Tozkoparan Village – Archaeology and Village Tradition

Tozkoparan Village offers two distinct cultural perspectives: the protected archaeological mound of Tozkoparan Höyüğü and the traditional depiction of the village game “kız kaçırma.” On one side are material finds and their interpretation; on the other, a narrated scene with an unusual detail. This contrast gives your trip planning a concrete cultural starting point and helps you identify the topics that interest you most.

Archaeological traces at Tozkoparan Höyüğü

Tozkoparan Höyüğü is located in Tozkoparan Village. The site is registered as a first-degree archaeological site and is protected.

Excavations at Tozkoparan Höyüğü in 2021–2022 uncovered architectural remains, pottery fragments, obsidian, and animal bones.

The mound is on the northwestern edge of Tozkoparan Village, in the Pertek district of Tunceli Province. The official 2018 monument inventory describes it as approximately 15 meters high and about 20 by 50 meters in size. Houses lie to the east, south, and west, and agricultural land to the north. The site is within the village settlement area and is privately owned; therefore, check with the relevant authorities in advance about the possibility of a visit.

A child burial came to light during the 2021 rescue excavation. The researcher involved described an individual laid in a curled position in an oval pit, oriented north–south. The remains were taken to the Tunceli Museum for safekeeping.

In July 2025, museum director and excavation leader Kenan Öncel reported a layer dated to approximately 4350 BC beneath a settlement layer from the first millennium BC. He also mentioned a monumental structure and several superimposed layers. These dated excavation results add a longer history of settlement to the finds from 2021 and 2022.

What the pottery finds reveal

The pottery finds are also significant for the cultural interpretation of the Höyük. According to an assessment by an excavation participant reported in 2022, pottery from Tozkoparan Höyüğü shows parallels with the Karaz culture. Pottery finds are also interpreted as evidence of influence from Mesopotamian cultures.

A traditional scene from the village game

The village game “kız kaçırma” offers a different perspective from the archaeological finds. In the traditional account, the father complains; the abductors are then brought before a judge. As they testify, the carpets are pulled out from under their feet. The scene thus moves from the complaint, through the hearing, to a vivid action. The carpet motif in particular remains in the memory as a concrete image and clearly distinguishes this tale from the factual list of archaeological find categories.

For cultural orientation in Tozkoparan Village, these two very different approaches stand side by side: the protected mound with its finds and interpretations, and a traditional depiction with characters and a plot. If you are travelling with different interests, these topics can offer different points of connection without needing to be combined into a single story. When looking for a holiday rental in Tozkoparan Village, choosing a focus like this is a helpful first step: consider which cultural perspective best suits your travel plans.

Discover more destinations: Çıralı, Çemişgezek, Ovacık, Tunceli.

Return to the main travel overview: Tunceli.