Recent excavations at the Girmeler Mound Settlement in the Seydikemer district of Türkiye's Muğla have led to the discovery of skeletons, which have had ancient DNA analysis conducted on them in a study. The study revealed the presence of the "early Anatolian gene."
The excavation is being carried out at Girmeler under the leadership of professor Taner Korkut, with support from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and Akdeniz University. Fieldwork is overseen by professor Burçin Erdoğu.
Professor Erdoğu, head of the excavation, explained to Anadolu Agency (AA) that the team has been working at the site of a destroyed mound, both inside and outside caves in the Girmeler neighborhood.
According to Erdoğu, the settlement at Girmeler dates back as far as 14,000 years. The primary objective of the ongoing excavation is to identify the earliest layers of settlement and understand the cultural stratigraphy of the region.
Erdoğu highlighted that the findings at Girmeler provide evidence of the initial attempts at farming in western Anatolia. Despite being a hunter-gatherer society, the people of Girmeler were experimenting with agriculture during the ninth millennium B.C.
"The inhabitants of Girmeler, living in round-plan huts, were experimenting with agriculture for the first time around 9,000 B.C. Although they were primarily hunter-gatherers, they were also experimenting with farming. This is significant because it marks the first evidence of such activity in western Anatolia. It was previously assumed that there was a wave of migration from east to west, and that the first settlements in this region were the result of migration or colonization around 7,000 B.C. The Girmeler excavations have completely altered this perspective," Erdoğu elaborated.
Erdoğu emphasized that the people of Girmeler were the ancestors of nearly all settled farming communities in western Anatolia.
The excavation team also discovered graves belonging to the inhabitants of Girmeler. The skeletons found at the site, which are the oldest known in western Anatolia, underwent ancient DNA analysis. The results revealed the presence of the "early Anatolian gene."
Erdoğu explained that the genetic makeup of these skeletons is similar to that of the Pınarbaşı skeletons in Central Anatolia, dated to around 17,000 B.C. These skeletons are known for carrying the "Anatolian gene."
"The ancient DNA study conducted on these skeletons confirmed the presence of the early Anatolian gene, linking Girmeler to the first agricultural communities of western Anatolia," Erdoğu noted.
The Girmeler settlement is also significant for its early use of ceramics and pottery. Erdoğu pointed out that this marks one of the first instances of pottery-making in western Anatolia.
Furthermore, the excavation uncovered three special buildings at the edge of the settlement, which were believed to have been used for gatherings, ceremonies and ritual activities. These structures featured terrazzo floors made of small stone fragments mixed with lime and decorated with geometric or linear patterns.
One of these special buildings contained burials beneath it, a first in western Anatolian archaeology.
