4.500-year-old grain seeds in province of Bingol in Turkey

The seeds were initially found in a carbonized form during excavations in the village of Murat in Bingol's Solhan district by a group of archaeologists led by Ziya Kilinc from the Museum Directorate in Elazig province, in neighbouring Bingol.

Laboratory analysis has revealed that the grain seeds found in pots excavated in a settlement mound in eastern Turkey's province of Bingol date back 4,500 years.

The seeds were initially found in a carbonized form during excavations in the village of Murat in Bingol's Solhan district by a group of archaeologists led by Ziya Kilinc from the Museum Directorate in Elazig province, in neighbouring Bingol.

Following excavations, the findings were sent to the laboratories of the Turkish Scientific and Technological Research Council (TUBITAK) for scientific examination, revealing the age of the seeds via carbon-14 dating. Abdulkadir Ozdemir from the Archaeology Department of the Firat University said that the carbonized grains were found in several Iron and Bronz Age food stores.

"The earliest of the grains dates back to 2500 BC," Ozdemir said, adding all the findings were extremely well preserved.

Ozdemir further added that though the grain was thought of to be that of wheat, separate laboratory works are ongoing to determine whether they were wheat or some other type of grain.

In the meantime, the mound in the village of Murat village proved to be the earliest agricultural settlement in Bingol, Ozdemir asserted, noting that the team had unearthed four different cultural layers belonging to the Byzantine, Middle Iron, Early Iron and Early Bronze Age periods. The area is of great significance for Eastern Anatolian archaeology.

Source: AA