7,000-year-old human footprints unearthed in eastern Türkiye

ISTANBUL

Türkiye’s Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy announced on Tuesday that five human footprints dating back to 5200 BC were discovered during excavations in Hatay, southeastern Türkiye.

“Steps taken 7,000 years ago in Anatolia are back in the spotlight. We made a very rare discovery during excavations at Tell Kurdu Hoyuk in Reyhanli Karahuyuk, Hatay,” Ersoy said in a statement on the Turkish social media platform Nsosyal.

The footprints were uncovered in archaeological layers from the Ubaid period, dated to 5200 BC. Ersoy said that they were left by people walking on rain-soaked mud, offering a unique testimony from thousands of years ago.

“With our Legacy for the Future Project, we continue to carry the traces of the past into the future, preserve, explore, and introduce Türkiye's historical heritage to the world, determined to achieve in four years what took 60 years to accomplish,” Ersoy added.

The minister also said the footprints were unearthed on Aug. 21, 2025, in trench 8564, and were found in a clay fill layer exposed to heavy rain or water.

Considered among the rare finds in Anatolian archaeology, the discovery provides significant insights into the social and cultural life of the period.