10,000-year-old settlement in southeastern Turkey challenges origins of sedentary life. Site Shikari (BALL-1077) discovered in limestone foothills of Tur Abdin in Mardin province, Turkey Dating to early Epipaleolithic and pre-pottery Neolithic periods, 12,000-10,000 years ago Led by archaeologist Egul Kash of Mardin Artuklu University, published in Antiquity

Archaeologists discovered multiple settlements clustered within hundreds of meters at Şika Rika 5, Turkey (12,000-10,000 years ago). These artificial mound settlements with circular structures predate agriculture — grinding stones and animal bones show mixed subsistence. Flint tools and distant obsidian reveal established trade networks. 🏺

Key facts:

• Site Şika Rika 5 discovered in limestone foothills of Tur Abdin in Mardin province, Turkey

• Dating to early Epipaleolithic and pre-pottery Neolithic periods, 12,000-10,000 years ago

• Led by researchers from Mardin Artuklu University

• Surveys identified at least 20 prehistoric settlements within few hundred meters of each other

• Sites constructed on artificial mounds (Hoyuk) with clear circular structures

Key Facts

  • Site Shikari (BALL-1077) discovered in limestone foothills of Tur Abdin in Mardin province, Turkey
  • Dating to early Epipaleolithic and pre-pottery Neolithic periods, 12,000-10,000 years ago
  • Led by archaeologist Egul Kash of Mardin Artuklu University, published in Antiquity
  • Surveys identified at least 20 prehistoric settlements within few hundred meters of each other
  • Sites constructed on artificial mounds (Hoyuk) with clear circular structures
  • Stone tools made primarily from flint alongside obsidian from distant regions indicating trade networks
  • Grinding stones, pestles, and animal bone remains point to mixed subsistence strategy
  • Findings dispel myth that sedentary life only began after advent of agriculture
  • Semi-permanent settlements existed before farming practices themselves

Related site: Shikari (BALL-1077) — view location, images, and history on the Ancient Nerds map.

Source: LIVE ~ PREHISTORIC ARCHAEOLOGY NEWS From Around the World by The Prehistory Guys