Jeýtun | |
 | |
  Location in Turkmenistan Show map of Turkmenistan Jeitun (West and Central Asia) Show map of West and Central Asia | |
| Alternative name | Djeitun; Jeytun |
|---|---|
| Location | Kopet Dag |
| History | |
| Cultures | Jeitun culture |
Jeitun (Djeitun) is an archaeological site of theNeolithic period in southernTurkmenistan, about 30 kilometers north ofAshgabat in theKopet-Dag mountain range. The settlement was occupied from about 7200 to 4500 BC[1] possibly with short interruptions.[2] Jeitun has given its name to the whole Neolithic period in the foothills of the Kopet Dag.
Part ofa series on the |
|---|
| History ofTurkmenistan |
.jpg) |
Related historical regions |
 Turkmenistan portal |
Jeitun was discovered byAlexander Marushchenko and has been excavated since the 1950s byBoris Kuftin andMikhail Masson.
The site covers an area of about 5,000 square meters. It consists of free-standing houses of a uniform ground plan. The houses were rectangular and had a large fireplace on one side and a niche facing it as well as adjacent yard areas. The floors were covered with lime plaster. The buildings were made of sun-dried cylindrical clay blocks about 70 cm long and 20 cm thick. The clay was mixed with finely chopped straw.
There were about 30 houses that could have accommodated about 150–200 persons.[3]
Clay figurines found inMehrgarh (Pakistan), an important precursor to theIndus Valley Civilization, resemble those discovered atTeppe Zagheh, and at Jeitun.[4]
The people of the Jeitun culture were growingbarley and two sorts ofwheat, which were harvested with wooden or bone knives or sickles with stone blades. Stone handmills and other stone tools were found. The site seems to show the oldest evidence of arable farming in Central Asia.
Sheep and goats were already domesticated by the villagers, but they also hunted to supplement their diet.[3] The results of the research by David R. Harris show that, in this region, there were none of the wild forms ofeinkorn orbarley that could have been used for domestication, so these were brought from elsewhere already domesticated. The same applies to sheep. The wild goatCapra aegagrus, on the other hand, was widespread in Central Asia and could, therefore, have been domesticated in the area.[5]
Various types of the earliest Jeitun artefacts, such as clay figurines, decorated ceramics, and small stone axes, show similarities with those of the early agricultural Neolithic sites in theZagros Mountains, such asJarmo (Iraq). This may indicate the movements of the Neolithic people from the Levant to Central Asia, via the Zagros Mountains.
It is possible that the later Jeitun influence expanded to the south, across the Kopet Dag mountains toKermanshah Province andLuristan, to the sites such asTepe Guran,Tepe Sarab, andGanj Dareh.
Jeitun culture may have begun prior to 7000 BC, judging by the age ofSang-i Chakmak, the earliest settlement where such artefacts are found. In the same area of theGorgan Plain, other related sites areYarim Tepe (Iran), andTureng Tepe.[6]
There are about twenty archaeological sites attributed to the Jeitun culture, and they are found on both sides of the Kopet Dag mountains. They are especially common in the south-west Turkestani foothills of the mountains. The sites extend west as far asShahrud, Iran, and also east to theTedjen river that flows north fromAfghanistan.[6]
Two other early Jeitun sites Chopan andTogolok are located nearby.[7]
Monjukli Depe is another site where Jeitun culture artifacts have been discovered. It is quite important for establishing the regional chronology.
Jeitun period of Turkmenistan was followed by theAnau culture.
38°11′16″N58°20′57″E / 38.18784839°N 58.34913633°E /38.18784839; 58.34913633