8 October 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Neolithic Twin of Knossos: First 8,800-Year-Old Architectural Remains Unearthed on Gökçeada

Archaeologists excavating the Uğurlu-Zeytinlik Mound on Türkiye’s westernmost island in the Aegean Sea, Gökçeada (Imbros), have uncovered something never before seen in Aegean prehistory: the first architectural remains belonging to the earliest farming communities of the Aegean Islands.

The discovery, dated to around 8,800 years ago, places Uğurlu alongside Knossos on Crete as the only settlements in the Aegean Islands belonging to the first agricultural societies.

“The First Time We Have Encountered Such Architecture”

Speaking about the groundbreaking find, excavation director Prof. Dr. Burçin Erdoğu explained:

“This type of architecture has been encountered for the first time in the Aegean Islands, which makes it extremely valuable for us. We have identified a building style that is round in plan, with sunken floors, constructed using what we call the wattle-and-daub technique. The Uğurlu settlement, together with Knossos on the island of Crete, is the only settlement across the Aegean Islands belonging to the earliest farming communities. In this context, I can say that we have uncovered the architecture of the earliest farming communities in the Aegean Islands for the very first time.”

This statement underscores the discovery’s significance—not just for Türkiye, but for the history of the entire Aegean basin.



📣 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!!



Houses of the First Island Farmers

During the latest excavation season, archaeologists uncovered five domestic structures dated to circa 6800 BCE. These early houses feature circular plans, recessed floors, and reed-based wattle-and-daub construction, representing the earliest farming architecture ever documented on an Aegean island.

Until now, there was no architectural evidence to show how the first farming communities of the Aegean built their homes or organized their settlements. Uğurlu has now provided the first physical footprint of island farmers, transforming speculation into tangible reality.

Archaeologists have uncovered five prehistoric buildings dating back 8,800 years at the Uğurlu-Zeytinlik Mound on Gökçeada (Imbros), Türkiye’s westernmost island in the Aegean Sea. Credit: AA
Archaeologists have uncovered five prehistoric buildings dating back 8,800 years at the Uğurlu-Zeytinlik Mound on Gökçeada (Imbros), Türkiye’s westernmost island in the Aegean Sea. Credit: AA

Why Architecture Matters

While evidence of farming practices such as crop cultivation and animal domestication had been documented in the region, architecture provides the clearest proof of permanent settlement and social organization. Until now, scholars had no architectural remains showing how the first Aegean farmers lived.

The discovery at Uğurlu changes this entirely. The structures confirm that early settlers were not temporary visitors but established communities, shaping the island landscape with enduring homes. This makes the site invaluable for understanding how farming lifeways took root across the Aegean Sea.

Farming, Herding, and Exchange

The significance of Uğurlu lies not only in its architecture. Botanical evidence reveals domesticated crops such as wheat, barley, and peas, proving that the first settlers brought agriculture from mainland Anatolia. Animal bones show that sheep, goats, cattle, and pigs were also part of their subsistence system.

Finds of obsidian from Melos and flint from both Anatolia and the Balkans confirm that these early islanders were integrated into long-distance exchange networks nearly nine millennia ago. Far from being isolated, Uğurlu was a crossroads of innovation and interaction in the Neolithic Aegean.

A Twin to Knossos

For decades, Knossos on Crete stood alone as the earliest known farming settlement in the Aegean. With the discoveries on Gökçeada, scholars can now identify a second, equally early site that belonged to the very first wave of island farmers.

This positions Uğurlu-Zeytinlik as a twin foundation of Aegean Neolithic culture, bridging Anatolia and the Aegean, and reshaping the understanding of how farming spread across seas as well as over land.


A monument believed to be around 8,000 years old was unearthed earlier at Uğurlu Höyük in northwestern Turkey. The latest discovery on Gökçeada revealed the first 8,800-year-old architectural remains of early farming communities in the Aegean Islands. Credit: AA
A monument believed to be around 8,000 years old was unearthed earlier at Uğurlu Höyük in northwestern Turkey. The latest discovery on Gökçeada revealed the first 8,800-year-old architectural remains of early farming communities in the Aegean Islands. Credit: AA

Rewriting the Origins of Aegean Civilization

The revelation that the earliest Aegean farming architecture has finally been uncovered challenges older narratives and expands the map of Neolithic life in the islands. It proves that permanent settlement and architectural innovation were not limited to Crete, but were also firmly rooted in the northern Aegean nearly 9,000 years ago.

