Excavations in Turkey's Çayönü mound to shed light on Neolithic era

Archaeological teams in Turkey continue excavations in the Çayönü mound, a Neolithic settlement where traces of settled life and production are observed. The excavations in Çayönü, in the southeastern Diyarbakır province, began in 1964, but they were halted in 1991 due to security reasons. The work has resumed in 2017 with a team led by Aslı Erim Özdoğan. After inspecting the site, Governor Münir Karaloğlu told reporters that the Çayönü mound is 'a region where the firsts of humankind were experienced on the earth.' Karaloğlu said that human beings have passed from nomadic life to settled life and cultural agriculture in Çayönü, adding that this area also has an 'important place' in the history of mining. 'Çayönü is the region where copper mines were processed hot and cold for the first time and were perhaps the first place where leatherwork had been done,' he said. Stating that it is a region where construction technology also has a historical background, Karaloğlu said during this year's excavations they opened a chest-type tomb, which 'brought Çayönü closer to today for another 3,000 years.' 'Our whole aim is to bring Diyarbakır back to the agenda of humanity, as it deserves, with its history, culture and civilization values,' he concluded.