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Journals / Anadolu Araştırmaları / 2024 / Issue: 31

Epipalaeolithic Ritual Practices at Gedikkaya Cave, Northwestern Türkiye

Deniz Sarı(Bilecik Şeyh Edebali University, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Department of Archaeology)0000-0002-2779-0757
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Publication Date
2025-01-14
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

These findings suggest the presence of welldeveloped and complex symbolic structures.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

🎯
Objective & Hypothesis:This paper examines the Epipaleolithic occupation of Gedikkaya Cave in northwestern Türkiye, which also served as a settlement during the Neolithic and Chalcolithic periods.
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Key Findings & Data:The Epipaleolithic marks a period of increased human mobility, likely influenced by climatic events following the Last Glacial Maximum.
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Conclusion & Impact:These findings suggest the presence of welldeveloped and complex symbolic structures.
🔬Design:Research Article
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:Epipalaeolithic · Ritual · Anthropomorphic Sculpture

Abstract

This paper examines the Epipaleolithic occupation of Gedikkaya Cave in northwestern Türkiye, which also served as a settlement during the Neolithic and Chalcolithic periods. The Epipaleolithic marks a period of increased human mobility, likely influenced by climatic events following the Last Glacial Maximum. During this time, the cave functioned as a shelter or refuge for local hunter-gatherers and transient populations. Artifacts suggest connections between European Upper Paleolithic cultures and the Pre-Pottery Neolithic A cultures of Anatolia and the Levant. The study focuses on the extraordinary symbolic and ritual manifestations found in a layer dated to 13,166–11,200 Cal BC, including artifacts, niches, and a special area featuring a stalagmite structure. These findings suggest the presence of welldeveloped and complex symbolic structures.

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Cite This Article

Sarı, D. (2025). Epipalaeolithic Ritual Practices at Gedikkaya Cave, Northwestern Türkiye. Anadolu Araştırmaları, Issue: 31. https://doi.org/10.26650/anar.2024.31.1563883

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