Малатья мужийн Тохма хавцлаас олдсон энэхүү агуй нь Анатолийн бүс нутгийн түүхэнд шинэ хуудас нээх ач холбогдолтой олдвор болж байна.
Иньөнү их сургуулийн доктор Левент Искендероулу тэргүүтэй эрдэмтдийн баг талбайн судалгааны явцад 100 орчим хүний болон амьтны дүрслэл бүхий сүг зурагтай агуйг олжээ. Улаан болон хүрэн өнгөөр зурагдсан эдгээр дүрслэлүүд нь зөвхөн нэг удаагийн үйл явдал бус, олон мянган жилийн туршид үе үеийн хүмүүс нэмж дүрслэн баяжуулж ирсэн түүхэн ул мөр болохыг судалгаа харуулж байна. Зарим дүрслэлүүд нь өмнөх зургуудын дээр дахин зурагдсан байдалтай байгаа нь энэ газрыг урт хугацаанд тасралтгүй ашиглаж байсныг илтгэж байгаа юм.
Агуйн ханан дээрх дүрслэлүүд нь Европын зарим бүс нутгаас олддог байгалийн бодит дүрслэлээс ялгаатай, хялбаршуулсан хэлбэр, геометрийн тэмдэгтүүд, давтагдах дүрсүүдээс бүрдсэн онцлогтой байна. Ялангуяа хүний гарын мөрүүд нь хүмүүс өөрсдийн оршихуйг мөнхлөх гэсэн оролдлого эсвэл бэлгэдлийн шинжтэй үйлдэл байж болзошгүй гэж судлаачид тайлбарлаж байна. Одоогоор уг агуйн яг таг он цагийг тогтоогоогүй байгаа ч урьдчилсан ажиглалтаар зарим ул мөр нь Неолитийн үед хамаарах магадлалтай гэж үзжээ.
Эрдэмтэд уг олдворыг бүрэн гүйцэд судалж, нүүрстөрөгч (C-14) болон уран-торийн (U-Th) шинжилгээгээр он цагийг нь нарийвчлан тогтоохоор ажиллаж байна. Доктор Левент Искендероулу энэ нь зөвхөн шинжлэх ухааны нээлт төдийгүй хүн төрөлхтний хамтын өв болохыг онцлоод, агуйг хууль бус малтлагаас хамгаалах нь нэн тэргүүний асуудал болохыг анхаарууллаа. Мэргэжлийн байгууллагууд судалгааны тайланг бэлтгэсний дараа тус газрыг аялал жуулчлалын чухал цэг болгох боломжтой юм.
Дэлгэрэнгүйг эх сурвалжаас харах
↓Эх сурвалжийг нээх ↓
A newly discovered prehistoric cave in eastern Türkiye is drawing attention after researchers found nearly 100 painted human and animal figures covering its walls. The site could become one of the most important painted caves ever identified in Anatolia, although more scientific work is still needed to confirm its age.
The cave was found during fieldwork in Malatya’s Tohma Canyon by an interdisciplinary team led by Dr. Levent İskenderoğlu of İnönü University. Painted in red and reddish-brown tones, the figures appear to tell a much longer story than a single visit to the site.
Tohma Canyon, in the Darende district of Malatya, is already known for its rugged cliffs and river landscape. Now, this discovery adds a new chapter to the area’s history, revealing a place where prehistoric communities left behind a rich collection of images that has survived for thousands of years.
Paintings That Built Up Over Time
The cave walls are covered with almost 100 human figures, animals, and geometric symbols painted in shades of red. Rather than appearing as separate drawings, many of the images seem connected, forming larger compositions across the rock surface.
According to a statement from İnönü University, some figures were painted over older ones, while other areas show crossing lines and noticeable changes in style. Those details suggest the cave was visited again and again, with different groups adding new paintings over a long period.
Instead of seeing the cave as the result of a single artistic event, researchers are looking at it as a visual record that may preserve several different moments in the site’s history.
“Closer examination reveals stylistic variations and differences in the texture of the paint and pigments, pointing to both older and more recent phases of artwork. This suggests the site may have been used over thousands of years.” said Dr. Levent İskenderoğlu, an assistant professor in the Department of Painting at İnönü University’s Faculty of Fine Arts and Design. “It could have been a sacred or dream-related place, revisited repeatedly across generations and imbued with symbolic significance.”
A Different Style Of Prehistoric Art
Dr. Levent also explained that the paintings use a symbolic and schematic style. The source noted that they differ from the more natural-looking cave art found in parts of Europe, relying instead on simple shapes, repeated forms, and signs.
“The handprints, in particular, caught our attention. We interpreted them as a form of resistance to mortality. It is possible that people wanted to leave a lasting mark of their existence by imprinting their hands on these walls,” he added.
The mix of human figures, animals, and geometric motifs has also raised questions about how the cave may have been used. Researchers are exploring whether it could have had a ritual or belief-related role, although Dr. Levant has made it clear that this remains only a possibility for now.
The discovery is already being compared with other well-known prehistoric painted sites in Türkiye, including Beldibi in Antalya, the Latmos rock paintings on the Aydın–Muğla border, and Doğu Sandal Cave in Mersin. The number of figures and the variety of subjects make the Tohma Canyon cave especially noteworthy.
Protecting The Site Comes First
Researchers have not yet established the cave’s exact age. Their next steps include studying the painted surfaces, analyzing the pigments, classifying the figures, and creating a detailed inventory of everything preserved on the walls.
“We can’t put an exact date on the site yet, but our early findings suggest that some of the traces may go back to the Neolithic period. The final dating will come after carbon-14 and uranium-thorium (U-Th) analyses are finished,” he stated in the same release.
The research team will also prepare reports for the relevant conservation authorities. That work is considered necessary before any final conclusions can be drawn about the site’s significance.
Protecting the cave has become an urgent issue because it has already suffered recent damage. Dr. Levant warned against illegal digging and treasure hunting, explaining that there is no hidden gold inside the cave.
“If the site is properly protected and the necessary visitor facilities are put in place, it could become one of the region’s major tourist destinations. But this isn’t just our heritage—it’s part of humanity’s shared history. Protecting it and ensuring future generations can experience it is incredibly important.”
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