25 limestone tortoise figurines dating to 16,500 years ago found at Gedikkaya Cave

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Key facts

• 25 limestone tortoise figurines were recently discovered at Gedikkaya Cave, all of Epipalaeolithic origin.
• The figurines range in age from 16,500 to 13,200 years ago, with the oldest dating to 16,500 years ago.
• Some figurines have a coating of clay; the largest discovered measures 30 by 20 cm.
• Several figurines were inserted vertically into the soil and placed around circular or curved stone arrangements, indicating ritual deposits.
• The figurines are roughly shaped, with some appearing partially completed.
• One additional tortoise figurine had been found in a previous excavation at the site.
• Comparisons include tortoise shells found in the Natufian shaman burial at Hilazon Tachtit, tortoise-shell-like patterns at the Natufian site of Wadi Hammeh 27 in Jordan, and an engraved tortoise shell boulder at Manot Cave in Israel dated between 37,000 and 35,000 years ago.
• One theory suggests the hill containing the cave is shaped like a tortoise shell, meaning the figurines may represent the landscape in miniature; others propose the tortoise symbolized longevity and endurance.

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