You can also read this article in Turkish. Ulucak Höyüğü'nde 8 Bin YıllıkTilki Postlu Erkek Heykelcik Bulundu

In the Ulucak Mound, located in İzmir’s Kemalpaşa district, archaeological excavations have uncovered an 8,000-year-old clay male figurine bearing striking similarities to the symbolism of Göbeklitepe. The figurine, depicted wearing a fox pelt, reveals a surprising connection between the Neolithic cultures of Western Anatolia and Southeastern Anatolia.

Professor Dr. Özlem Çevik, head of the Ulucak Mound Excavation, noted that the 9-centimeter-long figurine displays a style distinct from previously discovered examples. The detail of the fox pelt closely resembles the clothing motifs carved on the T-shaped pillars of Göbeklitepe in Şanlıurfa. In Göbeklitepe’s imagery, the lower body is also believed to be draped with a fox pelt. Despite a chronological gap of about 4,000 years, this similarity highlights a cultural and iconographic link between the two regions.

Professor Çevik also emphasized that the figurine offers insights into gender roles of the Neolithic period. While female figurines were typically depicted nude, male figurines being shown clothed suggests an association with hunting and power. This discovery not only pushes the history of Ulucak Mound back to 8,850 years ago but also expands our understanding of Anatolia’s Neolithic era, shedding light on the shared cultural traces of communities living across different geographies.