Digs shed light on Neolithic burial traditions

A human skull found during excavations in southeastern Türkiye has provided vital new information about mysterious burial traditions near the dawn of human civilization.

Under a Turkish Culture and Tourism Ministry project, excavations began in 2021 in Sefertepe, an ancient settlement in Şanlıurfa, under the supervision of archaeologist Emre Güldoğan.

During this year's excavations, new information about the burial traditions of the pottery-free Neolithic era, particularly in Upper Mesopotamia, was uncovered.

During the excavations, a skull was found in a cavity left in the wall within a special structure. The entire skull was unearthed except for the lower jaw and taken to the lab for further study.

Güldoğan, who teaches at Istanbul University, told Anadolu that they first found skeletal fragments of two people in the region during excavations in 2021.

Noting that there is limited information on the burial rituals of the Neolithic period, Güldoğan said that during this year's excavations, they found the skull lying on its side in a cavity.

Güldoğan stressed that this find, which is unprecedented in terms of burial rituals, is very important for understanding Neolithic burial rituals.

"The skull found in a special structure stands out as an example that can be considered a unique find. According to initial expert assessments, this skull is thought to fill a big gap in terms of understanding the process of burial traditions, especially in the region we're in, and even in Upper Mesopotamia," he said.

Mentioning skeletal fragments with cut marks from other sites, he explained: "There were big questions about what kind of treatment was applied to the skull ... We think the skull we found in this cavity in...