Yeşilova Höyüğü

Yeşilova Höyüğü, İzmir's, located in the central part of the Bornova Plain on alluvial deposits formed by the Manda Stream and Gökdere, is the oldest settlement site in the city, pushing its prehistoric past back at least 8,500 years. Along with the Yassıtepe and İpeklikuyu mounds, it forms the “Prehistoric Settlement Area of İzmir” and holds key importance for reflecting Neolithic life patterns and architectural traditions along the western Anatolian coast.

The mound was established on a plateau approximately 14 meters above sea level in the Bornova Plain; however, due to intense alluvial accumulation, cultural layers begin 3 to 4 meters below the present-day plain surface. Excavations at Yeşilova Höyüğü have identified four main cultural layers extending from the surface down to the natural soil. These layers encompass a chronology stretching from the Roman Period to Neolithic Age.

This uppermost layer dates to the Roman Period. Although no architectural settlement has been identified from this era, characteristic finds include graves and pottery fragments. Remains of a baked clay kiln system possibly associated with architecture have also been detected in this layer.

Located beneath the Roman layer, Layer II belongs to the Early Bronze Age I period. No significant architectural structures have been identified in this layer. The period is primarily represented by widespread pottery fragments and a burial area concentrated in the center of the mound (Area No. I). In this cemetery, a tradition of burying the dead intact in large ceramic jars (pithos burials) has been observed.

Beginning approximately 500 years after the end of the Neolithic settlement around 5700 BCE, this phase is known as the Chalcolithic Period (Copper-Stone Age) (Layers III.1 and III.2). The new groups arriving in the region exhibited a distinct cultural structure from the previous period. Characteristic features of this layer include oval-shaped pit houses (primitive huts) and dark-colored pottery.

Layer IV, the thickest and longest-lasting occupation phase of the mound, dates to the Neolithic Period (Polished Stone Age). This layer extends back at least 8,500 years and is subdivided internally into eight distinct sub-layers (1a-c and 2-8).

• Late Neolithic Phase (IV.1a-c): During this phase, dated to 6000–5700 BCE, permanent dwellings were constructed with stone foundations, mudbrick (mühre) walls, and rectangular floor plans.

• Early Phases (IV.2 and below): In earlier phases, circular huts made of reeds and wooden branches are evident. This layer represents the period with the most intensive evidence of organized village life, craft production (pottery, stone tools, weaving), and architectural development.

^{Excavation Work at Yeşilova Höyüğü} (Visit İzmir)

Geoarchaeological data reveal that Yeşilova Höyüğü witnessed a dynamic environmental transformation throughout its occupation history. During the Early Holocene (8,500 years ago), sea levels were significantly lower than today, placing the settlement far inland from the coast. However, during the Middle Holocene (5,500 years ago), a sea level rise (transgression) caused seawater to advance deep into the Bornova Plain, bringing the coastline within approximately 2.5 kilometers of the mound.

During this period, inhabitants not only had to contend with fluctuations in sea level but also with periodic flooding caused by the Manda Stream and its tributaries. Stratigraphic sections show that cultural layers were occasionally interrupted by flood sediments, indicating that the settlement was temporarily abandoned during periods of severe flooding.

The architecture of Yeşilova Höyüğü stands out with its unique character, distinct from inland western Anatolia and identified as the “Coastal Aegean Culture.” In the early Neolithic phases (Layer IV.2), circular huts with stone foundations and diameters ranging from 1.5 to 2 meters were constructed.^【1】

With population growth and increasing social organization during Phase IV.1, a major architectural transformation occurred: larger rectangular dwellings measuring 5x6 and 6x8 meters were built with stone foundations and walls constructed using the “mühre” (mudbrick) technique. These structures were erected in a dispersed layout rather than a contiguous arrangement and positioned radially around a shared courtyard. A baked clay house model recovered during excavations confirms that these buildings had pitched roofs supported by wooden posts, adapted to the rainy coastal climate, unlike the flat-roofed traditions of central Anatolia.

The Yeşilova community maintained hunter-gatherer traditions while developing a productive economy based on settled agriculture and animal husbandry. Numerous stone and bone tools, weaving workshops, and pottery production areas identified at the site indicate organized craft activities beyond household-level production.

Especially in Layer IV.1c, the reuse of hundreds of worn-out grinding stones as building material in wall construction demonstrates both recycling of materials and the scale of cereal processing activity. Additionally, the large quantities of marine shell remains and fish net weights recovered during excavations document the significant role of marine resources in the diet and the active exploitation of coastal resources by the community.

Yeşilova Höyüğü was discovered in 2003 and entered the scholarly record as the oldest known settlement within the urban center of İzmir. Prior to this discovery, İzmir’s past was believed to extend no further back than 5,000 years; excavations at the mound have now extended the city’s history to at least 8,500 years ago. The first scientific excavations began in 2005 in collaboration with İzmir Archaeological Museum, and from 2008 onward, they were conducted under the direction of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Zafer Derin on behalf of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Türkiye and Ege University.^【2】

Current excavation efforts are no longer limited to Yeşilova Höyüğü alone but have been expanded under the “Prehistoric Settlement Area of İzmir Project,” encompassing an area approximately 1,200 meters in diameter and including the Yassıtepe and İpeklikuyu mounds. Since 2005, this long-term project has included not only archaeological excavations but also geoarchaeological borehole studies aimed at understanding the paleogeography and environmental changes of the settlement. Furthermore, interactive workshops and educational spaces have been established on-site to share scientific findings and artifacts with visitors, fostering the integration of archaeological knowledge into public awareness.