An article by Muhammed Furkan Gunes on aa.com.tr - Ancient site older than Göbekli Tepe unearthed in Turkey - reports on the discoveries at Boncuklu Tarla in Mardin, southeastern Turkey, purported to be 1,000 years older than Göbekli Tepe.

Discoveries at Boncuklu Tarla in Mardin, southeastern Turkey, purported to be 1,000 years older than Göbekli Tepe.

Ibrahim Ozcosar, the rector of Mardin Artuklu University, explains that the discoveries at Boncuklu Tarla ('beaded field') in Mardin province resemble the archaeological site of Göbekli Tepe in the Sanliurfa province, 300 kilometers to the east. Excavation work began here in 2012. Like Göbekli Tepe, the site dates back to the Neolithic period, representing "some the the earliest settlers in the area".

Ergul Kodas, an archaeologist at Artuklu University and advisor to the excavation area, states that the history of Boncuklu Tarla is estimated to be around 12,000-years old. He goes on to say that “Several special structures which we can call temples and special buildings were unearthed in the settlement, in addition to many houses and dwellings.”

“This is a new key point to inform us on many topics such as how the in northern Mesopotamia and the upper Tigris began to settle, how the transition from hunter-gatherer life to food production happened and how cultural and religious structures changed."

Research continues.

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