Yeşilova Höyüğü excavations reveal 8,500-year-old Izmir settlement

Excavations at Yeşilova Höyüğü, the oldest known settlement area in Izmir, are providing new insights into the daily lives of people living 8,500 years ago. Findings suggest an organized and peaceful community that consumed sea bream and mussels, used eyeliner and jewelry, and lived in separate houses while utilizing communal kitchen areas.

Archaeological work, led by Associate Professor Dr. Zafer Derin on behalf of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and Ege University, has uncovered evidence of various cooking techniques through different types of stoves, ovens, and pottery found in shared kitchen spaces. The settlement appears to have been destroyed by a major fire thousands of years ago, leaving traces in structural remains and stones.

The 2026 phase of the excavations will focus specifically on the Neolithic period settlement. The project is supported by the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality, the Izmir Chamber of Commerce, and the Bornova Municipality.