An Evaluation of the Cooking Vessels Unearthed in the Topakli Höyük Excavations (1967-1974)

Excavations were carried out in Topaklı Höyük by L. Polacco between 1967 and 1974. During these studies, pottery and teapots used in cooking from layer L to layer C were unearthed. Pots recovered from different layers stand out with their common shape features (rims protruding, having a neck, round body, flat bottom, and handle attached between the neck and body). The soot/burn marks observed on the pots support the idea that these pots were used for cooking. Topaklı Höyük pots have different capacities. Small-sized ones may be related to the number of people in the house or used for making sauce, while larger ones may be related to the number of people in the house or the cooked product (such as milk). A teapot used for cooking on the stove was also found in Topaklı Höyük. This vessel, like the pots, has a flared rim, a round body, a flat bottom, a spout, and a single strip handle attached between the rim and the body. The cooking pots found in the Topaklı Höyük settlement had been frequently used in the Kızılırmak Basin. Encountered in all settlements in the region, these pots continued to be used without any change in form over a wide period, from the 7th century BCE to the 1st century BCE. The form called the teapot is a continuation of the form known from the Hittite Imperial Period in the Kızılırmak Basin.