Yeşilova Höyük, located in the Bornova district of İzmir, is the oldest known settlement in Western Anatolia, particularly in the İzmir region. Continuously inhabited between 6500 BCE and 4000 BCE, this prehistoric mound offers unique insights into the lifestyles, cultural evolution, and the first agricultural communities of the Neolithic and Chalcolithic periods in the region. Shedding light on the prehistoric periods of the region, Yeşilova Höyük holds great significance for contemporary archaeology.

History

The first settlements at Yeşilova Höyük began around 6500 BCE, at the dawn of the Neolithic Period. This period represents a revolutionary change in human history, marked by the transition from a hunter-gatherer lifestyle to settled agriculture and animal husbandry. Excavations at the mound indicate that the first inhabitants lived in simple mud-brick houses, engaged in agricultural activities, and domesticated animals. Throughout the Neolithic period, Yeşilova Höyük continuously grew and developed as one of the region's earliest villages.

Towards the beginning of the 5th millennium BCE, with the transition to the Chalcolithic Period, significant cultural changes were observed in life at the mound. During this period, ceramic production became more diversified, the first examples of metalworking began to appear, and social complexity increased. Inhabited continuously for approximately 2500 years, Yeşilova Höyük was abandoned around 4000 BCE for reasons not yet fully understood. This long period of occupation provides invaluable data regarding the chronology and cultural dynamics of the region's prehistoric periods. The mound serves as a critical reference point for understanding early settled lifestyles in Western Anatolia.

Geographic Location

Yeşilova Höyük is situated within the borders of the Bornova district of present-day İzmir province, at the southeastern edge of the fertile Gediz Delta, near the Meles River. This strategic geographic location was of vital importance for the people of the Neolithic period. The mound provided easy access to fertile agricultural lands, freshwater sources, and suitable forested areas for hunting. Furthermore, its proximity to the Aegean Sea allowed access to marine resources and perhaps limited interaction along the coastline in early periods.

The area where Yeşilova Höyük is located, being on natural transit routes, may have served as a bridge for interaction between inner Anatolia and the Aegean coasts. This location enabled the mound's inhabitants to engage in cultural and economic exchanges with other settlements in surrounding regions. The climatic conditions and natural resources of the region provided a favorable environment for early agricultural communities to successfully sustain their existence here.

Significance in Antiquity

The significance of Yeşilova Höyük in antiquity can be explained primarily by its existence during prehistoric times and its representation of the first settled life in the region. Economically, the inhabitants of the mound established a self-sufficient economy based on agriculture and animal husbandry. The cultivation of cereals such as wheat and barley, and the domestication of animals like sheep, goats, and cattle, constituted the community's primary means of subsistence. Additionally, crafts such as stone tool production, pottery making, and weaving were significant parts of economic life.

From a social and administrative perspective, Yeşilova Höyük housed an increasingly complex social structure. The arrangement of houses, grave finds, and differentiated artifacts may indicate the presence of a certain hierarchy or division of labor within the community. While definitive information about religious beliefs is lacking, the discovered terracotta figurines and burial customs reflect the relationship of the people of that period with the spiritual world and beliefs such as fertility cults. Yeşilova Höyük constitutes a fundamental reference point for understanding the Neolithization process of Western Anatolia and the cultural evolution of early agricultural communities in the region.

Coinage

As Yeşilova Höyük was a prehistoric settlement inhabited between 6500 BCE and 4000 BCE, the concept of coinage had not yet emerged in human history. Coinage began in the Kingdom of Lydia in the 7th century BCE and is an economic and administrative practice belonging to much later periods. Therefore, there is no evidence of coinage at Yeşilova Höyük, and such a practice did not exist during its period of occupation.

Archaeological Remains

Today, Yeşilova Höyük continues to exist as an active archaeological excavation site. Excavations have unearthed numerous layers and architectural remains belonging to the Neolithic and Chalcolithic periods. Traces of daily life, such as rectangular mud-brick houses, hearths, ovens, and storage areas, are clearly visible at the mound. These structures provide important information about the architectural techniques and settlement patterns of the period.

The excavations have also yielded a rich inventory of finds, including pottery, stone and bone tools (obsidian blades, grinding stones, bone needles), terracotta figurines, jewelry, and various ornaments used by the people of that era. These artifacts provide detailed information about the daily life practices, artistic skills, and cultural beliefs of Yeşilova Höyük's inhabitants. Skeletal remains recovered from the mound allow for scientific studies on the physical characteristics, health status, and dietary habits of the people of that period.

Today

Yeşilova Höyük is currently located within the borders of İzmir's Bornova district, in close proximity to İzmir city center. Easily accessible by road, the mound is not only an active archaeological excavation site but has also been organized as a visitor center and open-air museum. Visitors can explore the excavation area, view the unearthed structural remains, and examine replicas of artifacts found at the mound. The mound holds great importance for İzmir's cultural heritage and is an attractive destination for both locals and tourists. It is an important stop for those wishing to learn about Turkey's prehistoric periods.