Mardin Artuklu University Rector Prof. Dr. Özcoşar reported that the excavation site in Boncuklu Tarla contains some findings that support the findings in Göbeklitepe and even go back a thousand years further.
The 3rd season of the archaeological excavations started in 2012 by the Mardin Museum Directorate within the scope of “Studies for the Documentation and Recovery of Cultural Assets Remaining in the Interaction Area of the Ilısu Dam and HEPP Project” in the area, which has hosted 25 civilizations throughout history, including Sumerian, Akkadian, Babylonian, Hittite, Assyrian, Urartu, Roman, Abbasid, Seljuk and Ottoman.
Mardin Artuklu University (MAU) Rector Prof. Dr. İbrahim Özcoşar, Dargeçit Mayor Mehmet Cüneyt Aksoy, Deputy Secretary General Muhammed İkbal Saylık, Associate Dean of the Faculty of Letters Assoc. Prof. Dr. Evindar Yeşilbaş, faculty members Ergül Kodaş, Bülent Genç and Zekai Erdal made investigations at Boncuklu Tarla.
In his statement, Özcoşar pointed out the importance of illuminating the history of humanity and said that this work is carried out by archaeologists and ancient historians.
Stating that Boncuklu Tarla is among the places where this work is carried out, Özcoşar said that this area contains new information and findings for human history.
Referring to the excitement that Göbeklitepe aroused in this sense, Özcoşar said:
“The excavation area in Boncuklu Tarla, which you can see behind me, contains some findings that support the findings in Göbeklitepe and even go back a thousand years earlier. In this respect, it is possible to evaluate it as a finding that proves that the first settlers were people of faith. When we evaluate it from this point of view, the region we are in is actually an important area in terms of being one of the first settled areas of humanity and showing that the first people who settled here were believers.”
“We are in the publication of a structure older than Göbeklitepe”
Özcoşar pointed out that there are similar issues when Göbeklitepe and Boncuklu Tarla are compared and said, “But there is a very special feature. The area we are in contains some findings that may be a thousand years older than Göbeklitepe. Therefore, we are standing next to an older structure, a more ancient structure than Göbeklitepe. We can talk about such a difference.”
Özcoşar stated that the university plans to carry out important studies on the Boncuklu Field in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and Dargeçit Municipality, and that Göbeklitepe has become an important destination for Şanlıurfa, and that they aim to turn the area in question into an important destination for Mardin.
MAU Department of Archaeology Assistant Professor Ergül Kodaş stated that she has been the scientific head of the excavations in Boncuklu Tarla since 2017.
Stating that extensive excavations have been carried out in cooperation with MAU and Mardin Museum for 2 years, Kodaş noted the following:
“Beaded Tarla is an interesting settlement. It is the first settled life that started with layers dating back to 11 thousand to 12 thousand BC. In addition to many houses and dwellings, graves and special buildings and many special structures called temples were also unearthed in the settlement. It is a new key point in terms of providing us with information on many points such as how the Upper Tigris basin and northern Mesopotamia transitioned to settled life, how the transition from hunter-gatherer life to food production style, and how cultural and religious structures changed.”
Kodaş explained that there are buildings similar to Göbeklitepe in the area, some of which date back further than Göbeklitepe, and said, “We have identified examples of buildings that we call public spaces, temples and religious places that go back further in Boncuklu Tarla.”
Stating that the excavations have come to an end this year, Kodaş said that they are still conducting inventory and survey studies.
Kodaş added that they will try to reach new data with the excavations targeted to continue.
Source: https://www.aa.com.tr/tr/kultur-sanat/boncuklu-tarla-gobeklitepeden-bin-yil-daha-eski-bulgular-iceriyor/1663335
