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Articles

• Cilingiroglu, Altan
• Abay, Esref

The prehistoric periods of the Aegean Region of West Anatolia is not well known compare to thelater periods. The lack of information occurs in limited archaeological surveys and excavations onone hand. On the other hand alluvional deposits in the plains, and coastal line changes are yetanother reason not to discover the prehistoric settlements in the region. It is evidently certain thatsome of the prehistoric settlements are beneath the alluvional deposits of the plains. 5 m. culturaldeposit of the Ulucak Höyük is now under the soil of the Ulucak plain.The excavations at Ulucak Höyük have provided reliable evidence for a long lasting Neolithicculture in the Aegean coast, and a cultural connection with the Lake District of Anatolia in the eastand with Trace in the north west. Despite the occurrence of later periods such as Late Roman, EarlyByzantine and Middle Bronze Ages these layers were heavily destroyed by modern agriculturalactivities. The Early Bronze Ages and the Chalcolithic periods were represented by pottery ratherthen well documented architectural remains. Despite the destruction occur at the later layers theNeolithic period is the most well preserved cultural era from the point of architecture and smallfinds. Level IV and V represent the Neolithic culture at Ulucak although future excavations willpossibly add one or more levels to the Neolithic era. Level IV has 11 sub-levels starting from IVa(ca.5600 B.C.) and going down to IVk(ca.6050 B.C.). Level IV was fallowed by Level V, excavatedin recent years, dating to ca.6200 B.C. with the help of C14 dates. It is possible that Level V hasmore sub-levels going down to the earlier periods of the Neolithic culture. Future excavations willdefinitely give us further information about the earlier characteristics of Neolithic period of Ulucak.Red-slipped pottery and architectural features of Level IV and V can be compare to the Neolithiccultures of Lake District and Trace of Turkey although some distinctive differences may be noticed.Further excavation at Ulucak will possibly make it clear if the Neolithic culture of Aegean Region made its development locally or came to the region from east by a migration. Archaeologicalexcavations and archeometrical studies such as the present project contribute to betterunderstanding of the cultural development and origin of the Neolithic culture in coastal WestAnatolia.

• History and Archaeology

• Αρχαιολογία

Ulucak, Neolithic, Archaeometry, West Anatolia, Red-slipped pottery