As excavations continue, Uğurlu is expected to provide even deeper insights into how agriculture, architecture, and social complexity spread across island landscapes—marking it as one of the most important archaeological sites in the region.

Conclusion

The Uğurlu-Zeytinlik Mound on Gökçeada has delivered a discovery of unparalleled importance: the very first farming architecture of the Aegean Islands. Through its round, sunken, reed-woven houses, the site reveals how the first island farmers lived, worked, and connected with neighboring regions.

By standing shoulder to shoulder with Knossos, Uğurlu not only rewrites the earliest chapter of Aegean prehistory—it firmly anchors Gökçeada in the story of how humanity’s first farmers shaped the islands of the Aegean Sea.

Cover Image Credit: AA

Related Articles

9,300-year-old Gre Filla Mound in southeastern Turkey to be relocated

20 September 2022

20 September 2022

While public criticism continues due to the fact that Gre Filla, known as Diyarbakır’s Göbeklitepe, is under the dam, Diyarbakır...

Ancient Murals of Two-faced Figures Found in Peru

21 March 2023

21 March 2023

Archaeologists are reporting a number of fascinating discoveries as work on the excavations at Pañamarca progresses that are helping to...

A ‘Talismanic Grave Tablet’ Believed to Protect From Evil Found in Silifke Castle

3 September 2024

3 September 2024

During excavations in the Silifke castle located on lies on a hill in the town with the same name in...

Thor’s hammer amulet discovered in Sweden

23 October 2022

23 October 2022

Archaeologists have unearthed the Thor’s Hammer amulet, which they call “one of its kind” in Ysby in southwestern Sweden’s Halland...

“Oracle Bone Inscriptions”, the world’s oldest writing system that has not disappeared in history

5 June 2023

5 June 2023

“Jiaguwen,” or the oracle bone inscriptions, are thought to be the earliest fully-developed characters as well as the source of...

A Trove of ‘Exceptional’ stunningly preserved bronze statues found at an Ancient Thermal Spa in Tuscany, Italy

10 November 2022

10 November 2022

A group of Italian archaeologists made the discovery of 24 well-preserved bronze statues from an ancient thermal spring in Tuscany....

5,000-Year-Old Fortress Discovered in Romania Using LiDAR Technology

22 March 2025

22 March 2025

Archaeologists have unveiled a 5,000-year-old fortress hidden deep within the forests of Neamț County, Romania. This remarkable find, made possible...

Symbol of Eternal Loyalty Found on Rare Medieval Sword in the Netherlands

14 June 2025

14 June 2025

A remarkable medieval sword, dating back nearly 1,000 years, has been discovered in the Dutch province of Utrecht bearing a...

After 85 years of adventure, Globetrotting Mycenaean gold ring returns home

3 June 2022

3 June 2022

The 3,000-year-old gold Mycenaean ring, stolen from the Rhodes Archaeological Museum during World War II and later bought by a...

Huge funerary building and Fayoum portraits discovered in Egypt Fayoum

4 December 2022

4 December 2022

The Egyptian archaeological mission working in the Gerza archaeological site in Fayoum revealed a huge funerary building from the Ptolemaic...

Bronze belt of Urartian warrior found in the ancient city Satala

29 May 2022

29 May 2022

During the excavations in the ancient city of Satala, located in the Kelkit district of Gümüşhane province in Turkey, a...

Scientists Use Artificial İntelligence to Study Ancient Australian Rock Art

1 April 2021

1 April 2021

Rock art is the oldest surviving human art form. Throughout Australia, petroglyphs are part of the life and customs of...

The ashes of 8,000 victims were found in two mass graves near the Soldau concentration camp in Poland

14 July 2022

14 July 2022

Polish authorities said they had unearthed two mass graves near the former Nazi concentration camp Soldau containing the ashes of...

Gold from the ancient cities of Troy, Poliochni, and Ur had the same Origin

3 December 2022

3 December 2022

Using an innovative mobile laser method, scientists determined that gold found in ancient Troy, Poliochini, and Ur had the same...

Ancient golden neck ring found in Denmark

24 April 2022

24 April 2022

A one-of-a-kind golden neck ring from the Germanic Iron Age (400-550 A.D.) has been discovered in a field not far...