11 October 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

8,000-year-old Female Figurine Discovered in Ulucak Höyük in Western Türkiye

One of the most prominent and oldest Neolithic sites found in what is now Turkey has yielded yet another interesting find – a clay statuette of a female figurine has been unearthed in Ulucak Höyük (Ulucak Mound), dated to 8.000 years ago.

The discovery was made in the western Turkish province’s Kemalpasa district, at Ulucak Höyük, one of the oldest sites in Western Anatolia. It is described as “a very rare piece” and may have been a part of significant abundance and fertility rites.

Prof. Dr. Özlem Çevik, Lecturer at the Department of Protohistory and Near Eastern Archaeology, Faculty of Letters, Trakya University, said: ‘The most important element distinguishing this figure from the others is that its mouth is indicated. Because the figures usually have eyes and noses. However, in this figure, we see that both the mouth is indicated in the form of a hole and a hole has been made in the neck so that it can be jewelry.’

Excavations carried out with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Metropolitan Municipality, Kemalpaşa Municipality, and Kemalpaşa Organized Industry have been continuing since 2009 under the leadership of Trakya University Faculty of Literature, Protohistory and Near Eastern Archeology Department Lecturer Prof. Dr Özlem Çevik.

Photo: AA

Stating that Ulucak Mound is one of the first village settlements of Izmir, Prof. Dr. Özlem Çevik said, ‘Ulucak represents one of the earliest farmer village settlements in Western Anatolia.  It is very important for us to understand the neolithisation process. The first settlement in the mound dates back to 8,850 years ago. For 1150 years, the neolithic settlement continued at Ulucak Höyük for 45 five generations without interruption. This year’s excavations continue at the mound. One of the most important finds so far is a female figure. Generally, we find parts of figures such as arms, legs, and heads in Ulucak. This figurine, which we found lastly this year, was the 6th figure found as a whole so far.’



📣 Our WhatsApp channel is now LIVE! Stay up-to-date with the latest news and updates, just click here to follow us on WhatsApp and never miss a thing!!



Prof. Dr. Çevik emphasized that it can be assumed that the depicted female figurine has a privileged position in the community and said, ‘It may represent the person who lives here and tells the stories in the community. It is made of clay. It is 8-10 centimeters in size. It can fit in one hand. We find them buried in houses, near ovens, in pits under door thresholds, or associated with grinding stones, or associated with flints in a container. They may be ritual objects used to fulfill an intention, action, or request.’

Ulucak Mound, located in the Ulucak district of Kemalpaşa county on the 15th km of Bornova-Ankara road, was the location of one of the oldest settlements of Western Anatolia and it illuminates cultural history both by its architectural structure and its foundlings. Excavations were started in 1995 and three cultural layers were identified. These are the Late Roman period at the top; the Early Bronze Age layers underneath Early Byzantine settlements and the Late Neolithic settlement at the bottom.

Related Articles

Archaeologists say 12,000-year-old flutes discovered in northern Israel may have been used to lure falcons

9 June 2023

9 June 2023

New research reveals that about 12,000 years ago, in northern Israel, humans turned the bones of small birds into instruments...

Papal bull discovered in a former cemetery dated to the 14th century

10 May 2023

10 May 2023

A medieval bull found in 2021 in Budzistów village (Kołobrzeg district), Poland has been restored and placed on display in...

A rare bronze talismanic healing bowl was discovered in Hasankeyf excavations

3 December 2023

3 December 2023

During the ongoing excavations in the Hasankeyf mound in Batman, one of the oldest settlements in the world, an 800-year-old...

Ancient Tomb of Korean Hostage Prince Found in China

21 July 2025

21 July 2025

Chinese archaeologists have uncovered the tomb of Kim Young, a hostage prince from the ancient Korean kingdom of Silla, in...

Treasure Hunter Claims to Find First Council of Nicaea’s Location, Demands $50 Million for Discovery

26 April 2025

26 April 2025

In a startling revelation, Mustafa Uysal, a treasure hunter from Bursa, has claimed to have unearthed an underground city in...

8,000-year-old Yarmukian ‘Mother Goddess’ figurine discovered in Israel

9 July 2022

9 July 2022

An 8,000-year-old Yarmukian Mother Goddess figurine was found at Sha’ar HaGolan archaeological site, located on the northern bank of the...

Oldest known alphabet unearthed in ancient Syrian city -500 years older than thought

22 November 2024

22 November 2024

Johns Hopkins University researchers uncovered evidence of the oldest alphabetic writing in human history. The writing was etched onto finger-length...

An Unusual Artifact Points to Roman Britain Rituals Linked to Fertility, Painted Dog Penis Bone Found in England

9 January 2025

9 January 2025

In a Roman quarry shaft in Surrey, England, archaeologists have discovered one of the most unusual human and animal remains...

Danish museum says Vikings had stained glass Windows

15 October 2023

15 October 2023

New research shows that  Viking Age windows were created using stained glass in the 9th century, contrary to popular belief...

The 3400-year-old city belonging to a mysterious Kingdom emerged from the Tigris river

30 May 2022

30 May 2022

Archaeologists from Germany and Kurdistan have discovered a 3,400-year-old Mittani Empire-era city on the Tigris River. The ruins emerged on...

Poland’s oldest copper axe discovered in the Lublin region

30 March 2024

30 March 2024

A copper axe from the 4th to 3rd millennium BC identified with the Trypillia culture was found in the Horodło...

The Entire Genome Of 35,000-Year-Old Skull From Romania Sequenced “Peştera Muierii 1”

24 May 2021

24 May 2021

Researchers have successfully sequenced the whole genome from the skull of Peştera Muierii 1, women who lived in today’s Romania...

5,700-Year-old Ancient “Chewing Gum” Gives Information About People and Bacteria of the Past

4 April 2021

4 April 2021

Researchers at the University of Copenhagen have successfully extracted the complete human genome from “chewing gum” thousands of years ago....

First Human Figurine of the Mesolithic Era (Circa 9000 Years Old) Discovered in Azerbaijan’s Damjili Cave

19 April 2025

19 April 2025

A groundbreaking discovery has been made in the Damjili Cave in Azerbaijan’s Gazakh district: the first human figurine from the...

Archaeologists have found an intriguing Iron Age “shrine” in the Yorkshire Wolds

19 September 2021

19 September 2021

Archaeologists have discovered an interesting ancient Iron Age “shrine” in the Yorkshire Wolds, which was marked out by meticulously placed...