Yumuktepe is a tumulus

Tumulus

A tumulus is a mound of earth and stones raised over a grave or graves. Tumuli are also known as barrows, burial mounds, Hügelgrab or kurgans, and can be found throughout much of the world. A tumulus composed largely or entirely of stones is usually referred to as a cairn...

 at 36°48′5"N 34°36′14"E within the city borders of Mersin

Mersin

-Mersin today:Today, Mersin is a large city spreading out along the coast, with Turkey's second tallest skyscraper , huge hotels, an opera house, expensive real estate near the sea or up in the hills, and many other modern urban...

, Turkey

Turkey

Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...

. In 1936 the tumulus was at the outskirts of Mersin. But after the rapid increase of population, now the tumulus is in the Toroslar

Toroslar

Toroslar is a municipality and district governorate in Greater Mersin, Turkey. Mersin is one of 16 metropolitan centers in Turkey with more than one municipality within city borders. Now in Mersin there are four intracity municipalities in addition of Greater Mersin municipality...

 municipality of Mersin.

Discovery and excavations

Excavations during 1936-1938 period by British archaeologist John Garstang

John Garstang

John Garstang was a British archaeologist of the ancient Near East, especially Anatolia and the southern Levant....

 (1876-1956) who is the founder of British Institute at Ankara, have revealed a neolithic

Neolithic

The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...

 settlement which continued up to medieval ages. However, the excavations halted during the World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 and some documents in the Liverpool University have been lost after an air raid. After the war, John Garstang as well as Veli Sevin of İstanbul University

Istanbul University

Istanbul University is a Turkish university located in Istanbul. The main campus is adjacent to Beyazıt Square.- Synopsis :A madrasa, a religious school, was established sometime in the 15th century after the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople. An institution of higher education named the...

 and Isabella Caneva of Sapienza University of Rome continued the excavations.

Archaeology

There are 23 levels of occupation dating from ca 6300 BC. In his book named Prehistoric Mersin Garstang lists the tools unearthed in the excavations . The earliest tools are made of either stone or ceramic. Both agriculture and animal husbandry (sheep, cattle goats and porke) were among the economic activities in Yumuktepe.
In the layer which corresponds to roughly 4500 BC, one of the earliest fortifications in human history exists. According to Isabella Caneva, during chalcolithic age an early copper blast furnace was in use in Yumuktepe.
Probably Yumuktepe was a coastal settlement. But because of the alluvion carried by the nearby river Müftü

Müftü River

Müftü River is a short river in Mersin Province, Turkey.-Geography:The headwaters are in the Toros Mountains, near the town of Arslanköy and the village of Sadiye. The river runs east and then south, flowing to the Mediterranean Sea within the city of Mersin at...

, now the tumulus is 2.5 km north of the Mediterranean sea side.

Historical era

During historical era, Yumuktepe was a part of Kizuwatna a vassal kingdom of Hittite Empire. In a document of 1440 BC, the city of Pitura had been mentioned. Pitura might be the ancient name of the settlement.
It seems, like most Hittite lands, sea people from Europe

Europe

Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

 plundered Yumuktepe in 13th century BC. A second blow was from Assyrian Empire from Upper Mesopotamia. During Roman Empire

Roman Empire

The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....

, Yumuk was a relatively unimportant city named Zephyrium . But Empreror Hadrian

Hadrian

Hadrian , was Roman Emperor from 117 to 138. He is best known for building Hadrian's Wall, which marked the northern limit of Roman Britain. In Rome, he re-built the Pantheon and constructed the Temple of Venus and Roma. In addition to being emperor, Hadrian was a humanist and was philhellene in...

 (reigned 117

117

Year 117 was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Niger and Apronianus...

-138

138

Year 138 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Niger and Camerinus...

) renamed the city as Hadrianapolis. During early Byzantine Empire

Byzantine Empire

The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...

, the nearby settlement of Soli

Soli, Cilicia

Soli was an ancient city and port in Cilicia, in present day Turkey, a part of Mezitli municipality which in turn is a part of Greater Mersin. It was a colony of Rhodes, founded c. 700 BC. Soli was destroyed in the 1st century BC, and rebuilt by Pompey the Great. Thereafter, it was called...

(10 kilometres (6.2 mi) at the west) flourished and Yumuk was abandoned.