The New evidence for the Palaeolithic on the island of Gökçeada (Imbros), North Eastern Aegean
Keywords:
Island of Gökçeada (Imbros), North Aegean, Lower Palaeolithic, Middle Palaeolithic, Upper Palaeolithic
Abstract
Eksino, on the island of Gökçeada (Imbros) in the Northeast Aegean, is a new open-air site with evidence of Palaeolithic cultural remains. Stone tools collected by an initial survey have clarified an assessment of the site from the Lower Palaeolithic, and brought to light new evidence from the Middle Palaeolithic as well as transition to the Upper Palaeolithic. Eksino is probably one of the most significant Lower Palaeolithic tool collections in the North Aegean, and finds such as chopper or chopping tools and Acheulean bifacial handaxes from the site show that the North Aegean may be another possible dispersal route from hominids to Europe via the East and Northeast Mediterranean during the Lower Palaeolithic. Middle Palaeolithic finds are frequent in the site and finds resemble the typical Mousterian type which is characterized by discoidal cores, Levallois cores and flakes, scrapers, denticulates, notches and points. Upper Palaeolithic finds are rare in the site, and a bifacial leaf point and large crescent-shaped backed pieces made on blades may reveal the presence of the Middle-Upper Palaeolithic transition on the island. This new data from Palaeolithic Gökçeada is likely to fill key geographic gaps associated with the initial dispersal of hominins through the northeast Aegean islands.
References
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Andreou, E. & Andreou, I. 2017, Ίμβρος. Ένα μικρό νησί με μεγάλη ιστορία, Athens. (in Greek) (Imbros: A small island with a long history)
Atakuman, Ç. Erdoğu, B., Gemici, H.C., Baykara, İ., Karakoç, M., Biagi, P., Starnini, E., Guilbeau, D., Yücel, N., Turan, D. & Dirican, M. 2020, Before the Neolithic in the Aegean: the Pleistocene and the Early Holocene record of Bozburun - Southwest Turkey. The Journal of Island and Coastal Archaeology: 1-33. doi:10.1080/15564894.2020.1803458
Carter T., Contreras, D., Doyle, S., Mihailović, D.D., Moutsiou, T., & Skarpelis, N. 2014, The Stélida Naxos Archaeological Project: new data on the Middle Palaeolithic and Mesolithic Cyclades. Antiquity Project Gallery, 88(341). URL: https://antiquity.ac.uk/projgall/carter341
Carter, T., Contreras, D.A., Holcomb, J., Mihailović, D.D., Karkanas, P., Guérin, G., Taffin, N., Athanasoulis, D. & Lahaye, C. 2019, Earliest occupation of the Central Aegean (Naxos), Greece: implications for hominin and Homo Sapiens’ behavior and dispersals. Science Advances, 5(10): 1-9. Eaax0997. doi:10.1126/sciadv.aax0997
Chalkioti, A. 2016, Reconstructing the coastal configuration of Lemnos Island (Northeast Aegean Sea, Greece) since the Last Glacial Maximum. In: Géoarchéologie des îles de Méditerranée, (Ghilardi, M., Ed.), Paris: p.109-118. URL: https://books.openedition.org/editionscnrs/28545
Çilingiroğlu, Ç., Dinçer, B., Uhri, A., Gürbıyık, C., Baykara, İ., Çakırlar, C. 2016, New Paleolithic and Mesolithic sites in the eastern Aegean; the Karaburun Archaeological Project. Antiquity Project Gallery, 90(353): E1. doi:10.15184/aqy.2016.168
Dinçer, B. 2016, The Lower Paleolithic in Turkey: Anatolia and hominin dispersals out of Africa. In: Paleoanthropology of the Balkans and Anatolia: Human Evolution and its Context. (Harvati, K., & Roksandic, M. Eds.), Springer, Dordrecht: p. 213–228. doi:10.1007/978-94-024-0874-4_13
Erdoğu, B. 2014, Gökçeada Uğurlu Archaeological Project: A preliminary report from the 2011-2013 field seasons. Anatolica, XL: 157-178.
Erdoğu, B. 2016, The Neolithic landscape and settlement of the Island of Gökçeada (Imbros, Turkey)”, In: Géoarchéologie des îles de Méditerranée, (Ghilardi, M., Ed.), Paris: p. 89-94. URL: https://books.openedition.org/editionscnrs/28527
Erdoğu, B. 2017, A preliminary report on the earliest Neolithic levels at Uğurlu on the Island of Gökçeada. Anatolica, XLIII: 71-82.
