Boncuklu Tarla

Boncuklu Tarla (meaning "beaded field", in Turkish) is an archaeological site in Mardin, Turkey. It is the remains of a settlement occupied from the Late Epipalaeolithic to Pre-Pottery Neolithic B periods, starting around 9000 BC. It was discovered in 2008 during an archaeological survey in advance of the construction of the Ilısu Dam and has been excavated by a team from Mardin Museum since 2012. The discovery of a large communal building with stone pillars was reported at Boncuklu Tarla in 2019, prompting comparisons to the Taş Tepeler culture site of Göbekli Tepe. It is an early example of rectangular plan architecture. The excavators also claimed to have found a sewer system, which if confirmed would be the oldest known in the world.