Mound offers new clues on early human settlement
DIYARBAKIR
Excavations in the eastern section of the 12,000-year-old Çayönü Mound, located in the Ergani district of the southeastern province of Diyarbakır, revealed four grid-planned Neolithic structures and a water channel believed to date back to the Bronze Age between 3,100–1,100 B.C.
Çayönü, one of the earliest known settlements where humans transitioned from a nomadic lifestyle to agriculture and permanent habitation, is important in understanding the dawn of civilization. The mound was first found in 1963 during surface surveys and excavations began in 1964 under the leadership of Halet Çambel and Professor Robert J. Braidwood.
Located in the north of Hilar village, Çayönü is among the first locations where settled life, hunting, gathering and the beginnings of agriculture were seen. After being suspended for security reasons in 1991, excavations restarted 10 years ago and have been continuing since then annually, shedding light on every stage of uninterrupted human settlement in the region.
This season's work is being carried out by a 60-member team under the direction of Associate Professor Savaş Sarıaltun of Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University’s Faculty of Applied Sciences, Department of Museology.
Speaking to the state-run Anadolu Agency, Sarıaltun stated that Çayönü is one of the earliest Neolithic settlements in Türkiye that has been undergoing systematic scientific excavations. “We initiated excavations in a previously untouched area on the eastern side of the site,” he said.
He explained that during the 2025 excavation season, the team found different occupational phases inside the Neolithic layers. “We realized the cultural layers were dense and decided to focus more here. As we dug deeper, we observed the spread of the settlement, which indicates there is still much to uncover at Çayönü,” Sarıaltun said.
“We are currently working in two major areas: One in the northern section related to the Early Bronze Age that we uncovered in previous seasons, and the other in the eastern section that belongs to the Neolithic period,” he noted.
The current excavation area covers 750 square meters, and the team plans to expand this to 1,500 square meters by the end of the season.
In the eastern part of the mound, archaeologists discovered four grid-planned structures, a water channel, a malachite mineral deposit and an obsidian tool known as the “Çayönü tool.”
“In this area, we also found numerous malachite samples — a shiny green mineral formed from basic copper carbonate — and various copper objects. It is clear that copper working was widespread here. So far, we have identified 14 objects and we expect to find more. We uncovered nearly every known type of bead from the period: Round single-holed beads, square double- and four-holed beads, and almond-shaped types. Our bead count is already in the dozens and will likely surpass a hundred this season,” he said.
Sarıaltun emphasized the importance of these discoveries: “We clearly identified cultural layers dating back to 9,000 B.C. There is still so much to uncover here. Every season at Çayönü yields new discoveries.”
The presence of malachite, copper artifacts and beads indicates a high level of craftsmanship, production, and social organization during the Neolithic period. Sarıaltun also pointed out that these structures and production areas provide important insights into the daily life and societal structure of the era.
He added that while Çayönü is mostly associated with the Neolithic period, traces from the Pottery Neolithic and Early Bronze Age have also been found. A wall uncovered in previous seasons, initially thought to be for protection or division, was confirmed this year to be a boundary wall.
Bronze age water channel under analysis
One of the season’s most important finds is a water channel composed of ceramic pipes known as “küngs,” which are laid side by side and enclosed with masonry walls.
“This could have been a waste-water system, but it may also have carried clean water. We will determine that through further analysis. Such a channel suggests that Çayönü had an advanced organizational structure, possibly even a ruling elite. This is not a basic household feature; it likely served a more complex or communal structure,” Sarıaltun said.
He also noted that the grid-planned structures previously identified in the western section of the site appear to continue into the east. “We have now identified four such structures in the eastern area,” he said, adding that the number could increase.
“These four grid-planned buildings are important to understand the cultural layers from around 9,100 to 9,000 B.C. Their presence reveals the settlement's spatial strategy, land-use patterns, and the living models of the groups or communities that inhabited the site,” Sarıaltun concluded.
“Moreover, the tools, ornaments and equipment used during each occupation phase help us reconstruct the social fabric of this early society.”
