A 3,000-year-old settlement area has been discovered on the shores of the Atatürk Dam, which is built on the Euphrates River

A 3,000-year-old settlement area has been discovered on the shores of the Atatürk Dam, which is built on the Euphrates River in the Southeastern Anatolia Region.

The Atatürk Dam was built between the provinces of Adıyaman and Şanlıurfa as part of the Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP).

The discovery of the settlement was made by the teams from the Adıyaman Museum Directorate. The teams identified 10 settlement areas dating back 3,000 years during their field survey and work conducted along the shores by boat.

Adıyaman Museum Director Mehmet Alkan stated, “With the decrease in the water levels of the dam reservoir, we initiated a study and discovered rock settlements along the shores of the Atatürk Dam.”

Alkan added, “About 4-5 years ago, we had identified rock paintings in this area. We believed that these rock paintings were near a rock settlement. However, due to the rising water levels, we were unable to determine this accurately. As a result of the detailed examinations we conducted today, we can see rock settlements dating back to the first millennium BC. In these rock settlements, we observe man-made hollows and channels. We also see pottery remains in some areas. We have made significant findings regarding the existence of humans in this region during that period.”

Cover Photo: Orhan Pehlül/AA