERE.

The study suggests that the dead found outside of the complex may have been from an "opposing group" possibly the Hittites.  It hypothesizes that the site-wide fire was part of a destruction event by invading Hittite forces.  Of note, the disappearance of Assyrian Karums from history coincides with the rise of the Old Hittite Empire.

S1 (MA2206), S2 (MA2208), S3, and S4 were found inside the burnt karum complex.  Skeletons S1 and S2 were found on top of each other in the doorway of room 153.  All three rooms in the complex were destroyed by fire and may have belonged to a public building or small trade center based on the types of artifacts recovered. Therefore, the study hypothesizes that the dead inside the buildings were community members interacting with or operating the karums, presumably Native Anatolians and Assyrians.  The skeletons were not burnt raising the likelihood they were killed or died of smoke inhalation due to being trapped or afraid to leave. Skeletons S3 and S4 do not appear to have had DNA extracted but are thought to represent an opposing party (Hittite invaders?) battling S1 and S2 who were trapped in the room.

S1 (MA2206) may have been a woman. DNA from S3 and S4 presumably could not be extracted. S2 (MA2208) is a confirmed G-M3317 (downstream of G-M406).  

Additional SNP analysis by noted Haplogroup G researcher Ted Kandell has found that S2 (MA2208) is heterozygous at SNP Z41194, indicating the possibility that this sample could be FGC5089>Z41194* (but this is not confirmed).  Kandell's autosomal analysis of this sample (below) only lends credence to the idea that this individual was native to the region and not an outsider.

"The archaeological site of Kaman-Kalehöyük is situated in the Kızılırmak river basin in Central Anatolia. The main mound measures 280 m in diameter and is 16 m high.

Stratum III Middle and Late Bronze Age (2000–1200 BCE)

Stratum IIIa: Late Bronze Age (“Hittite Empire period”) (~1500–1200 BCE)

Stratum IIIb: Middle to Late Bronze Age (“Old Hittite period”) (~1750–1500 BCE)

Stratum IIIc: Middle Bronze Age (“Assyrian Colony period”) (~2000–1750 BCE)

"The Middle Bronze Age at Kaman-Kalehöyük represented by stratum IIIc yields material remains (seals and ceramics) contemporary with the international trade system managed by expatriate Assyrian merchants evidenced at the nearby site of Kültepe/Kanesh. The stratum has revealed three burned architectural units, and it has been suggested that the seemingly site-wide conflagration might be connected to a destruction event linked with the emergence of the Old Hittite state (99).  Omura (100) suggests that the rooms could belong to a public building, and that it might even be a small trade center based on the types of artifacts recovered. Omura (100) has concluded that the evidence from the first complex indicates a battle between 2 groups took place at the site. It is possible that a group died inside the buildings, mostly perishing in the fire, while another group died in the courtyard

Provisional Layer 27, Assyrian IIIc. Room 153 belongs to one of the burnt architectural complexes that were excavated from Sectors 0, I, XXI, and XXII. 

MA2206-07 IIIc: Human skeletons were found between the exit of Room 153 and Wall 6 (Kaman-Kalehöyük Field Notes 1994).

MA2208-09 IIIc: The sample comes from the same location as MA2206 above. There were 2 additional skeletons (S3 and S4) found here for a total of 4 individuals. They are thought to represent an opposing group fighting the individuals in Room 153. The skeletons fell on top of one other. They were not damaged by the fire."

Supplementary material can be found HERE.