Direkli Cave Excavations and Findings in Anatolian Prehistory

Abstract

The history of researching cave settlements and cultures in Anatolian archeology dates back to the early periods of discipline. Following the discovery of Yarımburgaz Cave in 1845, and Karain Cave in 1945, excavations at the Öküzini Cave began eleven years later, in 1956. After the start of excavations at Üçağızlı Cave in 1988, the initiation of Suluin and Direkli Cave excavations in 2007 increased the number of cave excavations in Anatolian Archeology more than ever before. The excavations of Keçe Cave in 2015, Kızılin, İnönü and İnkaya Caves in 2017, Gedikkaya Cave in 2019, Yusufun Kayası in 2020 and Eşekderesi and Ballık Caves in 2021 were also introduced to the scientific community. All these cave excavations have revealed evidence regarding the Anatolian Paleolithic and subsequent Epipaleolithic, Neolithic, Chalcolithic and Early Bronze cultures. However, among these sites three caves represent the longest-running excavations: Karain Cave, Öküzini Cave and Direkli Cave. Direkli Cave is one of the easternmost excavated Epipaleolithic settlement caves in Anatolia; the other is Yusufun Kayası Cave. Its geostrategic location and the cultural sequence it contains make Direkli Cave somewhat distinct from the cave excavations in western regions.