Archaeologists working at Çayönü Tepesi in southeastern Türkiye have uncovered an approximately 9,000-year-old mining workshop, offering new clues about some of the earliest known mineral and copper-working activities in Anatolia.
The workshop, discovered at the archaeological site in the Ergani district of Diyarbakır, has been dated to around 6900–6800 BCE.
Despite covering an area of only about five square meters, the site contained raw and processed malachite, copper beads and other copper objects — evidence that suggests people were actively working with these materials thousands of years ago.
A 9,000-Year-Old Workspace
One of the most fascinating aspects of the discovery is the apparent organization of the workshop.
Archaeologists identified at least six postholes surrounding the area, while a stone-paved working surface was found in the center.
Researchers believe the postholes may have supported a structure that provided shade over the workspace.
If so, the discovery offers a remarkable glimpse into everyday life during the Neolithic period. People living at Çayönü were not simply collecting minerals; they appear to have created dedicated areas where materials could be processed and objects produced.
According to excavation director Associate Professor Savaş Sarıaltun, 18 malachite samples were recovered from the central part of the workshop. When finds from the surrounding area are included, the number rises further, with approximately 42 malachite and copper finds identified across the broader working area.
From Raw Malachite to Finished Copper Objects
The variety of objects discovered at Çayönü makes the find particularly significant.
Archaeologists uncovered raw malachite alongside partially and fully processed pieces. Copper beads and other copper objects were also found.
Together, these materials provide evidence for different stages of production taking place in the same area.
Rather than simply using finished copper objects obtained elsewhere, the inhabitants of Çayönü appear to have been actively processing minerals and producing objects themselves.
The discovery may therefore help researchers better understand the development of specialized craftsmanship during the Neolithic period.
Copper Working at Çayönü Has an Even Older History
Çayönü Tepesi has long been considered one of the most important prehistoric settlements in Türkiye.
Evidence of copper and malachite use at the site stretches back as far as approximately 9100 BCE, making Çayönü especially important for researchers studying the early history of metallurgy.
The newly discovered workshop provides another piece of that story, suggesting that knowledge of mineral processing continued and developed over thousands of years.
But Çayönü’s importance extends far beyond copper.
The settlement preserves evidence from one of the most transformative periods in human history, when communities were transitioning toward permanent settlements, agriculture and increasingly specialized forms of production.
New Discoveries From the 2026 Excavation Season
The mining workshop was not the only significant discovery made during the 2026 excavations at Çayönü Tepesi.
Archaeologists also uncovered pottery associated with the early Pottery Neolithic period and the Proto-Hassuna culture in the western section of the settlement.
These finds are thought to date to approximately 6800–6600 BCE.
Researchers are continuing radiocarbon dating and other archaeometric analyses to establish more precise dates and better understand how the different areas of the settlement developed.
A Small Workshop With a Huge Story
Today, the newly uncovered workshop occupies only a few square meters.
Yet the stone-paved working surface, raw minerals, partially processed materials and finished copper objects tell a story stretching back approximately nine millennia.
The discovery provides a rare glimpse into how people in prehistoric Anatolia organized their work, experimented with natural materials and developed skills that would eventually contribute to major technological changes.
Nine thousand years ago, communities in what is now Türkiye were not only building permanent settlements — they were creating organized workspaces, processing minerals and passing increasingly sophisticated knowledge from one generation to another.
As excavations continue at Çayönü Tepesi, this remarkable Neolithic settlement may reveal even more about the origins of craftsmanship, technology and settled life.
Sources
- Türkiye Ministry of Culture and Tourism – Çayönü Tepesi 2026 excavation findings
- Anadolu Agency – September 1, 2026
- Türkiye Directorate of Communications – September 3, 2026
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