A metalworking workshop dating back approximately 9,000 years has been discovered at Çayönü Tepesi, one of the most significant Neolithic settlements in human history, located in the Ergani district of Diyarbakır. This workshop, unearthed during excavations led by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Savaş Sarıaltun, holds great importance as it provides exceptionally rare architectural evidence demonstrating not only that Neolithic people utilized copper and malachite but also how they organized production within a specific area. Additional resources and further reading to strengthen this context are available at [1] [2] [3].
All Stages of the Production Process Together
The workshop, spread over an area of approximately 5 square meters, features a stone-paved working floor at its center and at least six postholes around it, indicating a lightly shaded structure. Numerous worked artifacts were found in this area during the work conducted with permits from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
Sources and Further Reading
- [1] 12,000-Year-Old Grid-Plan Structures and Water Channel Discovered at Çayönü Mound - Arkeonews
- [2] 9,500-Year-Old Public Building with Red Floor Unearthed at Çayönü Tepesi, Türkiye - Arkeonews
- [3] 5,000-Year-Old Earthquake Evidence Unearthed at Çayönü Tepesi Sheds Light on Anatolia’s Seismic Past | Arkeonews
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