Akkaya Mound (Akkaya Höyük)
Akkaya Mound (Akkaya Höyük) is an archaeological site about 7 kilometres south of the centre of Bayat district, at the Akkaya locality in the village of Yerliköy. It lies north of the İskilip-Çankırı road, west of the district’s road junction.
Location and Setting
According to the official cultural inventory record of the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the mound is bounded by the Bayat stream, which flows north to south. It rises at the southern tip of a triangular ridge that narrows from north to south; its western and southern sides are steep slopes, while the northern side has a gentler incline. This setting gave the mound a natural defensive advantage that still sets it apart from the surrounding farmland.
Archaeological Finds
Assessments based on pottery sherds collected on the surface of the mound indicate settlement traces from the Hittite and Roman periods. The Çorum Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism’s official source likewise describes Akkaya Höyük as “an archaeological site dating to the Hittite and Roman periods.” No publicly available record indicates that a full excavation has been carried out at the site; current assessments rest on surface finds.
Registration Status
Akkaya Höyük was registered as a protected archaeological site by a board decision dated 16 April 1987, numbered 3038. This registration places the site under formal cultural-heritage protection.
Relationship to Bayat’s Other Archaeological Sites
Akkaya Höyük is not the only archaeological site in Bayat. Around the village of Derekutuğun lies the Derekutuğun Mine Gallery, an Early Bronze Age copper-mining site registered as a first-degree archaeological site. On the limestone outcrops along the road to the town of Kunduzlu, there are also two rock tombs dating to the Roman period. Taken together, these sites show a settlement history in Bayat stretching from the Early Bronze Age to the Roman period.
Visiting
Akkaya Höyük currently has no visitor infrastructure or marked trail; the site is managed primarily for archaeological conservation. For the district’s general history and other places to see, see the History of Bayat article.