A team of Turkish archeologists has unearthed ruins of a Neolithic settlement dating back over eight millennia in Pendik district in Istanbul.
The relics were uncovered during the construction process of a project in Istanbul’s Marmaray railway.
The findings include ancient houses, skeletons, cemeteries and various tools such as spoons, needles and axes that indicate a history of 8,500-year-old settlement at the area.
Most of the found skeletons were buried in a fetal position, where the arms are embracing the lower limbs.
As thousands of mussel shells were discovered in the area, the experts suggest that the residents of the ancient village must have consumed large amounts of mussels.
Nearly 40,000 historical artifacts have been excavated at the area since 2004 including skeletons, church ruins, water wells and footprints.
One of the most prominent historical relics that have been unearthed is the fourth-century ‘Port of Theodosius’ from the Byzantine era.
“Discovering the ancient history of Istanbul, which dates back thousands of years, was a cause for great joy,” said the Culture and Tourism Provincial Manager Ahmet Emre Bilgili.
He also noted that a new museum was required for the discoveries belonging to the Neolithic period.