8,000 Year Old Seal from Western Turkey

From hurriyetdailynews.com

8,000-year-old seal unearthed in western Turkey
Monday, September 20, 2010
İZMİR - Anatolia News Agency



The seal shows that the settlement in İzmir began
some 8,500 year ago.

 Archaeologists have unearthed a seal believed to be 8,000 years old during excavations in the Yeşilova Tumulus, one of the oldest settlements in western Turkey.

Associate Professor Zafer Derin, who has been leading the excavations from Ege University’s Department of Archaeology, said they found a historical artifact that proved that settlement in the western province of Izmir began some 8,500 years ago.

"The seal is dated back to 6,200 B.C. It is evident that the seal belonged to an administrator. [How so???] This bull[a]-shaped seal is one of the oldest seals ever unearthed in Anatolia. We’ve unearthed many important findings during the excavations at this site since 2005. Some 700 pieces have been sent to museums for display. We give 150 pieces every year. This region is very important in terms of both tourism and science," he said.

Bornova Mayor Kamil Okyar Sındır recalled that the area was a third-degree archaeological-protected site. "We have organized an architectural project competition for this area and a jury is now evaluating projects. When the project is chosen, we will establish an exhibition and education center. This structure will be a model for the world. Education workshops and seminars will be given in the center and people will learn about the history of İzmir and Bornova."

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Well, darlings, when I saw this seal my first thought was - eight-pointed star = Inanna! Yeah, she was a Sumerian Goddess (who was later incarnated into various other forms throughout the Middle East and ancient Egypt), but she came from somewhere, didn't she, just like the people who eventually settled in the land between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers came from somewhere, too.