During archaeological excavations at Uluköy Cave in Gurs Valley, located in Türkiye's Kızıltepe district of Mardin, artifacts dating back 350,000 years were discovered. This cave, situated amid historical ruins such as stone houses and structures from various periods, completed its second season of rescue excavations under the guidance of the Mardin Museum Directorate. Led by Eşref Erbil from Mardin Artuklu University's Department of Archaeology, this year's excavation reached a depth of approximately 4 meters into an archaeological fill within the 23-meter-long (75.
46-feet-long), 16-meter-deep cave. The team, including associate professor Ergül Kodaş, Çağdaş Erdem, Birkan Gülseven, Bahattin Ipek, Mehmet Şan and volunteer students, uncovered tools and animal bone remains spanning from the Lower Paleolithic to the Middle Paleolithic Period. These discoveries are now being meticulously analyzed at the restoration and conservation laboratory established at the Mardin Museum.
Eşref Erbil, the scientific adviser for the excavation, told Anadolu Agency (AA) that the Uluköy Cave in the Gurs Valley was discovered two years ago during surface research led by associate professor Ergül Kodaş. Under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and directed by the Mardin Museum Directorate, they have conducted rescue excavations for two seasons. This year, they have uncovered approximately 4 meters of archaeological deposits.
They have found artifacts .
