5,000-year-old barley grains discovered at Bronze Age site in Türkiye

Archaeologists excavating at Iremir Mound in eastern Türkiye have discovered carbonized barley grains approximately 5,000 years old, dating to the Early Bronze Age. The significant archaeological find reveals important information about ancient agricultural practices in the region and establishes the site as a notable historical settlement center in what is now Van province.

Complete Kitchen Discovery

The excavation team uncovered a remarkably preserved kitchen area containing an oven, various pottery vessels, upper and lower grinding stones, small cattle bones, and the carbonized barley grains found both inside and surrounding a broken jar. According to Hanifi Biber, head archaeologist from Yuzuncu Yil University, the discovery provides compelling evidence that the settlement functioned as an important agricultural center during the Bronze Age period.

Stratigraphic Significance and Cultural Context

Researchers have identified eight distinct settlement layers at Iremir Mound, with the principal layers belonging to the Karaz culture, also known as Early Transcaucasia, which extended across Eastern Anatolia and the South Caucasus during the Early Bronze Age. Biber emphasized the importance of finding a kiln and pottery vessels preserved in situ adjacent to a warehouse space's northern wall, noting this represents the oldest known settlement yet discovered in the Van region.

Broader Archaeological Implications

The findings offer crucial information about the historical landscape of the Gurpinar Plain and the areas now beneath Lake Van. Archaeologist Hakan Yilmaz noted that bone evidence indicates extensive small cattle breeding alongside larger livestock, wild goats, red deer, and bears, providing comprehensive insights into pre-Urartian agriculture and animal husbandry practices that characterized early civilizations in eastern Türkiye.