Archaeologists uncover secrets about Neolithic man

Archaeologists excavating at Aktopraklık Höyük, the site of a Neolithic village on the outskirts of the Turkish city of Bursa, are now able to piece together more details about dress, burial rituals and daily life during that era thanks to the remarkable preservation at the site. 

Excavation work at Aktopraklık Höyük [Credit: yenibursa]

The prehistoric village, located 25 kilometers south of Bursa and three kilometers east of the town of Akçalar, was inhabited roughly 8,500 years ago and may have been one of the first agricultural communities in Anatolia. 

Such villages offer archeologists a chance to peer into the critical transition period between nomadic life and the advent of permanent settlements, providing clues as to the nature of early settled life. 

Necmi Karul, associate professor for the prehistory division of İstanbul University's Literature Faculty and head of the dig at Aktopraklık Höyük, said that since the excavation began eight years ago, his team has uncovered startling well-preserved remains of the ancient community. 

The Aktopraklık Höyük site [Credit: yutem]

“Findings such as mud-brick walls, preserved fireplaces and wooden floors have all been uncovered,” the researcher said in an interview with an Anatolia news agency reporter on Monday. 

Karul remarked that the village has surprised researchers and may change previously held assumptions about life in the world's first permanent settlements. One of the first surprises they encountered was the way in which the ancient village dwellers were buried. 

Archaeologists excavate a grave at Aktopraklık Höyük [Credit: netteyim]

“The graves were not what [archaeologists] are accustomed to,” said Karul, explaining that “the skeletons in excavations of that period are, generally, found buried in the fetal position. … Two of the skeletons [at Aktopraklık Höyük] were even found in a face-down position.” 

Burials found in the village are also notable for their lack of grave goods. “Skeletons from this period are usually found buried with various items and jewelry. As for the three bodies discovered so far, they were not buried with anything that can be classified as jewelry or burial items,” Karul reported. 

Miscellaneous finds associated with weaving [Credit: WOWTurkey]

Karul emphasized that many of the village's most interesting discoveries have yet to be unearthed, and believes that digging could continue for decades to come. Aktopraklık Höyük is only one of Anatolia's many well-preserved Neolithic villages, which date from approximately 7,500 B.C. to 5,700 B.C.

Source: Today's Zaman [September 27, 2011]