A New Prehistoric Settlement in Southeastern Anatolia: Bahçebaşı Caves, Mardin/Yeşilli

Abstract

After the studies carried out in recent years, a large number of prehistoric settlements have been identified in Mardin Threshold, an important part of the Southeastern Anatolia Region. The chipped stone finds found in caves and on their terraces in deep valleys in the northern border of the Upper Khabur Region provide new information about the Epipaleolithic and Neolithic periods of the region. Bahçebaşı caves, located at the northern end of a deep valley that serves as a natural transition between the plain and the mountainous region within the borders of Yeşilli district of Mardin province, provide new information about these periods. The caves in question provide new data about the prehistoric ages of the region and set the stage for new research questions.