28 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

Ukrainian Stonehenge

6 July 2021

6 July 2021

It has almost become a tradition to compare the structures surrounded by stones to the Stonehenge monument. This ancient cemetery,...

4,000-Year-Old Dilmun Temple Discovered on Failaka Island, Kuwait

12 November 2024

12 November 2024

A joint Danish-Kuwaiti excavation team led by the Mosgard Museum has uncovered a 4,000-year-old Bronze Age temple linked to the...

Four-face ivory dice found at Keezhadi excavation site in India

18 February 2022

18 February 2022

The Tamil Nadu Archaeological department along with the Archaeological Survey of India has unearthed rectangular ivory dice,  in the excavation...

1,600-year-old Hunnic double burial found in Poland

15 June 2024

15 June 2024

In 2018, archaeologists uncovered a 1,600-year-old double burial in the village of Czulice near Krakow, Poland, containing the remains of...

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...

Experts to uncover the secret of the monumental and three-dimensional Urartian statue found on Garibin Tepe

2 November 2024

2 November 2024

In an area where rescue excavations were conducted last year, archaeologists discovered a basalt stone statue from the Urartian period...

Digs at Turkey’s Seyitömer mound reveals thousands of artworks

20 March 2022

20 March 2022

Approximately 14,500 artifacts have been unearthed during rescue excavations carried out over 33 years at Seyitömer Mound in Turkey’s western...

Visit Baalbek’s Famous Temples with a Free 3d Virtual Tour

10 April 2021

10 April 2021

Baalbek, which has traces of settlement since 9000 BC, was one of the cornerstones of ancient civilizations. The famous Baalbek temple...

The Oldest Odin Inscription in the World Found in the Vindelev treasure

8 March 2023

8 March 2023

Scientists have identified the earliest known inscription referring to the Norse god Odin on part of a gold disc unearthed...

A Circular Structure Linked to the Cult of Kukulcán Discovered in Mexico

2 November 2023

2 November 2023

A team of researchers with the Mexican National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) has unearthed the remains of a...

Scientists discover traces of paint on the Parthenon Sculptures that reveal their true colours

12 October 2023

12 October 2023

Recent research on the Parthenon Sculptures has found traces of the original paint used to decorate the Parthenon Sculptures, revealing...

Rare 832 copper coins from the Portuguese era unearthed in Goa, India

11 November 2023

11 November 2023

In Sattari, Nanoda, in the state of Goa on the west coast of India, 832 copper coins that are believed...

Early Female Emperors in Japan “Empress Kōken”

2 July 2021

2 July 2021

Born into the aristocratic Fujiwara clan, this extraordinary woman first ascended to the throne as Empress Kōken and became the...

A Detectorist has Discovered a Completely Unique Medieval Seal Matrix in the UK

2 December 2023

2 December 2023

A medieval seal die, described by experts as ‘completely unique’, has been found by a metal detector at a field...

5,000 years old Mother Goddess statuette unearthed in Yeşilova Mound

25 October 2023

25 October 2023

A Mother Goddess statuette, determined to be 5 thousand years old, was found during the excavations carried out in the...