Kuzey Suriye'de, Orta Fırat Vadisi'nde, Tişrin Barajı alanında yoğun olarak saptanan Erken Tunç Çağı'na tarihlendirilen ana kayaya oyulmuş kuyu tipi mezar geleneği, Anadolu'da şu ana kadar sadece birkaç yerleşimde saptanmıştır. Soğmatar Nekropolü'nde şu ana kadar yapılan çalışmalarda Erken Tunç Çağı’na tarihlendirilen 50 adet ana kayaya oyulmuş kuyu tipi mezar ortaya çıkarılmıştır. Bu tip mezarlardan beş tanesi makale konumuzu oluşturan sunaklı, sekili, nişli ve özenle kayaya oyulmuş özelliğe sahip olması açısından çok daha fazla önem taşımaktadır. Nitekim mezarlar yerel kültür özelliği göstermeyen, Erken Hanedanlar III/Akkad Dönemi'nde Orta Fırat Bölgesi'ne yönelik ticari yayılımın kültürel yansımaları olarak değerlendirilmektedir. Bu tip özenle yapılmış kaya mezar geleneğinin Güney Mezopotamya ile ticari ve kültürel ilişkileri gösterir nitelikte elit bir kesime ait olduğu düşünülmektedir.
Rock-cut shaft graves tradition which is dated to Early Bronze Age was found in Northern
Syria, in the Middle Euphrates Valley, Tishrin Dam has been discovered also in several
settlements in Anatolia up to now. In the archaeological excavation in the Soğmatar
Necropolis up to the present date, fifthy rock-cut shaft graves which are dated to Early Bronze
Age, were uncovered. Five of these types of graves are much more important in terms of
having an altar, terrace, niche and carved into the rock elaborately. As a matter of fact, it’s
considered that the graves do not show local culture characteristics, they show cultural
reflections of the commercial spread towards the Middle Euphrates Region in the Early
Dynasties III / Akkadian Period, which do not show local culture. It is thought that this type
of carefully carved rock-cut shaft graves belongs to an elite group showing trade and cultural
relations with Southern Mesopotamia. Although this type of tombs are seen throughout the
Early Bronze Age in the Eastern Mediterranean, it is known that during the last century of
the third millennium BC it became widespread during the Early Bronze Age. Likewise, the
Syrian Euphrates region in the same period was revealed a large number. In addition, the fact
that rock grave tombs, as in Soğmatar, were mostly found in the regions with rocky areas,
which are not suitable for agriculture, livelihood based on livestock, suggest that the people
using these graves have a more nomadic identity. It is understood that more information can
be reached through researches on this subject.