Discovering the Paleolithic Ayvalık: A Strategic Crossroads in Early Human Dispersals Between Anatolia and Europe

Abstract

Located on the northeastern Aegean coast, Ayvalık was intermittently exposed as dry land during periods of lowered sea level in the Pleistocene, providing opportunities for early human occupation and mobility. This study explores the Paleolithic potential of Ayvalık, a region in western Anatolia that has remained largely unexamined in Pleistocene archaeology and presents initial findings. Surveys conducted in the region identified 138 lithic artifacts at 10 sites. The most extensive assemblage, attributed to the Middle Paleolithic based on diagnostic core reduction strategies, is dominated by systematic Levallois flaking that resembles technological traits of the Mousterian tradition. In contrast, only a small number of Lower Paleolithic tools, such as handaxes and cleavers, were identified. Upper and/or Epipaleolithic traces are represented by blade and bladelet technologies. Despite preservation challenges due to Ayvalık’s geology and dynamic coastal processes, these findings reveal a previously undocumented Paleolithic presence and establish Ayvalık as a promising locus for future research on early human dispersals in the northeastern Aegean.