Spatial use of Alanya Kadıini Cave in the light of archaeological data

Kadıini Cave, located 12 km northeast of Alanya, was utilized by humans for various purposes during the Upper Paleolithic, Chalcolithic, and Early Bronze Ages. The evaluation of ceramic findings, in particular, has rendered the cave significant in the prehistory of Alanya, being the first and unique. The proximity of a freshwater source, abundant prey in the region, and the presence of flint tools at the cave entrance and its vicinity attest to its use as a habitation site by hunter-gatherer groups during the Upper Paleolithic Period. Through this study, it has been elucidated that Kadıini Cave served as a necropolis cave during the Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Ages, where the deceased were interred with various rituals between 5000 and 3000 BC.