7,700-year-old shaft straightener found in excavations in İzmir

A "shaft straightener" shaped like a bovine, estimated to be 7,700 years old, has been discovered during excavations at Ulucak Mound in the Kemalpaşa district of İzmir.

Excavation Head and Faculty Member of the Department of Archaeology at Trakya University, Prof. Dr. Özlem Çevik, stated in her announcement that they are continuing excavations at the mound, which has a history of approximately 8,850 years, with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Turkish Historical Society, the İzmir Metropolitan and Kemalpaşa municipalities, and the Kemalpaşa Organized Industrial Zone.

Stating that Ulucak Mound is the first settlement in İzmir, Çevik expressed that they have encountered significant findings in this year's excavations.

Reminding that they found female and male figurines dating back to 5,700 BC this season, Çevik reported that their latest discovery is a "shaft straightener" made of clay.

Noting that they have encountered remains of clay objects in the mound dating back 8,000 years, Çevik stated that the shaft straightener, which is among these materials, is a special find.

'WE SEE IT IS SHAPED LIKE A CATTLE'

Explaining that the shaft straightener was used to smooth wooden materials by rubbing or to make bone needles smooth, Çevik said, "What makes this find, dated to 7,700 years ago, special is both its functionality and the fact that it was made in the shape of an animal. It has been likened to a bovine; we can see the tail section. We see that it is shaped like a cattle. Both function and symbolism have been brought together."

In the studies carried out at Ulucak Mound, terracotta and clay figurines, also dated to 7,700 years ago and thought to depict a woman with a baby in her arms and a man, had been found recently.