Archaeologists have unearthed two so-called “gifted graves” during this year’s excavations at the Ikiztepe Mound in the Black Sea province of Samsun, researchers said Tuesday.
Excavations have been underway for 51 years at the site, located in the Bafra district’s Ikiztepe village. More than 15,000 artifacts recovered so far show continuous settlement in the area between 4500 and 2000 B.C.
Alongside burial grounds, dig teams have uncovered tools used for hunting and food remains that shed light on the daily lives of the region’s ancient communities.
Assoc. Prof. Aslıhan Beyazıt, who heads the excavation team from Istanbul University’s Department of Archaeology, told Anadolu Agency (AA) that the digs are being carried out under the Culture and Tourism Ministry’s “Legacy for the Future” project.
“This year we worked in two different areas,” Beyazıt said. “In addition to the northern section of Tepe 1, Ikiztepe’s largest mound, we began excavations in the south for the first time. One of our goals was to trace how the large burial site spread toward the south.”
Beyazıt said the team found graves just beneath the surface soil when they began work on the southern slope.
“We excavated three graves, two of which were gifted graves – meaning the deceased were buried with personal belongings,” she said. “One, likely a man who was a hunter, was interred with harpoon points. Another was a child’s grave, around six years old, buried with bracelets and other possessions.”
The findings suggest similarities in burial traditions between north and south, but also point to chronological differences, Beyazıt added.
“The fact that Early Bronze Age graves appeared directly beneath the surface soil in the south shows the settlement layers there differ somewhat from the north,” she said. “That makes the southern excavations especially significant.”
Beyazıt noted that both northern and southern digs have yielded textile-related artifacts, revealing Ikiztepe’s importance for understanding prehistoric production and social life.
“Further analysis is needed – how people lived, what roles men, women and children played in production, what they ate from a zooarchaeological perspective, and what plants they used,” she said. “Geological studies also need to be intensified.”
