Archaeologists working on an island in Turkey’s Aegean Sea have excavated five subterranean homes that are the earliest-known example of a farming community in the region, Ancient Origins reported.
First of Their Kind Homes Discovered in Turkey
The five circular homes were unearthed at the Uğurlu-Zeytinlik Mound on Gökçeada, which was formerly ancient Imbros. They were erected around 6,800 B.C. using a so-called “wattle-and-daub technique,” which involved weaving reed together to make walls which were then solidified with mud plaster. Akdeniz University’s Burçin Erdoğu, who has been leading the excavation since 2009, said this is the first such discovery in the area. “This type of architecture has been encountered for the first time in the Aegean Islands,” he marveled.
The homes differ from those previously discovered on Anatolia’s mainland due to their architecture. At the time, most homes in the region were rectangular and made of mud brick, but the partially underground floor plan provided more stability in the island region, while the woven walls protected against fierce weather. Each of the homes were built on a stone foundation, representing remarkably advanced building techniques for the time.
Residences Indicate a Planned Community, Not Random Settlement
They were arranged in a small cluster, indicating that the homes were built as part of an intended community. Erkan Güral, who worked on the excavation, explained that the community started with “about nine or 10 houses in a small area.” Beginning around 5,800 B.C., the settlement began to spread to other parts of the island. “The Uğurlu settlement, together with Knossos on the island of Crete, is the only settlement across the Aegean Islands belonging to the earliest farming communities,” Erdoğu said.
