Ancient İzmir Discovery Highlights Women’s Influence in Early Civilization

English , Middle East - مشرق وسطٰی , Snippets , / Thursday, November 6th, 2025

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rki.news
Sources Xinhua
İZMİR, Türkiye, Nov. 6 — Archaeologists have unearthed 5,000-year-old vessels adorned with necklace-like motifs in western Türkiye’s İzmir province, revealing new insights into women’s prominent role in early Bronze Age communities.
The discoveries were made during ongoing excavations at the Yassıtepe Mound by a research team from Ege University. Excavation director Professor Zafer Derin told local media that this year’s work revealed dozens of unique plates, ritual containers, and small decorative vessels—all meticulously crafted from baked clay and dating back around five millennia.
Derin explained that the necklace reliefs and other ornamental patterns on the pottery suggest that women were highly regarded within the settlement’s social and ceremonial life. These artistic details, he noted, symbolize not only personal adornment but also the cultural expression of identity and status within the community.
Archaeologists believe that Yassıtepe served as both a residential and cultural center, actively engaged in trade and ritual activities. The findings further demonstrate that women were central to the settlement’s domestic, economic, and spiritual spheres—playing a defining role in shaping one of Anatolia’s earliest urban cultures.
The Yassıtepe excavation continues to contribute valuable knowledge to Türkiye’s growing archaeological record of early civilization.