8,000-year old structure unearthed on former Greek island of Imbros

A structure believed to be around 8,000-years-old was unearthed on the former Greek island of Imbros off the western coast of Turkey, according to the head of the excavation team speaking to Turkish media sources.

Credit: AA

“During this years’ excavation work, we have found a structure that we believe dates back to around 6,000 BC,” Burcin Erdogu from Trakya University, archaeologist and head of the excavation team said.

Excavations in the Ugurlu-Zeytinlik mound in the northwestern province of Canakkale’s Gokceada (Imbros) district had earlier unearthed a 7,000-year-old structure complex.

Erdogu said the new excavation will shed light on the history of Gokceada island, which dates back to 8,800 years.

“This structure is an important discovery both for the Aegean islands and western Anatolia,” she said. She added that the T-shaped monument is an obelisk–like, four-sided tapering structure, ending in pyramidion.

It is made of two pieces, interconnected by seven-metre-long walls. It is reminiscent of the standing stones in Gobeklitepe, an archaeological site located in Turkey's southeastern Sanliurfa province.

Erdogu said it was the general thought that public structures, such as temples, were disappearing through the near East. “The monumental structures seem like part of an area where people gathered and held some activities and rituals,” she added.

Source: Anadolu Agency [November 21, 2019]