The Gate Passage and Gate Chamber

Work in 2003 fully revealed the front portion of the Gate Passage (Fig. 15) where it was confirmed that the crowning course of sandstone blocks was confined to the front of the towers. In a new section cut across the Gate Passage it was once again seen that the carpet
of small charcoal fragments over the surface had been covered by very loose stone collapse before the occurrence of any appreciable weathering, confirming that the gate was destroyed immediately after the burning of the city. The surface of the gate passage, which was unpaved, had undergone considerable erosion before the fire, so much so that worn and rounded bedrock protruded above it in places. Along the south-western side an erosion gully, which had partially undermined the passage wall, was filled with stone and the base of the wall was further protected by the addition of a neat line of stones. There were no traces of wheel ruts. The six-meter width of the passage was found not to have been restricted. No evidence that might have indicated the position of wooden doors was recovered and no traces of a walkway or roof over this portion of the passage were found.

In the Gate Chamber it was possible to remove the uppermost 2.00m of stone fill, some of the stones being of very considerable size. Burning and slots for timbers indicate the former presence of an elevatedwooden floor or balcony on the south-east side of the chamber. These possibilities will be further investigated in a future season.

The Aniconic Stele

Most unexpected was the discovery of a built stepped platform that supported an aniconic stele set into a socketed topmost step (Fig. 16 and 17). The stele and the top step were neatly carved from a very soft limestone, with the result that both had cracked very badly during the fire. The stele was removed and awaits the difficult task of conservation and reconstruction in the expedition depot.

The lower steps, not yet fully exposed, were roughly built of unshaped granite. This monument is located on the north-eastern side of the wide rear passage. The stele itself would have faced entrants to the city, although it would not have been seen from the outer Gate Passage and it would have been shielded from the direct rays of the sun by the tall walling of the chamber. Both the stepped monument and the stele are of well-known Phrygian form, and an association
between cult and city gates is not uncommon in the Ancient Near East. Examples of other stepped monuments, on the other hand, are rock-cut rather than built.

Conservation of the Glacis

Essential repairs were undertaken to prevent further stones from slipping down from the upper part of the glacis. Representative Mehmet Katkat revealed remarkable skills while supervising the operations (Fig. 2).