Ancient paintings discovered in Aydın

YAYINLAMA
GÜNCELLEME



Rock paintings dating back thousands of years ago have been found in the Aegean province of Aydin's Cine district. Similar rock paintings have previously been found in the Besparmak Mountains, Bafa Lake and its environs, all of which are located in an area divided between Mugla's Milas district and Aydin's Kocarli and Soke districts. The paintings, which are believed to be 7,500 years old, were discovered as part of work conducted by Tekirdag Namik Kemal University Archaeology Department Professor Nese Atik initiated in 2000. Atik said work was still continuing in the area. "The fact that these paintings, which are called the Latmos Region Prehistoric Rock Paintings and seen only in this region, have been found in Cine, opening a window on life in Cine in the Stone Age." Atik said the rock paintings were the same age as ones that a colleague, Anneliese Peschlow, had found in the Besparmak Mountains. "They are from the end of the Neolithic Age and the beginning of Chalcolithic Age in 5500 B.C. The paintings were found in a rock shelter, but cleaning works showed that this area was not a living space in the Neolithic Age but was used only for the religious ceremonies of weddings. They were painted with red color and mostly in hand shape. This shows us that the paintings belong to the Latmos Rock Paintings group," she said. "These paintings are important in terms of world cultural heritage. We have initiated works with the Aydin Provincial Cultural Directorate to preserve them."