Dikmen: Archaeological Traces and Village History

Dikmen combines archaeological settlement traces with historical evidence of the village economy. The Haydarkavağı settlement is located in the Dikmen neighborhood, while nearby Dikmenhöyük has its own prehistoric significance. Pottery finds link the mound to several periods of settlement; evidence of farming, sheep raising, and beekeeping adds a perspective on rural life to the archaeological picture. If you like to consider specific historical sites when choosing a holiday destination, Dikmen offers clearly identifiable points of interest.

Archaeological Traces and Periods

Haydarkavağı was registered as a first-degree archaeological site by a decision dated August 3, 2017. Until a conservation and management plan is drawn up, the settlement in the Dikmen neighborhood is subject to the conservation and management conditions for first-degree archaeological sites.

Nearby Dikmenhöyük is 9 km south-southeast of Dikmen. Pottery shards found there indicate settlement during the Early, Middle, and Late Bronze Ages, as well as the Iron Age. The list comprises three periods of the Bronze Age and the Iron Age; it provides a chronological framework for the pottery finds. The mound measures 87 meters in diameter from north to south and 121 meters from east to west; it is 9.5 meters high. The east-west measurement is therefore 34 meters greater than the north-south measurement.

Village Geography and Historic Agriculture

Dikmen village lies immediately south of the Kırmir River and close to the village of Oyumağaç. Historical records also draw attention to the use of the rural landscape.

Historical records describe Dikmen primarily as a village practicing dryland farming. An entry from 1574 mentions wheat, barley, and vetch as part of grain and legume production. Wheat and barley are grains, while vetch is a legume; the selection can therefore be read as two groups of agricultural products. Other records document sheep raising and beekeeping; animal husbandry was an important branch of the economy. Farming and animal husbandry thus represent two distinct aspects of historic economic life.

During a visit on October 17, 2023, the work of carrot farmers from Beypazarı and the winter carrot harvest were the focus in Dikmen Mahallesi. The difference in perspective is informative: the 1574 entry mentions crops, while the 2023 visit draws attention to agricultural work and the harvest.

Where the Archaeological Sites Are Located

When looking for a holiday apartment in Dikmen, the location of the archaeological sites provides a concrete point of reference: Haydarkavağı is in the Dikmen neighborhood, while Dikmenhöyük is 9 km south-southeast of the village. If you want to focus on the protected archaeological site in the neighborhood, Haydarkavağı is the immediate local point of interest; Dikmenhöyük is a separate reference point for the sequence from the Early, Middle, and Late Bronze Ages through to the Iron Age. This can help you decide which geographic and thematic focus best suits your travel plans.

Discover more destinations: Akyurt/Ankara, Çayırhan, Beypazarı, Şereflikoçhisar, Ankara, Temelli Yenihisa, Yıldırımbeyazıt Mahallesi, Güzelöz Köyü.

Return to the main travel overview: Ankara.