Berkay Dinçer

The Lower Paleolithic in Turkey: Anatolia and Hominin Dispersals Out of Africa

Modern-day Turkey covers a vast area and includes many different ecological regions. Based on its geographic position, the Asian portion of Turkey, Anatolia, is accepted as a major route of early hominin dispersals. While it represents a reasonably direct route, Anatolia should not be conceptualized as a convenient land bridge for hominins originating in Africa, one that could be traversed without anatomical and/or technological adaptations. The available data show, at minimum, the presence of hominins in Anatolia at various times in the Pleistocene and the presence of various lithic traditions in the region. These are not sufficient for clarifying Anatolia’s role as a passage in the earliest occupations of Eastern Europe, and theories suggesting Anatolia as a major hominin dispersal route must remain preliminary.

Paleolithic occupations of the Göllü Dağ, Central Anatolia, Turkey

Abstract Systematic archaeological surface reconnaissance of the Göllü Dağ volcanic complex from 2007 to 2012 documented more than 230 findspots with Paleolithic artifacts, ranging from isolated finds to extensive and dense scatters of artifacts. Most of the activities represented relate to exploitation of the rich obsidian resources in the region. Paleolithic artifacts are attributed mainly to the Middle Paleolithic based on the presence of Levallois technology but there is a substantial Lower Paleolithic component represented by handaxes and other large bifacial tools. Upper and Epipaleolithic sites and artifacts are scarce or absent in the survey sample. The distributions of handaxes and Levallois elements differ substantially, reflecting differences in site preservation and exposure as well as organization of prehistoric activities. Multiple variants of Levallois are represented but centripetal preferential and unipolar flake production dominate. The frequent co-occurrence of different Levallois forms suggests flexible reduction strategies. Distributions of different classes of artifact across the survey area indicate that the Middle Paleolithic occupations of Göllü Dağ were not entirely oriented toward workshop activities.