Çukuriçi Höyük
Türkiye · İzmir
In brief
The mound near Selçuk was excavated to investigate the Neolithic and early metal ages of the Western Anatolian coast. Its settlement layers provide data on the region's early farming communities and later production networks.
What was found?
- 1Neolithic dwellings
Rectangular buildings with stone foundations and earthen walls, along with courtyards, were found. They show that houses and open working areas were arranged together.
- 2Obsidian blade cache
Long obsidian blades were found grouped together in a building. The raw material's origin on Melos Island provides tangible evidence of Aegean connections.
- 3Late Chalcolithic ditch
A large ditch surrounding the settlement's early Late Chalcolithic phase was uncovered. According to researchers, its construction required collective labour.
- 4Stone pendant in the form of a woman
The small human representation made from local stone had been used as a pendant. Its fine workmanship demonstrates the production of symbolic objects during the Neolithic period.
- 5Metalworking equipment
Hearths, crucibles, and finds associated with metal production were found in Early Bronze Age buildings. They are among the principal pieces of evidence for specialised production.
What does it point to?
According to researchers, obsidian and remains of marine resources show the Neolithic community's strong connections with the sea. The Early Bronze Age workshops indicate metal production for external demand as well as local needs.
What did it teach us?
- The Neolithic community's raw material connections with the Aegean islands were documented.
- A large enclosing structure requiring collective labour was found in the Late Chalcolithic settlement.
- Intensive and specialised metal production during the Early Bronze Age was demonstrated.
Images
Record
- Culture
- Prehistoric communities of Western Anatolia
- First modern dig
- 1995
- Team / historical
- Barbara Horejs / Austrian Academy of Sciences
- Coordinates
- 37.9292°, 27.3594°
Sources
- cambridge.org
- en.wikipedia.org
- oeaw.ac.at
- Avusturya Bilimler Akademisi, DEFC — Çukuriçi Höyük
- Avusturya Arkeoloji Enstitüsü — Neolitik betimler
Nearby excavations
- Ephesus 2 km
- Claros Sanctuary 17 km
- Magnesia on the Maeander 17 km
- Metropolis in Ionia 22 km
- Priene 31 km
- Miletus 45 km
- —
- —
- 12.000
From beneath the soil: latest discoveries
- 2,600-year-old mudbrick structure identified beneath the city of Buto in Egypt
The walls of a large mudbrick structure identified through satellite and geophysical surveys were confirmed by a trial excavation. According to the researchers, a layer of sand placed beneath the foundations may have helped protect the structure in the waterlogged ground of the Nile Delta.
Heritage Daily ↗ · Excavation notebook - Celtic woman's grave containing jewelry and animal remains found in Germany
A woman's skeleton, heavy bronze anklets, a sapropelite arm ring, and the remains of a lamb or kid were found in the grave in Bavaria. According to the researchers, placing the animal in the grave as a food offering represents an unusual example of Celtic funerary practices in the region.
Arkeofili ↗ - Cupboard containing personal belongings, childhood amulets and coins found in Pompeii
Grooming items, 38 bronze coins and a necklace made up of at least 24 amulets were found in a cupboard in a house in Pompeii that had remained closed since the eruption in AD 79. The preservation of these objects together provides detailed information about everyday life and personal mementos in Roman times.
Arkeofili ↗ · Excavation notebook - Lead seal of a bishop named Stefan found in Croatia
Excavations on the islet of Lukovac uncovered a document seal bearing the name Stefan and the title of bishop in Latin. According to the researchers, the seal, tentatively dated to the 6th–7th centuries, offers rare evidence of early church administration in a region with limited written sources.
Heritage Daily ↗ - Roman-period sarcophagus of a child buried with toys found in Romania
A wheeled toy horse, a rooster-shaped rattle, jewelry and organic remains were recovered from a sealed child’s sarcophagus dating back approximately 1,800 years in the ancient city of Tomis. The preservation of wooden coffin fragments and the shroud also offers a rare opportunity to study child burials in Roman times.
HeritageDaily ↗ - Roman-period grave found in the seating area of the ancient theater in Gölyazı
A tile-covered grave dating to the 1st century AD and containing cremated human remains was uncovered in the theater of Apollonia ad Rhyndacum. Why the burial took place in the theater despite the city having a separate cemetery remains unknown; the find raises new questions about the use of public spaces.
Arkeofili ↗ - Marble portrait of Antinoos and 13 inscriptions found at Teos
A marble portrait of Antinoos and 13 inscriptions on reused stone blocks were found around the Temple of Roma and Augustus at Teos. The inscriptions shed light on the city’s political and legal relations, while researchers say the portrait and inscription fragments show that the temple was also connected to the cult of Antinoos.
Arkeofili ↗ · Excavation notebook - New prehistoric settlement identified on the shore of the Dardanelles
A newly published study presented Yaylatepe Höyük, identified during surface surveys in 2024, and its pottery spanning the end of the Late Chalcolithic to the beginning of the Late Bronze Age for the first time. According to the researcher, the settlement, which has a visual connection with Asartepe on the opposite shore, contributes to understanding prehistoric coastal connections along the strait.
Arkeoloji Dergisi ↗
All excavation sites (385)
Türkiye
- Acemhöyük
- Aizanoi
- Alabanda
- Alacahöyük
- Amos
- Ani
- Aphrodisias
- Arslantepe Mound
- Aspendos
- Assos
- Ayanis Fortress
- Aşıklı Höyük
- Barcın Höyük
- Blaundus
- Boncuklu Höyük
- Can Hasan I
- Carchemish
- Claros Sanctuary
- Clazomenae
- Domuztepe
- Ephesus
- Euromus
- Gordion
- Göbekli Tepe
- Hadrianopolis in Paphlagonia
- Hattusha
- Hierapolis
- Iasos
- Kaman-Kalehöyük
- Karahantepe
- Karatepe-Aslantaş
- Kaunos
- Kibyra
- Knidos
- Kültepe-Kanesh
- Laodicea on the Lycus
- Letoon Sanctuary
- Limyra
- Magnesia on the Maeander
- Medieval City of Beçin
- Metropolis in Ionia
- Miletus
- Myra
- Nemrut Dağ
- Nysa on the Maeander
- Olympus in Lycia
- Oymaağaç Höyük — Nerik
- Patara
- Pergamon
- Perge
- Phaselis
- Priene
- Sagalassos
- Sanctuary of Apollo at Didyma
- Sanctuary of Labraunda
- Sapinuwa
- Sardis
- Sayburç
- Side
- Stratonikeia
- Tell Atchana – Alalakh
- Teos
- Tripolis on the Meander
- Troy
- Uluburun Shipwreck
- Xanthos
- Yenikapı – Theodosian Harbour Excavations
- Yeşilova Höyük
- Yumuktepe
- Zerzevan Castle
- Zeugma
- Zincirli Höyük — Sam'al
- Çatalhöyük
- Çavuştepe Fortress
- Çayönü
- Çukuriçi Höyük
