history, had to abandon the region all of a sudden after the 3-4 centuries between 5800-5700 B.C. Nothing survived of this high culture, but burnt dow

history, had to abandon the region all of a sudden after the 3-4 centuries between 5800-5700 B.C. Nothing survived of this high culture, but burnt down and destroyed buildings covered with the remains of flood. It is not known where this rich culture of the Aegean region migrated to after the disasters. The evidence of fire and flood uncovered on Yeşilova Mound shows that the population in this settlement migrated from the region as a result of a disaster. This disaster, which we assume to have occurred probably due to climatic changes, had been effective also in the Aegean Region." Diğer kazılara örnek olacak Kültür ve Turizm Bakanı Ertuğrul Günay, İzmir ziyaretinde Bornova Belediye Başkanı Prof. Dr. Kamil Okyay Sındır ile birlikte Yeşilova Höyüğü'nde incelemeler yaparak Kazı Başkanı Zafer Derin'den çalışmalarla ilgili bilgi aldı. Günay, "Yeşilova Höyüğü'ndeki kazı projesini Türkiye'nin diğer bölgelerindeki kazılarda örnek olarak kullanacağız. Bütünleşmiş ve sürekliliği olan bir çalışma. Bu tür çalışmaların Türkiye arkeolojisine büyük katkıları olacak." şeklinde konuştu. Yeşilova Höyüğü'nde gerçekleştirilen çalışmaların önemine de vurgu yapan Günay, "Burada birkaç yılda elde edilen arkeolojik kanıtlar höyüğün önemini artırdı. Diğer yandan Yeşilova kazılarını daha da önemli kılan arkeolojik çalışmalarla birlikte yürütülen eğitim projesi. Gençlerin tarihi öğrenmeleri, tarihi eserlere sahip çıkmaları açısından bu ve benzeri projeler büyük önem taşıyor. Diğer kazı alanlarında da benzer eğitim çalışmalarına önem verilmeli. Bakanlık olarak bu konuya daha da fazla eğileceğiz." dedi. Zafer Derin also stated that a different cultural process (Calcholithic Period) was initiated on the same land by the new communities arriving to the region at least 500 years after the migration of the earlier communities from the area. As Derin mentions, gradually progressing excavations on Yeşilova Mound continue to shed light on the prehistoric period of the Aegean Region and introduce new scientific findings. Advanced leather working and textile manufacturing A great amount of stone and bone tools used in leather working were unearthed in the recent excavations on Yeşilova Mound. The excavation leader Zafer Derin emphasized that the recent findings discovered on the mound provide evidence regarding the existence of an advanced leather working and textile manufacturing 8 thousand years ago. He further stated the following: "Both leather working and textile manufacturing started on these lands 8 thousands years ago. The discovery of these tools reveals that leather industry was at an advanced level and leather working was a common practice in this region. Bone tools also provide significant proofs about the existence of leather working workshops. Associated with leather working, we have unearthed three different works and several animal bones such as those of fallow deer, cattle, goat, pig and wild boar. Apparently, these people hunted animals, ate their meat, used their skin and made ornaments from their bones. The stone weights, which were first uncovered this year, prove the existence of weaving looms. We presume that they weaved tents and fabric in that period." It will set an example for other excavations During his visit to İzmir, the Minister of Culture and Tourism Ertuğrul Günay made inspections on Yeşilova Mound together with the Bornova Mayor Prof. Dr. Kamil Okyay Sındır, and received information from the excavation leader Zafer Derin about the digging carried out on the mound. Günay stated that they will "introduce the excavation project on Yeşilova Mound as an example for the excavations conducted in other regions of Turkey. It is an integrated and continuous study. Such work will provide considerable contributions to archaeology in Turkey." Günay also underlined the significance of the excavations carried out on Yeşilova Mound: "The archaeological findings obtained here in recent years have increased the significance of the mound. Besides, the education project initiated within the framework of the archaeological studies increases the value of Yeşilova excavations. Such projects are of vital importance in the sense that they help the children learn history and develop awareness for protecting historical values. Similar education projects should be also emphasized on other excavation sites. As the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, we will pay more attention to this issue." 52 İZMİR Kasım - Aralık / November - December 2009