User:F. J. Blanco-Romero/sandbox

Boncuklu Tarla (from Turkish for pearl field) is an Epipaleolithic and Early Neolithic site of the Upper Tigris basin, in the Dargeçit district of the Mardin Province, in Southeastern Anatolia.

Introduction
Boncuklu Tarla was discovered in 2008 by T. Ökse, a proffesor of the Kocaeli University, during a prospection near the Ilısu Dam, in the Dargeçit district of the Mardin Province, Southeastern Anatolia. Its unearthing started in 2012 under the direction of N. Erdoğan, of the Mardin Museum, and the scientific direction of T. Ökse. Excavations were resumed in 2017 again under the direction of N. Erdoğan, with the scientific direction  and under the scientific direction of Ergul.

Bonkuclu Tarla was discovered in 2008 during a prospecting c arried out near the Ilısu Dam by T. Ökse (professor at Kocaeli University). The site was prospected the same year by H. Taşkıran and M. Kartal (Ankara University). The first excavations began in 2012, directed by the Mardin Museum and with T. Ökse as the scientific director. The unearthing was resumed in 2017 again under the direction of N. Erdoğan ( Mardin Museum ) and under the scientific direction of Ergül Kodaş (Mardin Artuklu University).

The site is located in the course of the Nevala Maherk river, a tributary of the Tigris.

Stratigraphy
Its stratigraphy covers from Epipaleolithic to Late PPNB layers. The site contains 6 levels, which cover the late, medium and early periods of the PPNB, the transition PPNA-PPNB, the PPNA and the Epipaleolithic.

depuis l’Epipaléolithique jusqu’à la fin du PPNB récent

The transition between circular and rectangular buildings as well as an increase in the architectural complexity in the transition from the PPNA to the PPNB is observed. Evidence of continuity has been found between the middle and late PPNB periods.

In the middle PPNB layer has been found the only community building discovered to date for the levels of medium and recent PPNB.

Flint is mainly in the lithic industry of PPN but obsidian is present in all the levels of the site.

may be older than Göbekli Tepe and hence the oldest known temple.