Prehistoric Rock Art Discovered in Western Turkey

AYDIN, TURKEY—Continuing study of the shallow caves around western Turkey’s Mount Latmos has revealed additional prehistoric rock art, according to a Hurriyet Daily News report. The paintings were discovered by members of the Ecosystem Conservation and Nature Lovers Association (EKODOSD). “There are human figures and ornamental motifs in the paintings drawn on a rock surface and its natural cavities,” said EKODOSD president, Bahattin Sürücü. Archaeologist Anneliese Peschlow first discovered rock art in the area in 1994, and she determined that these paintings were not in her records of more than 200 paintings. “Considering that there are thousands of rock shelters and caves on a wide area among the rugged, stacked rocks of the Latmos Mountains, it is a fact that it is difficult and takes decades to study and detect them,” Sürücü added. He concluded that the mountain region should be protected as a whole. For more on prehistoric Turkey, go to "Last Stand of the Hunter-Gatherers?"