Excavations at Direkli Cave in Döngel District
An important stage has been reached in the archaeological excavations that have been ongoing since 2007 in Direkli Cave in Döngel Neighborhood of Onikişubat district. The excavation team managed to reach the 4th grave. Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University Archeology Department Faculty Member and Direkli Cave Excavation Head Assoc. Prof. Dr. Cevdet Merih Erek stated that they found the first of the graves in 2009, the second in 2019 and the third in 2023 excavation season.
Erek stated that they obtained serious findings in the excavations they carried out in Direkli Cave, and emphasized that the most important of these findings were the graves they detected. According to the Carbon 14 tests, they were able to reach 12,540 years ago in the cave. He stated that they were at the 11th archaeological level in this year’s excavations and that they evaluated the grave they found as belonging to 14,500 years ago.
Features of the Grave
Stating that the physical structure of the tomb is different from the three previously discovered tombs, Erek shared the following information:
- “In the excavation area, in the part we evaluated as the burial area during the excavations we carried out this year, we came across a grave arrangement in a diagonal rectangular structure that we had never encountered before.”
- “We think the grave is about 14,500 years old. We haven’t been able to get a carbon date yet, but we reached 12,540 years ago with Carbon 14 analysis in the layers we excavated before.”
- “Therefore, we can say that we have pushed the date of this tomb back by about 2,000 years.”
- “Usually, at that time, people were buried in the fetal position, so the graves were round and oval in shape. However, the grave we discovered this year was rectangular and had a supine burial style.”
- “It is surrounded by rectangular stones and arranged at 90-degree angles. Such rectangular graves are not very common between 13-12,500 BC.”
Millimetric Excavation Techniques
Stating that the most important materials that enable the discovery of cultural heritage are the changes in the transition stages, Erek emphasized that archaeologists must be extremely meticulous and careful while excavating. “They go down almost by making a millimeter excavation,” Erek said, adding the following information:
- “They are constantly measuring. Any archaeological material that is revealed is carefully left where it was found.”
- “These materials are both photographed and drawn. X, Y, Z coordinates are taken and point locations are fixed.”
- “Thanks to this method, we have the chance to leave any material we find as solid evidence for future generations.”
- “The data we have obtained this year has helped us provide much older information than in previous periods.”
