You’ve heard of the famous Neolithic site of Göbekli Tepe, widely regarded as one of the earliest permanent settlements in the world. Now, archaeologists have discovered 30 new prehistoric settlements in south-eastern Anatolia, and they have big implications for our understanding of the origins of sedentary life.
The Late Epipalaeolithic period, dating from approximately 12-10,000 BC, is defined by the transition to settled life in Western Asia. However, the study of this period has largely focused on sites on the banks of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.
The discovery of 30 new Epipalaeolithic sites in Türkiye’s Mardin region offers new insights into the transition to settled life and the cultural changes preceding the Neolithic period. Researchers studied one such settlement, named Şika Rika 5, in detail.
Flint and obsidian tools found there are late Epipalaeolithic in form. However, grinding stones and mortars, some of which were carved directly into bedrock, indicate the site was permanently occupied and involved in the processing of grains and legumes.
These finds clearly show that Şika Rika 5 was involved in the transition to sedentism in south-eastern Anatolia, providing a rare example of the Epipalaeolithic outside of the Upper Tigris Valley.
This discovery indicates the nomadic hunter-gatherers who would settle and build sites such as Göbekli Tepe were much more local than first thought. It’s possible that the emergence of sedentary life did not radiate east from the Mediterranean as previously believed, but rather originated locally.