Early Neolithic sites in the Western Anatolian Coast, the Eastern Aegean and Crete show that the Neolithic communities with features of agricultural activity based on domestication of animals and plant, and sedentism emerged abruptly during the first quarter of the seventh millennium BC. A significant challenge to this notion was encountered during the excavations in Girmeler, which has so far been the only known excavated 9th & 8th Millennium BC settlement in the Aegean coastal region of Anatolia. It is clear that a number of traits traditionally associated with the Pre-pottery Neolithic of Central Anatolia appear in the 9-8th Millennium BC community of Girmeler, including sedentism, burial custom and the domesticated cereals. In addition, Special-purpose buildings with decorated terrazzo floors of Girmeler provide new contributions to the symbolic and ritual behaviors of the Anatolian Neolithic. This talk proposes a change in Neolithic perspective around the circum Aegean.

 

Burçin Erdoğu, Professor, Akdeniz University of Antalya

Following my BA in archaeology at the University of Istanbul, I completed an MA at the University College London, and a PhD at the Durham University under the supervision of Professor John Chapman. I am currently the director of excavations at Uğurlu on the island of Gökçeada. The main aim of the project is to investigate the role of the Aegean islands in the Neolithization of southeastern Europe. During my archaeological career I have led research projects such as Central Anatolian Salt Lake Survey Project; Edirne (Turkish Thrace) Prehistoric survey project; Çatalhöyük West Project; Çatalhöyük Speleothem Project. In the Girmeler Project, I am collaborating with my colleagues in the Tlos Ancient City excavations.

 

Taner Korkut, Professor, Akdeniz University of Antalya  

Following my BA in archaeology at the University of Atatürk, Erzurum, I completed an MA and a PhD under the supervision of Professor Heide Froning at the Philipps-Universität Marburg. After participating in the Patara Ancient City excavations between 1999-2009, I have been conducting the Tlos Ancient City excavations since 2009. Tlos is one of the oldest and largest cities of Lycia; known as "Dlawa" in Hittite Cuneiform tablets and 'Tlawa' in Lycian inscriptions.