Research Information System
OLBA, vol.34, pp.7-41, 2026 (AHCI)
T & uuml;rkiye, with its strategic location between the African and Eurasian continents, has been a key region for Paleolithic dispersals. The province of Van in eastern Turkiye, with its geological and climatic characteristics, represents one of the vital waypoints along these dispersal routes. A field survey at the obsidian deposits of Gurgurbaba Hill, located in the village of Ulupamir, north of Van, was conducted to investigate hominin migration between the three continents during the Pleistocene. Recent studies date these Late Acheulean sites to between approximately 424 kya and 311,000 +/- 32 kya years ago, corresponding to the Middle Pleistocene interglacial period known as Marine Isotope Stage 9 (MIS 9). In the most recent survey of the area, a total of 2,832 obsidian lithic remains recovered from localities 018 and 020 were analyzed. Lithic data analysis using ArcGIS was applied to each artifact. The data were evaluated comparatively with both nearby sites and other localities at Gurgurbaba Hill. Locality GBT-018 and GBT-020 are technologically and typologically similar to other localities (GBT-010 and GBT-028) at Gurgurbaba Hill, as evidenced by the data. This finding is also supported by statistical analyses (PCA data). The presence of hand axes, Quina-type scrapers, and evidence of the Levallois technique within the industry suggests that Gurgurbaba served as a key link between the South Caucasus and the Levant. These findings provide further evidence of Middle Pleistocene hominin mobility across regions and their adaptation to high-plateau environments.