Characterizzation of the 4th Millennium mud-bricks of Arslantepe - Malatya (Turkey)

Arslantepe is an artificial mound (tell) located in Malatya plain (Eastern Anatolia) occupied without interruption at least from the 6th millennium BC, until the Roman and Byzantine periods (IV-VI cent. BC). The beginning of the excavations (around 30’s) is linked with the discovery of some interesting structures from XII-VIII centuries; from 1961 onwards the investigations have been carried out by the Italian Archaeological Expedition (University of Rome “La Sapienza”). Monumental mud-brick buildings have come to light in the western side of the mound in a period (VI A) considered the origin of “cities” and of the early-state organisations. In the paper the study of the architectural features (buildings distribution and rooms function) excavated from period VII as well as the building and constructive technologies (characteristics of the mudbrick raw material, production process, relation between material properties and know-how) are reported.