8,800-Year-Old Farming Houses Unearthed on Gökçeada: A First for the Aegean Islands

Archaeologists on Türkiye’s westernmost island, Gökçeada (ancient Imbros), have uncovered a discovery that rewrites Aegean prehistory: the earliest farming architecture ever found on any of the Aegean Islands.

Excavations at the Uğurlu-Zeytinlik Mound revealed five domestic structures dating back 8,800 years, placing the site alongside Crete’s Knossos as the only known Neolithic settlements of the first island farmers.

The First Farming Architecture in the Aegean Islands

Led by Prof. Dr. Burçin Erdoğu, the excavation team uncovered circular houses with sunken floors built using the wattle-and-daub technique—a method of weaving reeds and coating them with clay.
“This is the first time such architecture has been encountered in the Aegean Islands, making it an invaluable discovery,” said Prof. Erdoğu.

Until now, no architectural remains existed to show how the earliest Aegean farmers built their homes. Uğurlu provides the first tangible footprint of permanent settlement, proving that the island’s early inhabitants were not seasonal visitors but established communities.

Agriculture and Livestock on the Island

Plant remains from the site show that wheat, barley, and peas were cultivated on Gökçeada nearly 9,000 years ago. Animal bones reveal that sheep, goats, cattle, and pigs were also part of the settlers’ diet, confirming a mixed farming economy introduced from Anatolia.

A Hub in Early Exchange Networks

Finds of obsidian from Melos and flint from Anatolia and the Balkans demonstrate that Uğurlu’s inhabitants were connected to long-distance trade networks. Far from isolated, the island played an active role in early Neolithic interaction across the Aegean.

A Twin to Knossos

For decades, Knossos on Crete stood alone as the earliest farming settlement in the Aegean. The discovery of Uğurlu-Zeytinlik now provides a northern counterpart, firmly anchoring Gökçeada in the story of the first island farmers.

Scholars emphasize that the discovery expands the map of Neolithic life, showing that permanent settlement and architectural innovation were not confined to Crete but were also present in the northern Aegean nearly nine millennia ago.

Rewriting Aegean Prehistory

The discovery at Uğurlu proves that the spread of farming was not limited to land routes but also crossed seas. As excavations continue, archaeologists expect even more insights into how agriculture, architecture, and social life shaped the earliest island communities.

With its round, sunken, reed-woven houses, Uğurlu-Zeytinlik stands as one of the most important archaeological sites of the Aegean—transforming speculation about the first farmers into concrete history.

Cover Image Credit: AA