INorsuntepe itholakala e-Upper Euphrate esifundeni saseKeban (manje esempumalanga yeTurkey), cishe amakhilomitha angama-26 ukusuka e-Elazig. Abavubukuli bakwazi ukuthola izinsalela zokuhlala zasendulo esiqongweni semfumba, esasinendawo engamamitha angama-500 kuya kumamitha angama-300.
Abavubukuli abavela e-German Archaeological Institute eqondiswa nguHarald Hauptmann, uprofesa wase-Heidelberg we-Prehistory and Early History, bavubukula eNorsuntepe phakathi kuka-1968 no-1974.
Lokhu kumbiwa kwembula ubuqili obuningi, obuthola izingqimba ezingaba ngu-40 zezindawo zokuhlala, kusukela ngasekupheleni kweChalcolithic (cishe eminyakeni engama-5000 BC), kudlula kuzo zonke izigaba zeBronze Age, kuya endaweni yase-Uartan kusukela ku-Iron Age (cishe 2000 BC).
IChalcolithic, ebizwa nangokuthi iCopper Age, iyisikhathi sangaphambi komlando ophakathi kweNeolithic (New Stone Age) neBronze Age. Ithusi laqala ukuncibilikiswa eningizimu ye-Anatolia (namuhla eyiTurkey) ngesikhathi seminyaka eyi-6th BC ngenkathi kusetshenziswa amathuluzi afanayo eNeolithic. Ubufakazi bokuqala bokuncibilikisa ithusi buvela Çatalhöyük.
Ekuvubukulweni kweNorsuntepe, abavubukuli ikakhulukazi benza uphenyo ngensimbi ekhishwe ngethusi, i-arsenic, ne-metalloid ekhazimulayo empunga etholakala emvelweni futhi eyaziwa njenge-antimony.
Babuye bahlola nezinto zokuncibilikisa ezavulwa esifundeni i-Upper Euphrate yeNorsuntepe (Keban). Inqwaba yezinto ezingasekho zeChalcolithic ezitholakala e-Anatolia zenziwe ngethusi elingasebenzi. Ezinye zakhiwe ngamakhophi we-arsenical anezingxube eziphansi ze-arsenic.
Amathanga okuncibilikisa, insimbi yethusi, i-slag, izingcezu zeziphambano zobumba noma isikhunta, nezinto ezenziwe ngensimbi eseziqediwe kutholakele ngaphakathi nasemagcekeni eqembu lezakhiwo okungenzeka ukuthi limele ingxenye yesine yendawo okuhlala kuyo abasebenzi bensimbi. Ngaphandle kwalezi zinto, amatshe, amathambo, nezinto zokwakha, kanye nezinto ezimbalwa zengilazi (kufaka phakathi izimvu zamanzi namasilinda) kutholakale kuzo zonke izikhathi ezibhalwe eNorsuntepe.
INorsuntepe kungenzeka ukuthi yayiyindawo enezivikelo eziqinile, enezindlu zodaka ezifakiwe futhi, kokunye, zazinemidwebo yodonga. Cishe amazinga okuhlala angama-40 avela ezikhathini eziningana zomlando, ikakhulukazi kusukela ngasekupheleni kweChalcolithic (4,000-3,000 BC), zonke izigaba zeBronze Age, kanye nomzana wase-Urartian ku-Iron Age kwatholakala kule ndunduma. Ngakho-ke, iNorsuntepe ngokungangabazeki yayingenye yezindawo ezibaluleke kakhulu zalesi sikhathi, manje ezingaphansi kwamanzi edamu laseKeban.
Emlandweni wesintu, iChalcolithic (eyaziwa nangokuthi 'i-Copper Age') kwakuyisikhathi esibalulekile sesikhathi esinezimpumelelo eziningi, okugqame kakhulu ukusetshenziswa kwethusi okwandile. Kuze kube manje, okuwukuphela kwento esetshenziselwe ukwakha izikhali zokuqala ngabantu ngamatshe emvelo. Kamuva, bafunda ukuguqula futhi balolonge le nsimbi eyinsimbi ukuze benze izikhali ezinamandla kanye nemihlobiso.
Izindawo ezintsha zalesi sikhathi zazakhiwe echibini noma ezigodini ezivundile. Bebekhonza unkulunkulu owaziwa njengonkulunkulukazi ongumama wase-Asia Minor, futhi izithombe eziningi zalo nkulunkulukazi zenziwa futhi zasetshenziswa ezinkambisweni zenkolo.
Imingcwabo ebeyenzeka emakhaya ngesikhathi seNeolithic esedlule manje yenzeka ngaphandle kwamadolobha. Futhi ngemuva kwe-Iron Age, eyayiphakela amathuna amaningana ahlotshiswe ngokucebile, indawo yokuhlala yashiywa yacekelwa phansi ngomlilo.
Njengesizinda sangaphambi komlando se- IGöbekli Tepe, eyakhiwa okungenani eminyakeni engama-7000 ngaphambi kwamaphiramidi aseGibhithe, futhi cishe eminyakeni engama-6000 ngaphambi kukaStonehenge, i-liittle iyaziwa ngendawo yesimanje yeNorsuntepe kanye nezakhamizi zayo zangaphambi komlando. Kuze kube namuhla, akekho owazi kahle ukuthi kungani yakhiwa, yashiywa futhi yacekelwa phansi ngomlilo?
