Oymaağaç Höyük — Nerik
Nerik
Türkiye · Samsun
In brief
The mound in Vezirköprü has been identified as the Hittite sacred city of Nerik. In addition to the temple and written documents, excavations also investigate settlement phases before and after the Hittites.
What was found?
- 1Temple of the Storm God
The monumental building with a courtyard on top of the mound is identified by researchers as Nerik's temple of the Storm God. It helps us understand the place of worship in the Hittites' sacred city.
- 2Cuneiform tablets
The tablets mention the name Nerik, surrounding geographical features, and a temple section called Dahanga. These records are among the main foundations for identifying Oymaağaç with Nerik.
- 3Underground stairway and spring
A spring was reached at the end of the passage descending underground. According to researchers, it is connected with the sacred water source described in Hittite documents.
- 4Remains of Iron Age timber buildings
Excavations in the northwest revealed traces of timber architecture built using the log construction technique. The remains provide tangible examples of the region's Iron Age building tradition.
What does it point to?
The temple, tablets, and spring reveal the place of water and belief in the Storm God in Nerik's sacred identity. The Iron Age buildings make visible the mound's life after the Hittite period and its different building techniques.
What did it teach us?
- Evaluating written documents and architectural remains together enabled Oymaağaç to be identified as Nerik.
- A tangible underground water structure was uncovered where the account of the sacred spring can be investigated.
- The use of the timber log construction technique here during the Iron Age was documented.
Images
Latest news / selected archive
In 2025, it was announced that traces associated with Kaska communities had been found in the Middle Bronze Age layers.
Record
- Culture
- Hittite and Kaska communities
- Team / historical
- Oymaağaç-Nerik Excavation Team / with participation from Ondokuz Mayıs University
- Coordinates
- 41.2070°, 35.4200°
Sources
- omu.edu.tr
- karadeniz.gov.tr
- en.wikipedia.org
- Oymaağaç–Nerik Kazı Projesi — 2009 kazı raporu
- Ondokuz Mayıs Üniversitesi Arkeoloji Bölümü
- Ondokuz Mayıs Üniversitesi — Nerik tabletleri
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- Sapinuwa 107 km
- Alacahöyük 124 km
- Hattusha 149 km
- Kaman-Kalehöyük 247 km
- Hadrianopolis in Paphlagonia 247 km
- Kültepe-Kanesh 263 km
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- 12.000
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