The site was founded approximately 11,000 years ago by a group of hunter-gatherers. (document)
Ankara:
Stone ornaments found around the mouths and ears of skeletons in an 11,000-year-old cemetery in southeastern Turkey prove that humans have been piercing their bodies and thinking about themselves since prehistoric times, archaeologists say image.
Although small, thin, pointed stones have been found in several dig sites in the Fertile Crescent, which includes parts of modern-day Turkey and Iraq and was where ancient humans settled for farming, their purpose was not known – until now. .
“No decorations were found in the original position of the bodies,” said Emma Louise Baysal, professor of archeology at Ankara University and co-author of an article about the decorations. .
But at the Bangkuklutala site, “we placed them all on the bones very close to the ear holes and lips,” she said, allowing experts to conclude for the first time that they must have been used as piercings.
Some wear on the skull’s lower teeth also suggests these men may have had lower lip piercings during their lifetimes.
“I think it shows that we have similar concerns about our appearance, and that these people are also thinking hard about how they present themselves to the world,” she said.
About 11,000 years ago, a group of hunter-gatherers established the site and gradually settled it. Excavations continue at Boncuklu Tarla (Bead Field), named after the thousands of beads discovered by local farmers, and to date more than 100,000 artifacts have been unearthed.
The excavations not only show how early societies formed, but also highlight striking similarities between modern humans and Neolithic humans, Bessard said, highlighting a life we can empathize with.
“When you wear decorations, especially on your face, you can’t see them, but other people can. You’re projecting an image to other people.”
“It shows that we are very similar in many ways.”
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