DEER MOTIFS ON CERAMIC SURFACES FOUND AT KAMAN KALEHÖYÜK ARCHAEOLOGY MUSEUM

• Published in: Zeitschrift für die Welt der Türken 2023-08, Vol.15 (2), p.213-232
• Main Authors: KILIÇARSLAN, Hande, MACAR KÖKSAL, Pınar
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 1869-2338; 1868-8934
• DOI: 10.46291/ZfWT/150215

Wolf and deer et al. some animals have been considered sacred since the past, and they were brought to Anatolia from Central Asia and mentioned in many legends and stories. The fact that it is sometimes associated with the Tree Mother is one of the reasons why it is seen as the ancestor-mother of the goddess and why it is considered among the sacred animals in our culture. Archaeological excavations in various regions of Anatolia have yielded various geometric, floral and animal motifs, especially on ceramic forms. These fragments and the motifs on them were also identified during the archaeological excavations at Kaman Kalehöyük, which began in 1985. Deer motifs, which are considered sacred by the Turks, were analyzed on ceramic surfaces in the Kalehöyük Archaeology Museum in Çağırkan Town, Kaman District of Kırşehir Province. The research is based on the ongoing excavations in the region, oral interviews with museum officials and institute staff, and on site documentation. In this context, this study is considered important in terms of determining the finds obtained during the excavations and explaining why the deer motif of previous civilizations was used. Keywords: Kaman Kalehöyük, Archaeology Museum, Ceramıc, Deer motifs.