Recent Studies at Bilecik Gedikkaya Cave in Northwestern Turkey

Abstract

Gedikkaya Cave in north-western Turkey was occupied in several distinct periods. The Epipalaeolithic and Neolithic occupations coincide with ‘cultural breaks’ in which human populations appear to have been mobile for reasons that are still not fully understood, but which may have been associated with climatic events such those as following the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and the 8.2-kiloyear event. The cave may have served as a temporary or variable-term shelter for transient populations in these times. Finds from the Chalcolithic include evidence for household industry and mining activity, suggesting somewhat more settled populations or perhaps transhumance. In this article, the Neolithic and Chalcolithic settlements of Gedikkaya Cave is introduced.

Gedikkaya Cave in north-western Turkey was occupied in several distinct periods. The Epipalaeolithic and Neolithic occupations coincide with ‘cultural breaks’ in which human populations appear to have been mobile for reasons that are still not fully understood, but which may have been associated with climatic events such those as following the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and the 8.2-kiloyear event. The cave may have served as a temporary or variable-term shelter for transient populations in these times. Finds from the Chalcolithic include evidence for household industry and mining activity, suggesting somewhat more settled populations or perhaps transhumance. In this article, the Neolithic and Chalcolithic settlements of Gedikkaya Cave is introduced. Türkiye'nin kuzeybatısında yer alan Gedikkaya Mağarası birkaç farklı dönemde iskân edilmiştir. Epi-paleolitik ve Neolitik dolgular, insan hareketliliğinin, tam olarak anlaşılamayan nedenlerle yoğunlaştığı, ancak Son Buzul Maksimum (LGM) ve 8,2 ka gibi iklimsel olaylarla ilişkili olabilecek 'kültürel kırılmalar' ile çakışmaktadır. Mağara, barınmak amacıyla bu dönemlerde geçici ya da değişen zamanlarda kullanılmış olabilir. Kalkolitik Dönem’e tarihlenen buluntular, besin üretimine ve madencilik faaliyetlerine dair kanıtlar içermekte olup, bu nedenle daha yerleşik nüfuslara veya belki de yaylacılığa işaret etmektedir. Bu makalede, Gedikkaya Mağarası'nın Neolitik ve Kalkolitik dönemlere ilişkin bulguları tanıtılmaktadır.