Copper smelting in Anatolia pre-dates previous findings by 3,000 years

KOCAELİ

Kocaeli University’s Archaeometry Research Group has discovered that the copper smelting and casting process in Anatolia dates back 3,000 years earlier than previously known, originating around 8,000 B.C.E. at the Gre Fılla excavation site in the southeastern city of Diyarbakır, rather than the widely accepted 5,000 B.C.E. in the southern province of Mersin.

This breakthrough, led by Professor Dr. Ayşe Tuba Ökse of Kocaeli University and directed by the Diyarbakır Museum Directorate, sheds new light on early metallurgical practices during the Neolithic period in the Upper Tigris Valley, Southeast Anatolia.

The research, published in prestigious journals like Science and Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, revealed that early communities at Gre Fılla in Diyarbakır were experimenting with copper metallurgy — an area previously associated with small decorative items or pigments.

Through interdisciplinary collaboration, the group conducted chemical and physical analyses of materials, showing that early metallurgical processes involved melting and shaping copper in high-temperature kilns.

These findings challenge prior assumptions, revealing that these communities were not only familiar with copper ore but were also beginning to experiment with its smelting and casting.

One particularly striking discovery is that the copper used in Gre Fılla was sourced from the Black Sea province of Trabzon, rather than local mines near central Diyarbakır or the Ergani district.

This implies an advanced understanding of regional trade routes and natural resources, suggesting that these Neolithic peoples had a profound relationship with their environment, possessing highly sophisticated technological knowledge for their time.

Dr. Ayşin Konak emphasized that Gre Fılla, a site without pottery, served as a long-term settlement, indicating the community’s deep engagement with local resources, such as obsidian from distant regions. These findings provide compelling evidence that the development of early metallurgy was part of a broader network of interregional exchanges and technological innovations during the Neolithic era.