Abstract:

In this study, Oymaağaç Höyük, one of the ancient settlements in Vezirköprü, was discussed. Vezirköprü, located on the south of the Canik Mountains and connected to the Black Sea coast via Şahinkaya Canyon, has been an important settlement center from the Chalcolithic period to the present day. Oymaağaç Höyük, located in the north of the Vezirköprü Plain, on the ancient road from Central Anatolia to the Black Sea, is one of the largest ancient settlements in the Vezirköprü Region, called Neoklaudiopolis. Within the scope of the research, it was aimed to explain the geographical features of the mound and its surroundings and to relate the settlement features to geographical conditions (geology, geomorphology, climate, hydrography, soil, vegetation, and land cover). For this purpose, the data were obtained from the field, literature, and various organizations. Geographical features of the region were visualized using UA and GIS. Temperature and precipitation distribution maps of the mound and its surroundings were produced using the Lapse Rate method. It is thought that this study will be useful in explaining the nature-human interaction in the region, which has been the subject of many archaeological studies. Oymaağaç Höyük has advantageous geographical conditions such as water resources, soil, plant and animal existence, clay deposits, climate, and transportation. The average annual temperature in the area is 12.5°C and the annual rainfall is 520 mm. Marine air masses entering through the Kızılırmak Valley have moderated the climate, making the region suitable for climatic comfort and agriculture. The stones and millstones unearthed from the mound show that various products, especially grain, were grown in the region in the past. Kunduz and Tavşan Mountains around Oymaağaç Höyük have water resources and forests that are thought to have covered larger areas in the past. This situation provided the mound with advantages in terms of hunting, gathering, shelter, and fuel. Ceramic and earthenware vessels unearthed from the mound show that the settlers used the clay beds in the Kızılırmak valley and that the clay beds were also effective in choosing the location of the mound's founding. It suggests that some cultural layers in the mound may have been damaged by earthquakes because of the fact that Oymaağaç Höyük is only 15.6 km away from the North Anatolian Fault Zone, which has produced major earthquakes in the past.

Keywords: