Archaeologists in Turkey unearthed a pottery fragment carved with a human face at Gökhöyük. The shard shows almond-shaped eyes, arched eyebrows, and a protruding nose, and researchers assessed that it served a ritual purpose rather than everyday use. “Based on initial observations, the pottery fragment with the human face depiction is 5,000 years old,” said Archeology Professor Ramazan Gündüz. The team said radiocarbon analysis would determine its exact age, and preliminary assessments pointed to the Early Bronze Age.
“The eyebrows curve from the rim of the vessel and meet in the center with the nose. The eyes sit on either side. The design was carved while the vessel was still being shaped,” said Gündüz. “Depictions of human faces on ceramics were common in Early Bronze Age sites in western Anatolia and appear in other regions of Central Anatolia as well. But there is no comparable well-preserved example in this area,” said Gündüz. “This piece was part of a vessel used during a ceremony,” said Gündüz, according to Sozcu.
Gökhöyük offers insight into life on the Konya Plain from roughly 7,000 to 1,000 BCE. The mound spans 5 hectares and is located 8 kilometers from the district center of Seydişehir. It was identified in the 1950s by English archaeologist James Mellaart, known for research at Çatalhöyük. In 2002, the State Hydraulic Works halted earth removal during an irrigation project, revealing artifacts and prompting rescue excavations.
Initial work uncovered an Iron Age settlement. As the excavation area expanded, older horizons emerged, indicating continuous habitation from the Neolithic through the Iron Age. In the third year of renewed work, archaeologists found animal figurines, seals, obsidian arrowheads, and stone axes. “Obsidian tips were attached to spears or arrows and served as effective hunting tools,” said Gündüz. “We also found small stone axes dating back to the Neolithic and Chalcolithic periods, essentially forming a set of tools for everyday use,” said Gündüz.
“The people of Gökhöyük not only used ceramic vessels for daily activities like cooking but also imbued them with meanings, using them as ritual elements in special ceremonies,” said Gündüz, according to AZERTAC. “Gökhöyük inhabitants placed great importance on symbolism, as we can see from depictions on the ceramics,” said Gündüz.
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