IZMIR 

Archeologists have unearthed structures in Panaztepe, an area in Menemen district of Turkey's Izmir province.

Although Panaztepe is located 10 kilometers inland today, it was thought to be an island settlement and port city during the Bronze Age, and new findings have added to the historical importance of the ancient location.

Umit Cayir, head of the digging operation, said Panaztepe was a significant center especially during 2000 BC with its connections stretching to the Eastern Mediterranean, Western Aegean and even Caucasus region and was located at the intersection between the Mycenaean civilization in the west and Hittite civilization in the east.

Noting that his team aimed to obtain data describing the cultural structure of the era with its excavation, Cayir noted that they were able to come across settlement layers dating to the Early Bronze Age and classical periods.

Although the remains dating to the Early Bronze Age are familiar to the scientific community, according to Cayir, they had not encountered architectural remains indicating that Panaztepe was a settlement before.

“We can say that we found the earliest settlement of Panaztepe. In other words, this is a settlement area dating back to approximately 5,000 years ago. We plan to continue our work both in the newly excavated area and in the acropolis and its foothills," he said.

He said unearthing architectural remains dating to the Early Bronze Age could also add a new dimension to the cultural history of the region, adding the remains of walls of the houses of the period and stone fishing net weights discovered along with the ceramic finds show that it was once a port city.

“Preliminary reports of geographical studies conducted in the region and Panaztepe also support this," he added.

*Writing by Ali Murat Alhas