Fotiadis, M. 2016, Leaf-points from Petrota (Greek Thrace) and the Palaeolithic chronology of the Vrahos chert quarry. The Annual of the British School at Athens, 111: 1-11. doi:10.1017/S0068245416000046
Galanidou, N. Athanassas, C., Cole, J., Iliopoulos, G., Katerinopoulos, A., Magganas, A. & McNabb, J. 2016, The Acheulian site at Rodafnidia, Lisvori, on Lesbos, Greece: 2010–2012. In: Paleoantropology of the Balkans and Anatolia. Human Evolution and its Context, (Harvati K. & Roksandic, M., Eds.), Springer, Dordrecht: p.119-138. doi:10.1007/978-94-024-0874-4_8
Galanidou, N. 2014, Advances in the Palaeolithic and Mesolithic archaeology of Greece for new millennium. Pharos, 20: 1-40. doi:10.2143/PHA20.1.3064535
Galanidou, N., Dellaporta, K., Sakellariou, D. 2020, Greece: unstable landscapes and underwater archaeology In: The Archaeology of Europe’s Drowned Landscapes, (Bailey, G., Galanidou, N., Peeters, H., Jöns, H., & Mennenga, M., Eds.), Cham, Springer International Publishing: p. 371-392. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-37367-2_19
Harmankaya, S., Tanindi, O. 1997. Türkiye Arkeolojik Yerleşmeleri (Paleolitik ve Epi-paleolitik). Ege publishing, İstanbul. 290 p (in Turkish) (Archaeological Settlements in Turkey (Palaeolithic and Epi-palaeolithic)
Harmankaya S. & Erdoğu, B. 2000, Prehistoric survey at Gökceada, Turkey, University of Durham and University of Newcastle Upon Tyne Archaeological Reports, 1999/2000: 28–35.
Hüryılmaz, H. 2006, Kuzeydoğu Ege Denizi’nin Rüzgarlı Bahçesi: Gökçeada, Çanakkale. (in Turkish) (The Windy Garden of the Northeast Aegean Sea: Gökçeada).
Ivanova, S. & Sirakova, S. 1995, Chronology and cultures of the Bulgarian Palaeolithic, In: Prehistoric Bulgaria (Bailey, D.W. & Panayotov, I., Eds.), Monographs in World Archaeology 22, Madison, Wisconsin: p. 9-54.
Kuhn, S., Arsebük, G., & Howell, F.C. 1996, The Middle Pleistocene lithic assemblage from Yarımburgaz cave, Turkey. Paleorient, 22: 31–49.
Moroni, A., Boscato, P., & Ronchitelli, A. 2013, What roots for the Uluzzian? Modern behaviour in Central-Southern Italy and hypotheses on AMH dispersal routes. Quaternary International, 316: 27–44. doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2012.10.051
Özbek, O. & Erdoğu, B. 2014, Initial occupation of the Gelibolu Peninsula and the Gokceada (Imbroz) Island in the Pre-Neolithic and Early Neolithic. Eurasian Prehistory, 11(1–2): 97–128.
Özer, İ., Sağır, M., Baykara, İ. Dinçer, B., Koca, B., Şahin, S., Eren, E., & Özdemir, A. 2018, Çanakkale Ilinde Paleolitik Dönem Insan Izleri. DTCF Dergisi, 58.1: 99-116.(in Turkish) (Palaeolithic Human Traces in Çanakkale Province).
Perissoratis, C. & Conispoliatis, N. 2003, The impacts of sea-level changes during latest Pleistocene and Holocene times on the morphology of the Ionian and Aegean seas (SE Alpine Europe), Marine Geology, 196: 145-156. doi:10.1016/S0025-3227(03)00047-1
Roosevelt, C., Dinçer, B., Luke, C., & Çilingiroğlu, Ç. 2019, A Lower Paleolithic assemblage from western Anatolia: the lithics from Bozyer. Quaternary International, 522: 66–84. doi:0.1016/j.quaint.2019.05.016
Runnels, C. & Özdoğan, M. 2001, The Palaeolithic of the Bosphorus region, NW Turkey. Journal of Field Archaeology, 28: 69–92. doi:10.1179/jfa.2001.28.1-2.69
Sampson, A., Kabouroglou, E., Kaczanowska, M. & Kozlowski, J.K. 2018, Presence of Neanderthals on the Island of Agios Efstratios and Probable Networks of Contacts in the Northeastern Aegean during the early Middle Palaeolithic. Annals of Archaeology, 1(1): 39-56.
Sarı, R., Türkecan, A., Dönmez, M., Küçükefe, Ş., Aydın, Ü., & Özmen, Ö. 2015, The geology of Gökçeada (Çanakkale). Bulletin of the Mineral Research and Exploration, 150: 1-18. doi:10.19111/bmre.42119
Taşkıran, H. 2018, The distribution of Acheulean culture and its possible routes in Turkey. CR Palevol 17: 99–106 .doi:10.1016/j.crpv.2016.12.005
Tourloukis, V. & Harvati, K. 2017. The Palaeolithic record of Greece: a synthesis of the evidence and a research agenda for the future. Quaternary International, 466: 48-65. doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2017.04.020
Published
15-Mar-2021
How to Cite
Erdogu, B., Yücel, N., & Demir, K. (2021). The New evidence for the Palaeolithic on the island of Gökçeada (Imbros), North Eastern Aegean. Journal of Lithic Studies, 8(1), 11 p. https://doi.org/10.2218/jls.5121
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