Human-figure rock art found in central Türkiye

KAYSERİ

Rock paintings depicting human figures, believed to date to the Neolithic Age, have been discovered in the central province of Kayseri after a resident alerted authorities about unusual markings on a mountainside.

The resident, who noticed the images while hiking through a rocky area, reported them to officials, prompting an initial examination that suggested the paintings belonged to the early farming era known as the Neolithic.

Professor Osman Özsoy, Kayseri representative of the Foundation for the Protection and Promotion of Environmental and Cultural Values (ÇEKÜL), told state-run Anadolu Agency that his team has been working on an underground inventory of Kayseri for 11 years but had never encountered anything like this.

Stating the significance of the find, he said it could reshape the region’s ancient profile.

“Kayseri’s history may be pushed much further back,” he said. “This is a discovery that seems positioned within the Neolithic Age. There are many examples in Anatolia; in Hakkari, Van, Mersin, Antalya and the well-known Çatalhöyük. Further west, you have Latmos near Lake Bafa in Balıkesir, Aydın and Muğla. When we compare the Kayseri figures with those at Latmos, the resemblance is striking. The dominance of brown tones is similar. The Kayseri images appear to show male and female figures, as seen in previous literature. We also see shapes resembling the letter T. Whether representing families or individuals, they will require extensive study.”

Özsoy said experts have yet to determine whether the images were carved or painted and noted that detailed analysis will be essential. He added that researchers also need to investigate whether additional figures exist in the area.

“In many Anatolian cave paintings, hematite mixed with clay was used to produce pigment,” he said. “Whether this method was used here is unclear for now.”

‘It may draw international attention’

Özsoy said dating processes consider many factors, from technique to stylistic comparisons.

“Once full reports are prepared and specialists begin to work, this will likely attract international attention,” he said. “From the form, the pigment type and the figures themselves, experts will propose a date. It appears to be assignable to prehistoric times. If we consider that the Neolithic period begins around 10,000 BCE, these images could fall somewhere in that long span. Roughly 6,000 years old would not be an unreasonable estimate, though we cannot say anything definitive yet.”

He added that the paintings may have been created either by an artist or by people living in the area at the time.

Özsoy also underlined the importance of public awareness in safeguarding cultural heritage.

“This discovery became possible thanks to a citizen who paid attention and made a report,” he said. “Public awareness and the instinct to protect heritage have led to major breakthroughs elsewhere, and the same is likely here. For Kayseri, this is a major gain not only because the city’s history may be extended further back but also because this is the first time rock art has been identified here.”

He noted that researchers are also curious whether the imposing silhouette of Mount Erciyes, a defining feature of the region that influenced Seljuk, Ottoman and Roman cultures, might have been depicted on these ancient surfaces.