Two Significant Military Defensive Structures in Bozdağ Melendiz (Niğde, Türkiye)

Abstract

This study examines various historical remains identified in Çiftlik district of Niğde, including the Roman-period Bozdağ Tower, the nearby Asmasız Castle, villages established on the plateaus overlooking the Melendiz Plain within its territory, and associated tombs, with the aim of contributing to the existing literature on the region. Focusing on these remains, the study seeks to demonstrate the existence of a strategically significant settlement center with an extensive area of influence that was accessible to the Melendiz Plain through an important passage. In this context, selected surface remains, inscriptions, and written sources from the region have been evaluated holistically through an interdisciplinary approach. The findings indicate that Asmasız Castle was a strategically located hilltop settlement overlooking the Melendiz Plain, while the summit of Bozdağ contained a military outpost together with a tower structure. These architectural elements appear to have functioned as local components of a broader defensive system designed to facilitate communication with surrounding regions and ensure the security of the area. Given that these historical sites are under intense threat of destruction and face the risk of complete disappearance, their protection is considered essential in order to preserve them, provide a source for future academic research, and facilitate their transformation into systematic archaeological excavation projects.