Abstract
The Effect of Ancient Konya Lake to First Settlements
Ancient Konya Lake is placed in Konya Closed Basin in Middle Anatolian Region that consists of Konya, Çumra, Karaman, Ereğli, Karapınar plains. The average depth of the lake which occurred in pluvial conditions of Pleistocene is 15-20 metres. The level of the lake?s water has begun to decrease by the drought till Pleistocene to especially Holocene. This drought is still going on at present.
It is seen that most of the first settlements are settled near the dried and getting dried lakes in alluvial cones in order to provide water easily. In Konya basin; many tumulus habitation like Çatalhöyük, Can Hasan, Yollarbaşı tumulus, Sırçalı tumulus, Alibeyhöyük are settled near this lake.
In neolithic, chalcolithic and bronze age tumulus settlements around Konya, there are traces of Hittites, Phrygian, Cimmerians, Lydian, Persians, Romans. Besides, most of the settlements belong to last epoch settled on and around tumulus?.<
Keywords
Ancient Konya Lake, Tumulus, Çatalhöyük, First Settlements.