Fig. 22	Fig. 23	Fig. 24	Fig. 26	Fig. 27
Fig. 28	Fig. 29	Fig. 30	Fig. 31	Fig. 32

     In June and July 2009, excavations at the Cappadocia Gate (Figs 22 and 23) were conducted in three areas:
(i) Within the passage and court (TR12, TR22 and TR13);
(ii) At the eastern corner of the glacis below the East Tower (TR25);
(iii) On the outside of the North and East Towers (TR26).

     The Gate Passage and Court
     Trenches TR12, TR22 and TR13 within the gate structure revealed the northern end of the gate passage together with a large portion of the gate court (Figs 24 and 25). A large amount of stone collapse was cleared (Fig. 26). Workers removed some of the larger blocks (Fig. 27) but where there was access this task was facilitated by a tractor (Figs 28 and 29). Major discoveries, summarised below, include a stone paved road, additional stone paving with a drain, an aniconic (formless) granite stele set up at the corner of the Middle Tower and the excavation of a partially burnt human skeleton. The only finds comprise two identical copper alloy bi-lobate arrowheads found laying directly on the stone paving.
     Much of the walling is in a precarious condition (Fig. 30) and will require support before further work can be undertaken. Excavation of the north-eastern portion of the gate court (Fig. 31) will be completed in 2010. Options are being considered for both long and short term solutions, the latter perhaps entailing the insertion of tubular metal scaffolding.
     Trench TR25 exposed the junction of the city wall with north-eastern corner of the East Tower (Fig. 32). This work was carried out in conjunction with the preparation of a proposal for conservation and enhancement of the glacis in 2010. At this location it was found that the stone glacis at the corner of the tower had been completely destroyed while the inner corner has also been partially or totally destroyed. At the inner corner the very loose condition of both the rubble collapse and the indistinguishable rubble fill behind the facing stones of the glacis made it impossible to reach the base of the glacis safely. If further work is to be done here it will have to be carried out in conjunction with conservation and at least partial replacement of glacis face stones. A ramp has been created to facilitate access round the outside of the East Tower (Fig. 33).
     Trench TR26 (Figs 34 and 35) was located to the northeast of the Gate where uppermost surviving stones of the inside face of the city wall were uncovered and, after recording by photography, a modern shepherd's wall was removed from the top of the ancient city wall. This work confirmed observations made some seasons ago that the northeast end of the East Tower was buttressed and that the city wall was butted against the buttress. No evidence for means of access to the top of the tower or the city wall was revealed. The northeast face of the long stretch of walling extending from the North Tower south-eastwards to the junction of the inside face of the city wall with the East Tower was uncovered down to the level of the modern ground surface. This was achieved by removal of fallen stone rubble and, at the north end, crude shepherd's walling. The main result has been significant visual enhancement of the monument.

     Summary of Excavation Results from the Cappadocia Gate
1. A very considerable amount of timber was used in the construction of the gate. Horizontal beams were set back a few centimetres from the wall faces, partially or completely hidden by small stones and some mud that were employed to jam the round timbers in place. There is no evidence for either vertical timbers nor for cross beams within the core of the wall. Horizontal beams were in the order of 25cm thick, there being no evidence as whether they were split logs, squared beams or complete trunks. Inside the Passage and Court timbers were set at about 1.00m intervals. There are no preserved beams, only ash and fragments of charcoal recovered amongst the collapse (Fig. 36). Some samples have been retained for possible dendrochronological dating, although no pieces approach the minimum of 100 preserved rings, let alone possess bark. Most or all charcoal has very wide rings, most probably being Black Pine (Karaçam, Pinus nigra). These observations also appears to have been true of the entire circuit of defences, a circumstance that would go some way to explaining how the entire 7 km circuit of stone defences had collapsed to more or less the same height, i.e. the level of the first set of horizontal beams in the outer face of the wall which would seem to have been laid approximately one course of stone above the top of the glacis. The extent of deforestation implied by this discovery would not have been insignificant.

2. The gate structure collapsed during the fire with the walls continuing to burn. This is seen in sections cut against wall faces where the collapsed fill resting against the walling is seen to have been reddened by the fire for a distance approaching 25 cm from the face stones (Fig. 37). Samples have been taken in the expectation that it will be possible to ascertain the degree of heat attained. A human skeleton (see below) was partially burnt.

3. Inside the gate, i.e. the passage and the court, wall faces were provided with two thick layers of mud plaster. This replicates evidence recorded in 2007 and negates the argument that mud plaster is indicative of roofed space. Fallen mud plaster appears to have partially covered paving before destruction. Samples have been taken to test this idea. This observation again raises the possibility, originally broached by Professor David Stronach in 2000, that the glacis might have been covered with mud plaster. Such a smooth mud-plaster face would have disguised the position of timbers and reduced the possibilities of gaining footholds. The plaster would, at the same time, have held loose chinking stones in place. Against this idea is the huge amount of mud plaster required but, on the other hand, it can be noted that the entire gate to the Early Phrygian Citadel at the Phrygian capital of Gordion was provided with a thick coat of mud plaster remnants of which are still visible.

4. Sandstone, as at the front of the gate, was used sparingly on tower tops with current indications that there was a single course of sandstone and timber on the northwest corner of the Middle Tower (Fig. 37). There is no indication of crenulations or mud-brick within the gate structure. However, we do have evidence for some kind of small mudbrick construction, made of surprisingly small bricks of many colours, on the Middle Tower. No sandstone appears to have been used on the North Tower at the rear of the Gate.

5. A paved road runs through the entrance on a different alignment to both the passage and the gate (Fig. 38). Pavers are relatively small and edges straight. The southern end of the initial paving coincides with the north-east corner of the Middle Tower.

6. There were additions to the paving. On the west additional paving was bounded by a stone drain, partially capped (Fig. 38). Paving was also extended to the south, terminating against bedrock just short of the last trench (TR12) that was excavated in the gate passage. A portion of additional paving on the west side was uncovered and seen to run up the base of the stepped monument.

7. Very clean light clayey material lay on the paving (Fig. 39) directly beneath the destruction. It is suggested that this represents fallen wall plaster. If this is correct it may yet turn out that the layer of similar material that was found to cover the base of the glacis was not, as had been thought, a laid surface but, rather, plaster washed from the face of the glacis and wall.

8. An entirely aniconic stele has been set up at the corner of the Middle Tower and the passage, against the north-west face of the tower (Figs 40 and 41). The faces of this stele display signs of dressing in addition to smoothing through use (Fig. 42a). The stele was set into the pavement and packed around with small stones covered with mud (Fig. 42b).

9. The front of the stepped monument (Fig. 43a) on which a smashed semi-iconic stele, or idol, was found (Fig. 43b) has now been completely excavated. Steps, once covered with mud plaster, were for ritual rather than ascent.

10. A partially burnt human skeleton was found laying face down in the drain (Fig. 44). Over three days, Nuri Arslan and Yasemin Özarslan cleaned, recorded and lifted the burnt and crushed bones (Fig. 45). Initial interpretation is that the person, a woman, was apparently killed while attempting to flee when the burning timbers in the passage wall face caused the structure to collapse. The bones were sent to Prof Dr Yılmaz Erdal at Hacettepe University for anthropological study which might reveal the cause of death.

Fig. 25

Fig. 33	Fig. 34	Fig. 35	Fig. 36	Fig. 37
Fig. 38	Fig. 39	Fig. 40	Fig. 41	Fig. 42a
Fig. 42b	Fig. 43a	Fig. 43b	Fig. 44	Fig. 45