Excavation works in Bathonea reveal life traces dating back 800,000 years

Within the scope of Bathonea Antique Harbor excavation works, which started 12 years ago in Istanbul's Avcılar neighborhood, new and significant findings have come to light, according to the head of the excavations, Associate Professor Şengül Aydıngün from Kocaeli University.

At a recent online meeting, organized by the Avcılar Municipality, Aydıngün said that Avcılar was located in a very rich geography around Küçükçekmece Lake, Marmara Sea and rivers.

"The most important thing that gives life to Avcılar is Küçükçekmece Lake and its shores. Avcılar was established in one of the most beautiful regions where sea, lake and river meet. This region has a very long history. Evidence of the past that goes back to 800,000 years ago was discovered in the past excavations in Yarımburgaz Cave, just north of the lake," she said.

Aydıngün said that the agricultural stone tools they found during their studies in the Yarimburgaz Cave in the region and Firuzköy district in Avcılar showed that the region was the first agricultural area in Istanbul.

She said that they found 9,000-year-old agricultural tools as well as raw materials from which tools were produced in the region.

Aydıngün said that while investigating findings from 5,000 years ago in the excavations, traces of architectural texture began to emerge after cleaning a sand layer in 2013.

"In our studies, we found a group of materials related to the Hittites living in Central Anatolia, which did not belong to the region. We discovered Hittite materials here. We can see the Imrali Island opposite Avcılar and the Anatolian lands behind it. Behind İmralı is the region defined as Masa and Asuwa by the Hittites. The Hittites came to this region, fought, and when they won the fight,...