Cave in Trabzon, Turkey, Reveals Traces of Hunter-gatherer Communities From 15,000 Years Ago in Türkiye

Radiocarbon analyses have dated the findings, providing the first systematic excavation data on the Epipaleolithic period in the Eastern Black Sea region. The cave, located in the Söğütlü Valley near Çayırbağı in the Düzköy district, about 40 kilometers south of Trabzon and roughly 1,020 meters above sea level, was first identified as a prehistoric site in 2019 during surface surveys by Karadeniz Technical University (KTÜ). Systematic excavations began in 2024 under the direction of the Trabzon Museum Directorate and the scientific supervision of KTÜ Archaeology Department faculty member Associate Professor Hülya Çalışkan Akgül.

Researchers identified a settlement area dating back approximately 14,000 to 15,000 years. Carbon-14 analyses on charred material and animal teeth placed human activity in the cave between 12,916 BC and 12,070 BC. In the upper fill layers, artifacts from different periods were found mixed together, including stone tools with both Epipaleolithic and older Middle Paleolithic characteristics. Deeper down, researchers reached an undisturbed cultural layer called second layer, characterized by reddish-brown soil, small stones, ash, and dense carbon residues.