Teke Peninsula at the end of the Pleistocene period

This dissertation aims to present original data to better understand human adaptations and cultural continuities in the Teke Peninsula, located in southwestern Anatolia, by examining the lithic industries of settlements dated to the end of the Pleistocene period. Within the scope of the study, lithic assemblages from the Girmeler settlement in the Eşen Valley and from the previously excavated Beldibi rock shelter, as well as finds from the surface surveys at the Çatalin and Yamansaz rock shelters in the Teke Peninsula, were subjected to detailed technological and typological analyses. These analyses reveal the evolutionary trajectory of terminal Pleistocene stone tool technologies, the microlithic tradition, and regional variability. The Girmeler and Beldibi assemblages are dated to the Bølling-Allerød climatic phase (ca. 12,000–11,500 cal. BC) and exhibit parallels with other sites in the Döşemealtı region. The findings suggest that during the Late Pleistocene, the Teke Peninsula served as a significant cultural contact zone between the Epipalaeolithic traditions of the Levant and the Epigravettian traditions of Southeastern Europe. In addition to providing novel insights into the chronological, technological, and cultural position of the Anatolian Epipalaeolithic, this dissertation also aims to offer a methodological and conceptual foundation for future archaeological research in the region. Keywords: End of Pleistocene, Teke Peninsula, Girmeler, Beldibi.