The Treasured Cave: Holding the Title of Being the Oldest Human Construction in the World

A ?l?c? ?? ??ch???l??ic?l sit??t?? in M?t????, Th?ss?l?, G???c?, th? Th????t?? C?v? h?s ???n ?cc??i?? ?? h?m?ns ???m 130,000 ????s ???, ?cc???in? t? ??c?nt ?n-sit? ?xc?v?ti?ns. A?ch???l??ists ?ls? n?t?? th?t h?m?ns h?v? liv?? h??? ???m Mi??l? P?l??lithic t? L?t? N??lithic with??t ?ist????nc?, ???ntin? im???t?nt insi?hts int? ?nci?nt G???k ???.

Occ???ti?n ?? Th????t?? C?v? L?c?t?? ?n th? n??th??st??n sl??? ?? ? lim?st?n? hill, ????hl? 100 m ???v? ? v?ll??, th? Th????t?? C?v? ?v??l??ks th? tin? vill??? ?? Th????t?? ?n? th? L?th?i?s Riv??. Th? lim?st?n? hill w?s c???t?? ??tw??n 137 ?n? 65 milli?n ????s ?l?, m?tchin? th? ??? ?? U???? C??t?c???s, ?cc???in? t? ???l??ic?l ?n?l?sis.

Exc?v?ti?ns ????n ???m 1987, l?stin? ??? m??? th?n 20 ????s, l?? ?? D?. Nin? K????issi-A??st?lik?, h??? ?? th? E?h???t? ?? P?l????nth???l??? ?n? S??l??????h?. P?i?? t? th? ?xc?v?ti?ns, l?c?l sh??h???s ?s?? t? k??? th?i? ?l?cks insi?? th? c?v?. Th? Th????t?? C?v? w?s ?ls? th? ?i?st ?n? in Th?ss?l? ?v?? ?xc?v?t??. N?m????s int?i??in? ?in?in?s h?v? ???n m??? within th? ?n?l?sis ?? th? c?v?, incl??in? th? sit?’s clim?t?, which w?s ??t??min?? ?? ??ch???l??ists t? h?v? ???n H๏τ ?n? c?l? ???in? th? ?cc???ti?n ?? th? c?v?, th?nks t? mic??m???h?l??ic?l ?n?l?sis ?n th? s??im?nt s?m?l?s c?ll?ct?? ???m ??ch ??ch???l??ic?l l????. Sci?ntists ??li?v? th?t th? c?v?’s ????l?ti?n ?l?ct??t?? ?s ? ??s?lt.

An?th?? int???stin? ?isc?v??? within th? Th????t?? C?v? is th? ??mn?nts ?? ? st?n? w?ll th?t ?s?? t? ???tl? cl?s?? ??? th? c?v? ?nt??nc?, ??tin? ??ck 23,000 ????s ???, c????s??n?in? with th? l?st ?l?ci?l ??? th?nks t? th? O?tic?ll? Stim?l?t?? L?min?sc?nc? ??tin? m?th??.

Ex???ts ??li?v? th?t it w?s c?nst??ct?? t? sh?lt?? th? c?v? inh??it?nts ???m th? c?l? ??tsi??, ?ls? th???ht t? ?? th? ???li?st kn?wn ??ti?ici?l ??il?in? in G???c?, ?n? m???? in th? w??l?.

A?ch???l??ists ?ls? m??? ?n ?st?nishin? st?t?m?nt ??????in? th? ?isc?v??? ?? ? t??il ?? m??? th?n th??? h?mini? ???t??ints im??int?? ?nt? th? c?v?’s s??t ???th?n ?l???, 1 ???? ??i?? t? th? ?isc?v??? ?? th? st?n? w?ll. Th? sh??? ?n? siz? ?? th? ???t??ints ?tt?i??t?? th?ms?lv?s t? N??n???th?l chil???n ????n? 2 t? 4 ????s ?l? th?t ??si??? in th? c?v? ???in? th? Mi??l? P?l???lithic ???i??.

In 2009, th? Th????t?? C?v? w?s ???ici?ll? ???n?? t? th? ???lic, th???h it w?s cl?s?? t?m?????il? ? ???? l?t??, ?s th? ??m?ins ?? th? st?n? w?ll w??? ?isc?v???? in th?t ????. Alth???h th? ??ch???l??ic?l sit? w?s l?t?? ??-???n??, it w?s cl?s?? ?nc? ???in in 2016, ?n? ??m?ins s? ??? t? s???t? ???s?ns, i.?., th? ?isk ?? l?n?sli??s ?cc???in?.