Ancient monuments and carvings unearthed
Prehistoric Turtle Figurines Found in Turkey (Archaeology)
Summary: Archaeologists led by Deniz Sarı of Edebali University have discovered 25 limestone turtle figurines in a cave at Gedikkaya Hill in northwestern Turkey, dated to between 14,500 and 11,200 years ago. The figurines, some coated with clay, were found inserted into the ground around circular architectural arrangements, suggesting ritual purposes. Sarı noted that the hill itself resembles a turtle and may have inspired the figurines’ design, though she cautioned that it may be too early to speak of a cult for this period.
Why it matters: The discovery provides material evidence of deliberate landscape-inspired symbolism in the Epipaleolithic, as the figurines appear to have been designed in the form of Gedikkaya Hill, which resembles a turtle.
"“It may be too early to speak of such a cult for this period, but we know that most of the small figurines recovered appear to have been deliberately designed in the form of Gedikkaya Hill,” she said." — ARCHAEOLOGY
Date: August 24, 2026 02:00 PM ET
URL: https://archaeology.org/news/2026/08/24/prehistoric-turtle-figurines-found-in-turkey/
Generated Analysis Tone: Negative (50%)
Source Registry Score: 10.0/10 — High
Generated text and tone describe the analysis; the source registry score is not a factual truth rating.Post ID: 09d9bb77