Gifted Burials Unearthed at İkiztepe Mound: An Avenger and a 6-Year-Old Child

Two remarkable “gifted burials” have been uncovered during this year’s excavations at the İkiztepe Mound in Bafra, Samsun. The discoveries shed new light on the burial traditions and social structures of Early Bronze Age communities in northern Anatolia.

An Avenger Buried with Harpoons and a Child with Bracelets

According to excavation director Assoc. Prof. Aslıhan Beyazıt of Istanbul University, archaeologists working in the southern sector of the mound revealed three graves, two of which contained personal belongings of the deceased. One grave belonged to a probable male hunter, interred with his harpoon tips, while the other belonged to a six-year-old child buried with bracelets and personal ornaments. Such practices highlight how even children were remembered with their social identities in funerary rites.

Layers Reveal Shifts in Settlement Patterns

While the northern cemetery area of İkiztepe has been studied for decades, the southern burials tell a slightly different story. The graves appeared immediately beneath the surface soil, suggesting distinct stratigraphy compared to the north. “This indicates chronological differences between the northern and southern parts of the settlement,” Beyazıt explained.

A Half-Century of Excavations

Excavations at İkiztepe have been ongoing for over 50 years, uncovering more than 15,000 artifacts. Findings demonstrate continuous habitation from 4500 to 2000 BCE, with evidence ranging from hunting tools to food remains, painting a detailed picture of how ancient communities lived in the Black Sea region.

Insights into Production and Gender Roles

The site has also yielded numerous artifacts related to textile production, prompting archaeologists to investigate whether men, women, and children contributed equally to manufacturing activities. İkiztepe thus stands out as a key site for studying not only settlement patterns but also the economic and social organization of prehistoric Anatolia.