25 Prehistoric Turtle Figurines Discovered in a Turkish Cave

A group of 25 small turtle figurines carved from limestone has been discovered in a cave at Gedikkaya Hill in Bilecik, northwestern Turkey, according to Archaeology Magazine’s report on findings published by Hürriyet Daily News. The objects were dated by a research team led by archaeologist Deniz Sarı of Edebali University to between 14,500 and 11,200 years ago. Some measure less than one foot in length and about eight inches in width. Several had been covered with clay. The figurines were found near architectural features arranged in circular rings. Sarı said many of the turtles appeared to have been placed in the ground around those rings. Some were only partly formed or had been quickly shaped from limestone, suggesting that the objects were not all finished in the same way. The researchers suggest the arrangement may have served a ritual purpose, although Sarı cautioned that it is too early to describe the activity as a formal cult from this period. She also noted that Gedikkaya Hill itself resembles a turtle. Most of the small figurines, she said, appear to have been deliberately made in the shape of the hill. Sarı further suggested that turtles may have symbolized longevity and endurance. The source report does not establish whether that interpretation was shared by the people who created the figurines, and the precise purpose of the cave arrangement remains uncertain. The discovery adds an unusual collection of animal-shaped objects to the archaeological record for the period, but the available account does not say whether the figurines were found together in a single deposit or how the cave was otherwise used.