Yeni Bulgular Işığında Ardahan Ovası'nda Önemli Merkezler: Tepeler (Konk) Köyü Kaleleri.

In the Eastern Anatolia Region, where traces of life have been seen since prehistoric times, many communities have settled in the historical process and many states have established sovereignty. The region, which is on the migration routes between the Caucasus and Anatolia, has experienced intense activity since the Bronze Age. The effect of these migration movements is seen in the transfer of many cultures, especially the Karaz Culture, to Anatolia. In the region, which was the scene of intense political struggles in the 2nd millennium BC, the dominance of the Urartian State, which was the important political formation of the 1st millennium BC, is seen. Ardahan province, located in the northeast of the Eastern Anatolia Region, is in a strategic position on the transition route from Anatolia to the Caucasus. Due to this location, it has been inhabited since prehistoric times. The settlement, which was concentrated in the Bronze Age, continued increases in the Iron Age. The inscriptions that prove that they reached Ardahan, which was under the sovereignty of the Urartian State, were found in Hanak/Ortakent and Taşköprü. In addition, Sengertepe Castle, Taşköprü Castle and, Darboğaz Dam are other pieces of evidence of the Urartian presence in the region. Castles are built for administrative, military and, economic purposes. In particular, the security and control of strategic locations such as water resources, road routes and, fertile agricultural lands are provided by the construction of these castles. In this study, Konk Castles located in Tepeler Village of Merkez district of Ardahan province were evaluated in terms of the ancient history of the Region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]