Archaeologists Uncover 8,800-Year-Old Farming Houses in Turkey

Archaeological excavations on Turkey’s westernmost island have revealed five circular houses, marking the earliest known agricultural settlement in the Aegean Sea. This groundbreaking discovery at Uğurlu-Zeytinlik Mound on Gökçeada, formerly known as ancient Imbros, positions the island alongside Crete’s renowned Knossos as one of the few Neolithic settlements documenting the initial wave of farming communities to reach the Aegean Islands.

Excavations led by Professor Burçin Erdoğu from Akdeniz University since 2009 have unearthed structures that date back to approximately 6800 BC. Professor Erdoğu described the find as unprecedented, stating, “This type of architecture has been encountered for the first time in the Aegean Islands,” in an interview with Turkish media.

The circular houses feature sunken floors and are built using traditional wattle-and-daub techniques, which involve weaving reed walls and then coating them with mud plaster. This architectural style offers insights into the early agricultural practices of the region, predating most European farming communities by thousands of years.

The implications of this discovery extend beyond Turkey, as it sheds light on the broader story of agricultural development in the Aegean region. This site not only provides evidence of early farming but also suggests that the spread of agriculture may have reached these islands earlier than previously thought.

Excavations at Uğurlu-Zeytinlik Mound continue, with researchers hoping to uncover more about the lives of these early settlers and their agricultural practices. The findings could potentially rewrite aspects of early European history, particularly concerning the transition from hunter-gatherer societies to settled agricultural communities.

As archaeologists delve deeper into this ancient settlement, they aim to piece together the social and economic structures that defined these early communities. The discovery of these circular houses marks a significant milestone in understanding the origins of agriculture in the Aegean and its eventual impact on the development of civilizations in Europe.

The ongoing research at Uğurlu-Zeytinlik Mound promises to offer more valuable insights into the past, highlighting the rich tapestry of human history that continues to unfold in this remarkable region.